Storytelling: Fictional Narratives, Imaginary People, and the Reader's Real Life

Classroom Activities

First Activity: Becoming The Ethicist

This is a pre-reading activity for chosen selections of Black Boy. The purpose of this activity is to encourage students to make connections between themselves and a literary character or subject through the act of reading and guided consideration. This increases their buy-in to the literature, lets them contemplate difficult life decisions without risk, and sets up expectations of appealing tension and conflict in the text.

The Process

Find examples from the New York Times Magazine column "The Ethicist." There are hundreds of these on the New York Times website; you can select one or two that your students would find interesting. Share a few problems submitted by a reader with the students and engage them in a discussion about their responses. Encourage them to look at the problem from all perspectives involved. Read the columnist's responses; remind them that in literature and in our lives we are exposed more often than we realize to challenges where right and wrong are not always clearly delineated. Maybe they have some stories of their own to contribute to the discussion.

After presenting the following situation from Black Boy, group the students in threes (approximately, but more than this may ensure that not all contribute to the conversation). Let them discuss, prepare their statements and prepare to report their decision to the rest of the class. Contrast the different responses from each group in a final discussion. The problem: in chapter ten of Black Boy Wright contemplates breaking the law to fulfill his responsibility of taking care of his family. All other sources of income have dried up for him. Is he right to steal to feed his family? Is it ever right to steal from another? After reading selections of the text, return to these conversations and discuss how Wright approached the conflicts and challenges in his life and why. Finally, either before or after reading the chosen text selections, in their small groups or as individuals let the students become The Ethicist and write their own letter of response to Wright in the manner of the magazine column. They can do this in their small groups or as individuals.

Second Activity: Anatomy of a Vignette

This activity has the students looking back at a piece of writing, "Salvation," and forward to the task of writing an original vignette. The objectives are twofold: the first is for students to understand the power of a writer's use of images and sensory detail on the reader's emotional response; the second is for students to demonstrate their understanding that a vignette is not necessarily a story, but a snapshot that captures an idea or emotion. They will do this by isolating and analyzing images from the essay and using them to reduce its story to a vignette that captures one of the strong emotions that Hughes experiences.

The Process

After reading "Salvation" aloud in the classroom while the students follow along, or letting them take turns to do it themselves, give or let the students create a two-columned piece of paper headed "images" on the left and "emotions" on the right. In the left column, as a class, have them select strong sensory details and vivid nouns, skipping several spaces below each. They might come up with images like "the building rocked," "new young lambs," or "hot, crowded church." Across from each image on the right, students should write their thoughts about what emotions might accompany those images, either for themselves or Hughes. Lead them in a brief discussion about the power these images have to evoke emotions or connections with the reader.

Next have students come up with a situation in their lives that was rich with an emotion. Have them select a list of vivid nouns and sensory images from their memory of the event and using the same two-columned format, list them on the left with their accompanying emotions on the right. Now they have a pre-writing document that can lead to the next steps of drafting and revising. This vignette could be one for the final selection of vignettes that students put together towards the end of the quarter.

Third Activity: Catching a Culture in Writing

One of the unit objectives was for students to reflect on cultural influences that have shaped their identities. They have seen this in all of reading selections so far. Selections from The House on Mango Street encourage readers to think more finitely about their own cultural influences through comparison or contrast by focusing on details, such as hair or traditions. We will read the whole text, but one of the vignettes we will pay special attention to is "Hairs." I'll provide photocopies so students can write on this particular one.

The Process

After we read the short piece aloud several times, students can highlight or underline strong sensory images, such as "hair like fur," "warm smell of bread," or "the snoring, the rain." We will discuss as a class how alive and personal the images are. While guiding students away from stereotypes, I will then ask them to silently select an aspect or two of their culture or family history that they feel affection or disdain for. Finally, they will emulate "Hairs" in a vignette of their own that captures the multi-sensory traits of one aspect of their cultures. If necessary, we will devote a side lesson on descriptive writing techniques, like the use of figurative language, contrast, and attribute modifiers. After brainstorming and drafting, we will follow the rest of the writing process and use peer groups for feedback.