Why Literature Matters

CONTENTS OF CURRICULUM UNIT 16.02.09

  1. Unit Guide
  1. Introduction
  2. Background
  3. Rationale
  4. Why Culturally Relevant Literature
  5. Identity and Selfhood
  6. Otherness in the Context of American Identity
  7. Issues of Identity in Catfish and Mandala 
  8. Strategies and Activities
  9. Appendix A: Teacher Resources
  10. Appendix B: Teacher Resources
  11. Appendix C: Teacher Resources
  12. Appendix D: Teacher Resources
  13. Appendix E: Teacher Resources
  14. Appendix F: Teacher Resources
  15. Appendix G: Implementing Common Core State Standards
  16. Bibliography
  17. Notes

Who Am I?: Culturally Relevant Text and American Identity

Mark Holston

Published September 2016

Tools for this Unit:

Appendix D: Teacher Resources

Diction in Catfish and Mandala

Consider

The Nguyens’ building is narrow and long, like a matchbox set on its striking side.  Within its alley neighborhood, a two-floor cellblock, each residence is sealed with a massive sliding steel door of mesh wire and bars.  It is dark and quiet, everyone asleep (71).

Discuss

  1. Highlight ten words that contribute to the negative image of the Nguyens’ building.
  2. What are the connotations of sealed? What feelings are evoked by this diction?
  3. What does Pham’s word choice reveal about his attitude towards the Nguyens’ building?

Syntax in Catfish and Mandala

I fled down the dark alley, running by instinct, feeling my way with the tips of my fingers on the moist walls.  Turn right.  Run down another alley.  Keep the gun.  Drop the bag.  Too heavy.  Turn again.  Run through a larger alley.  They were closing in on me.  I stumbled over trash.  Kept going, heading for the clear up ahead (69).

Look at the passage.  Highlight the sentences that are sentence fragments.

  1. What is the tone of the passage? (Choose from your list of tone words)
  2. Pham begins to describe what happened in the past, but he then switches to the present tense. How does the switch to the immediate tense help him create the tone?

Compare the following revised passage to Pham’s original.

I fled down the dark alley, ran by instinct, feeling my way with the tips of my fingers on the moist walls.  I decided to turn right and run down another alley.  I then decided to keep the gun and drop the bag because it was too heavy.  I turned again and ran through a larger alley.  Despite my efforts, they closed in on me as I stumbled over trash; I kept going, and headed for the clear up ahead.

  1. What difference in syntax (word order, sentenced length, sentence focus and punctuation) do you notice between the original and revised passage? Be specific.
  2. What are the differences in tone between the two passages? Be specific.

Apply:  Using Pham’s original passage as a model, describe an exciting situation using short, fragmented syntax.

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