Anthology

    For this blog, I wanted to list 10 multicultural American lit works that I would use if I was teaching AP American Literature. In my opinion, works from marginalized authors are becoming more commonplace in public schools. However, there is still room to grow, and I feel as if AP Lit, which is intended for advanced 12 graders, would be the perfect place to allow students to stretch their multicultural wings! These particular works are asking for students to grapple with complex feminist and racist theories, which we would discuss in class. To be clear, this discussion would be very shallow. These theories have many different facets and schools, and a very basic knowledge would suffice for our classroom conversations and essay assignments. 

     Below you'll find ten blog post featuring one work in the anthology.  Each post will include a summary, the potential problems with the piece (if any), my rationale for including the particular work, a few photos of the work or author, and a few external links if you want to learn more. 

1.      "A Pair of Tickets" by Amy Tan

2.     Beloved by Toni Morison

3.     "Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid

4.     Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

5.     A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

6.     The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

7.     Sure You Can Ask Me A Question" by Diane Burns  

8.    "Repetition" by Phil Kaye

9.     “An American Poem” by Ras Baraka

10."Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou

"A Pair of Tickets" by Amy Tan

Summary: Jing-mei travels to China with her father following her mother's death. While there, she begins to "feel Chinese." She reconnects with her abandoned, older twin sisters and her extended family. Even though Jing-mei has never met this family, the reunions are emotional. Once in China, her father tells her the story of her mother's struggle during the war. She was alone because Jing-mei's father was fighting in the war. When their village was attacked, she was forced to carry her twin daughters alone to refuge. However, they are heavy and she is forced to drop food and supplies in order to continue carrying them. Eventually, she must leave her children in order to survive. She leaves them with jewels and money in hopes that someone will care for the children, which is what happens. The mother returned to find her daughters later, but with no luck. Meeting her sisters for the first time, Jing-mei believes they look just like her mother. On a second look, they appear nothing like her mother. She realizes that the resemblance comes from deep inside their shared Chinese blood.

Problems: I do not predict any problems with this story. It is devoid of inappropriate language and explicit material. 

Purpose and Educational Significance: Based on a true story, "A Pair of Tickets" doesn't immediately strike a reader as a feminist work. However, the abandonment of the twin girls forces the reader to empathize with the mother and reconsider the struggles of women in war & foreign countries.  This is especially true considering that this story is based on Tan's life. When the story is examined through this frame, it makes for an interesting discussion on the importance of family history. I think it would be interesting to hear the perspective of young readers on if family history actually is important to them. Do they think visiting their families’ homelands is important? Do any of the students feel a strong connection to their heritages? Do they think that connection would strengthen after visiting their homelands, much like June May found?  

If examined through race theory, this short story has interesting implications. The struggles faced by the mother transcend race and time. I would hope my students could recognize this tragedy as not race related, but certainly a struggle faced for nearly exclusively women.

Amy Tan

 To read about Tan’s personal story, click here and here. To hear her own words about her relationship with her mother and her trip to China, click here. I think the students will really be able to connect to Tan’s biography because they will likely feel the same disconnect to her heritage that she does.

To see an extensive Prezi presentation on characters, themes, and analysis, click here. 

   The novel this story is derived from

Beloved by Toni Morrison

             

          Summary: The main story takes place in 1873 in Cincinnati, Ohio. In house 124, Sethe, a former slave, lives with her daughter Denver, and Paul D, a former slave from the same plantation as Sethe and shows up the day the novel begins. They previously lived with Baby Suggs, Sethe's mother-in-law who passed away, and two of Sethe's sons who ran away just before Baby Sugg's death. Sethe believes they ran away because of a haunting ghost, Sethe's dead daughter. Denver likes the ghost, however.  There are many flashbacks to Sethe's time as a slave: her being milked, her husband Halle, and worst of all, schoolteacher. 20 years previously, Sethe ran away from the plantation because of schoolteacher's cruel treatment. She and her children escape for one month before schoolteacher comes. In maddening fear, she runs away with her children and attempts to kill them before schoolteacher can take them back into slavery. She succeeds in killing the 2 year old daughter, who is buried with the word "beloved" on her gravestone. The community shuns the house for the actions of Sethe. In current times, Paul D chases the ghost away from the home, and he and Sethe plan a life together. One day, a young woman is found sleeping outside of the house. She calls herself Beloved. Everyone believes she is the reincarnation of Sethe's dead daughter, and the book provides ample evidence to support this view. Denver and Sethe form a strange, unhealthy obsession over Beloved, whereas Paul D hates her but is at her mercy. Beloved commands him against his will often and eventually seduces him. Paul D learns of what happened to Beloved, he moves out. Eventually, the community comes to their aid and helps 124 get rid of Beloved.

          Problems: This story can be found challenging for readers at this age, both in terms of themes, language, and theory. However, it is included on the list of recommended novels by the AP council and highly critically accalimed, so I still feel it is appropriate. If parents are concerned, I would direct them to the AP list and discuss that these are the types of novels that are discussed in college settings. Not only is this a novel full of literary gold, especially in terms of symbolism and theme, but Morrison is a modern figurehead and spokeswoman in the black women’s rights movement.

            Purpose and Educational Significance: This novel is solidly grounded in both feminist and race theory. I would want the class to discuss in depth the scene where Sethe is milked and the effect this has on her husband. I think that a big facet of feminist theory is acknowledging the often overlooked feelings, reactions, ect of men and this would be a good jumping point to discuss how society often forces them to suppress themselves, which is what led to Halle going mad. This discussion can be continued as Beloved’s influence over Paul D unfolds.

                In light of the feminist theory, I would want to discuss the moral implications of Sethe’s choice to kill Beloved rather than allow her to return to slavery. It occurred only 28 days after escaping, was she in a sound frame of mind? Do you think she made the right choice? Furthermore, I want to know if my students believe if women have more power in groups. In the novel, Beloved can only be exorcised when a large group of women from the community come to help; the women in 124 cannot do it alone. Do my students think this is a commentary on women’s power?

                These questions are just some of the larger ones Beloved raises, and I would certainly want a day of class-led discussions.

                

Beloved, Sethe, and Denver from the movie adaptation

To read a critic discussing the genre of the apocalypse in Beloved, which would be useful for the students to read why horror stories such as these are necessary, click here.

                For a map of how the characters are related, click here.

                For a biography on Toni Morrison, click here. Since Morrison is an important name in the field, it is critical to get a sense of who she is.

                For a discussion on women in Beloved, click here.

                For a discussion on symbolism, click here.

                A discussion on themes can be found here.

                A helpful glossary for students can be found here.

                Essay Questions can be found here.

                Potential projects can be found here.

Toni Morrison

"Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid

            Summary: This is advice and instruction from mother to daughter on etiquette, homemaking, and sexuality. Only two of the sentences are the daughter asking questions to defend herself. The mother is especially concerned with the daughter becoming a slut.  

            Problems: I think the only potential problem is the word "slut." If I was to be a teacher, it wouldn't be in Utah, so I doubt this would be an issue because that word is used frequently in high schools. However, if it was a problem, I would make sure that the parent or student understood that this word is used to point out the problems in rape culture, not to make the word more acceptable. Actually the opposite, this short story problematizes that word. 

            Purpose and Educational Significance: This short story focuses on feminist theory, and I feel it is a good story to begin our discussion on this topic because it is short and rather straightforward compared to some of the other works I have listed in this anthology.

Most importantly, I want this story to create a class discussion on how women are held responsible for upholding sexual morals more than men. In what kind of world should a woman’s sexuality be questioned by a baker in order to buy bread? However, as a lead up to this discussion, I want to discuss how women are expected to act in society. They are put on a stage, and this story is written almost like stage directions from mother to daughter. This begs the question: are appearances more important than reality?

I would also be interested to know what the students think of the tone of the short story. Since this is somewhat based upon the experience of the author, do they think this is an accurate interpretation of society’s expectations of women, or does it sound more like a teenage girl complaining of her nagging mother.

 

Antigua is a former British colony and a large tourist destination

But the people there, like Kincaid, live in poverty. 

For a list of discussion questions, click here.

                        For a discussion of themes, click here.

                        For an analysis on structure, click here.

                        Click here for a biography on Kincaid and context for the story.

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

 Summary: A coming of age story, Their Eyes Were Watching God is a retelling of the life of Janie Crawford in her own words. Although she is forty by the time her story ends, she continues to “come of age” past her teenage years. It first begins as she witnesses the pear tree, but stops in its track as Jody, her second husband, suppresses her beyond her mental capacity. However, Janie overcomes this as she finds her life: before her second husband’s death, she has reclaimed her own mind.  Her third husband, Tea Cake, shows her all there is to enjoy in life. This story discusses a life of poverty and of riches. It is a story of overcoming and proves you don’t need a “happy ending” to have a happy ending.

            Problems: Sex is mentioned in this novel, but it is never explicit about it. I don't expect it to be a problem. If it is, I will point out that it happens within the marriages, and is therefore a normal part of life that these almost-graduated seniors can no longer be shielded from. 

Zora Neale Hurston

            Purpose and Educational Significance: As a student, this was one of my favorite reads. I would hope that my students would similarly enjoy this story. It is also a great lead in to discuss the Harlem Renaissance, which is one of the first times in American history that African Americans were praised for their artistic endeavors.

            This story exemplifies the strength of women and explores the idea of love. Can you be innocent and love? This also discusses the strength of American Americans. Janie’s grandmother overcame all: slavery, racism, and the disappearance and death of a daughter, to raise Janie. Did she sufficiently place her morals in Janie? Was Janie right to leave Killicks? With beautiful language, this story places many moral quandaries in the minds of readers. I believe students need a safe place to discuss these quandaries and to sort them out.

           

                        For essay questions, click here.

                      Click here to listen to the NPR show with Hurston’s niece discussing Hurtson’s legacy. 

                      Click here to navigate to Hurton’s official website for a timeline of her life, a biography, and audio clips. 

                      To watch Their Eyes Were Watching God go here. 

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

A Raisin in the Sun set

          Summary: This story takes place in the small apartment of the Youngers family, which has 3 generations living in just a few rooms. Just before the play begins, the patriarch of the family, Mr. Younger, has passed away, and the family is expecting to receive an insurance check. Mama wants to buy a new house for the family with the money. Walter wants to buy into a liquor store with a couple of men with the money. He believes that if they buy into a business it will solve their financial concerns indefinitely. His wife, Ruth, agrees with Mama, and Beneatha wants to pay her college tuition with it. Beneatha is also very interested in African culture, and wishes the family was interested in this too. Ruth discovers she is pregnant but fears this new baby will put too much pressure on the family. When she admits that she is considering abortion, Walter says nothing, and Mama puts the down payment on a house in an entirely white neighborhood. Before moving in, the neighborhood sends Mr. Linder to pay the family to move to another neighborhood. The family rejects the deal, and at the end of the play they are moving out to this house despite knowing the persecution they will likely face.

            Problems: The only problem I predict is the notion of abortion. However, this is never actually discussed in detail, nor does the family go through with it. Instead, the family chooses to bring the baby to term and fulfill their dreams no matter what. I don't know who would have a problem with that!

            Purpose and Educational Significance: One of the reasons I feel this is an important work to include is because it is a play. The majority of the works in this anthology are either novels or short stories, both of which my students will have been exposed to several times. Plays, however, are discussed less frequently in literature class, and I want to make sure my students have an opportunity to be exposed to many different types of literature.

            This story definitely opens the door for a discussion on race theory. Beneatha opens the door for a class discussion on Neo-Africanism. Again, I don’t want to go into race theory deeply, but I want my students to understand the historical and social context this theory was developed. I would also like the to put themselves in Beneatha’s shoes. Would they ever consider going back to their ancestral home, especially if they had no relatives immediately from there and had no connection to the people, culture, or language?

            Additionally, I would like to talk about the names of the characters. Why is Beneatha named so? It is because she is socially suppressed as a woman, a black, or a black woman? Or is it related to how her family sometimes (depending on the character) views her education or her aspirations to embrace African culture? Is Ruth somehow like the Ruth in the bible, going and doing whatever her mother-in-law and husband want? Walter Jr is obviously an homage to his father; what can that tell us about how his parents view him?

            Most importantly, I want to talk about the historical context this play was written. Hansberry wrote this play after her own family went to court regarding racial discrimination in a housing contract. Her family had to fight to even be heard by the court. Hansberry reflected on this time:

Lorraine Hansberry

"25 years ago, [my father] spent a small personal fortune, his considerable talents, and many years of his life fighting, in association with NAACP attorneys, Chicago’s ‘restrictive covenants’ in one of this nation's ugliest ghettos. That fight also required our family to occupy disputed property in a hellishly hostile ‘white neighborhood’ in which literally howling mobs surrounded our house… My memories of this ‘correct’ way of fighting white supremacy in America include being spat at, cursed and pummeled in the daily trek to and from school. And I also remember my desperate and courageous mother, patrolling our household all night with a loaded German Luger (pistol), doggedly guarding her four children, while my father fought the respectable part of the battle in the Washington court."

Clearly, this experience heavily influenced the play.

Book cover

           To read about her family’s fight in court, click here.                      Click here for a more general biography.

            For essay questions click here and here.

            For a discussion on theme, click here.

            A character map can be found here. 

            Click here to read an analysis of the dialogue. It explains why the characters realistically speak a pidgin English and how a language like that develops.

            For an analysis of the three versions of the play, the play, the screen write, and the American Playhouse rendition, click here.

            For a glossary on terms and phrases, click here.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

Junot Diaz

 Summary: This more modern multicultural literature piece is one that I think students will be more able to personally connect and empathize with. Written in 2007, it’s a story of a young Dominican boy who moves to the US. He’s obsessed with science fiction and fantasy books & love. The main character Oscar is an immigrant with his family from the Dominican Republic. This is told from two perspectives, and we see that the family is cursed with a "fuku," tragic curse. Oscar sees himself as a crusader trying to find the holy grail, or the solution to the curse. 

Problems: Since this is so new, I could see parents wishing I would have picked a more classic novel. However, critics have applauded this novel, which is why although it’s newer, I still think it has merit and deserves to be read by these students. 

Purpose and Educational Significance: Because of my focus on female writers and characters, I’m sure the boys in the class will enjoy having a novel with a male protagonist!

The novel itself has several narrators, and uses Spanglish in many parts. The novel also has many elements of magical realism, which is an important element in many cultures. Similarly, this novel focuses on multiple generations. This will give the class an opportunity to discuss family in a way that was not displayed in the other works. Yes, A Raisin the Sun does has multiple generations, but the bond is different here because Oscar, the main character, feels connected to family members he’s never met.

          

Book Cover

             For a critical review, click here.

            To find a discussion on style used by Diaz, go here.

            For a discussion on themes, click here. For a specific analysis and discussion on magic realism in this novel, go here.

            For a good glossary of many of the terms, click here.

            

"Sure You Can Ask Me a Personal Question" by Diane Burns

Burns

Summary: The speaker is asked a series of questions which are not listed, but can be easily deduced by the reader to be pertaining to her ethnicity and culture. The speaker has clearly been asked these questions many times.

Problems: I don't really see there being any problems. The only issue is clear stereotyping, but the poem seeks to disagree with the use of stereotypes and encourages the reader to see past them.

Purpose and Educational Significance: This poem would be helpful at the beginning of the multicultural lit section of the course. It opens up the discussion about stereotypes. I think that, no matter where you are from, the community as a whole will has some bias (or biases) about one or more groups, whether those are racial, gender, sexual orientation, etc based. To make sure that the class can respectfully discuss cultures and ideas, I want to flesh out the idea of stereotypes, bring them out in the open, and have the students aware of their own blind spots. I don’t expect them to necessarily change their world view, but I do expect them to acknowledge them and be able to think critically about their ideas. (Although if they have large biases, I would hope they at least reconsider.)

Stylistically, I think this is a unique poem. It’s fun and easy to read & I would hope my students would enjoy it. Again, since it’s so easy and fun, it makes for a gradual introduction to this unit. Some of the other works in this anthology have some really difficult scenes, like Beloved. This will introduce them to the concepts we will be exploring without shocking them to death right away.

To read Burns’ obituary, click here.

For a prezi presentation that analyzes the poem by stanza and has a discussion of theme, diction, and Burns’ life, click here.

Burns

“Repetition” by Phil Kaye

Summary: The speaker of the poem repeats many of the phrases/lines and has a stutter. He tells the reader that if you repeat something, it looses its meaning. The speaker relays how this was his favorite game as a child because he watched his parents repeat "I love you" to each other as they were going through a divorce. He saw this as a way to cope with the stress in his life until he literally got a stutter. 

Problems: I do not foresee any problems with this piece because it is not explicit or sexual in any manner. It simply is about choosing your words carefully. I would also be giving the students a physical copy, so parents shouldn't be upset about it not being "literature."

Purpose and Educational Significance: In my opinion, I think this is one of two great poems to close the whole unit with. I would want to accomplish two major things with this poem.

This spoken word poem is something that I hope really speaks to the students. One reason I have high hopes for my students’ interest is because the form is very different from the majority of the works in the anthology; not only is it a poem, but it’s meant to be spoken-word. I think this poem has a musical quality, much like rap. I would hope that my students that are musically inclined would especially enjoy the rhythm of the poem when it’s performed.

The first thing I want to use this poem to teach is how people of minorities still face the same issues as the majority. However, minorities face additional issues. This poem could be seen as a metaphor. All ethnic peoples face trials of the family: divorce, death, etc. However, when minorities face these issues, they are given additional handicaps, like the speaker’s stutter.

Additionally, I think this poem speaks to an important topic: words have precious and important meaning. If you aren’t careful, your words will lose meaning.

Kaye

Thus, secondly, I want to know if my students believe this message. Although we probably won’t talk about this in class, this poem is predicated on an interesting perspective on structuralism. While there is certainly a lot of truth to the poem, I’m personally not confident that the main purpose of the poem is true. If you’re told you’re ugly every day, it probably won’t lose meaning to you. Yes, perhaps the person who says it will forget the meaning, but the object of the teasing never will. I would hope that my class would come to this conclusion. I would want to use this opportunity to discuss social justice and how the language we use every day can affect others. Yes, we may forget the impact of our words, but we should do everything in our power to avoid this.

To go to Phil Kaye’s official website, go here.

For a transcript of the poem, click here.

“An American Poem” by Ras Baraka

            

             Summary: The speaker of the poem is looking for a poem that is "American." He goes through several definitions of what "American" looks like, and sites important things from American history that have changed the course of the country. Most of all, he's looking for an American poem that represents him and the black community. 

            Problems: This poem is somewhat explicit in language. However, the language is one of the big reasons I want to discuss this poem. If parents have a concern about it, I would invite them to sit in on our discussion of reappropriation. It would be enlightening to them as well!

            Purpose and Educational Significance: As a spoken word poem, this is another one that should be more fun for the students to watch and analyze. Not only does this fall into my theme of race theory, but it also gives the students an opportunity to develop research skills.

The first thing I would want to discuss with my students is the concept of “American.” In a place where there are so many different ethnicities, cultures, and religions, what makes something distinctly American? Is it simply location and nationalism that unifies us?

Baraka

            Secondly, this poem uses “nigga” repeatedly. I know a lot of students don’t really understand why it’s a taboo words for Caucasians but completely kosher for African-Americans. I think this is a good time to discuss the concept of reappropriation.  I want to be able to respectfully explain to my students that because of how negatively this word was used, African-Americans have reclaimed the word in order to symbolically regain power. I know some of my students will probably have trouble accepting this, but as I mentioned elsewhere, I don’t expect them to change their worldview, but they do need to recognize other viewpoints.

            Thirdly, I think this poem has so many things from American history that the students probably wouldn’t recognize/ fully understand during a first hearing. I want the students to be able to take one of the things he mentioned (like Italian emigrants, sharecroppers, Smith vs. Allwright, etc) and be able to understand the event and what makes them quintessentially “American.”

            I would also like to see how surprised my students are when they learn he’s a mayor in Newark, NJ. Did they make assumptions?

            For a transcript of the poem, click here.

            For a biography on Baraka, click here.  

"Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou

          

           First of all, how cute is Maya Angelou in that reading?!

Younger Maya Angelou

Summary: The speaker is talking to her naysayers: the people who want her to be more quiet, more reserved. She tells them that there is nothing they could do that could stop her or her people from rising out of depression, segregation, and oppression. 

Problems: I don't anticipate any problems with this. Like I said before, I don't plan on working in Utah, so I don't think the word "sexiness" or the allusions to a vagina would be a problem anywhere else. If it is, I'll show them that this is a poem about empowerment for women and blacks. The poem is definitely not explicit in a manner.

Purpose and Educational Significance: This poem I would reserve for the last work in the unit (the second poem mentioned in the "Repetition" post). Not only can it be discussed in light of our discussions of feminist and race theories, but it is also an inspiration poem. I would love to encourage my students with this, especially since they will soon be entering the next phase of their lives. I also think that Maya Angelou is one of the most fabulous modern poets, and honestly one of the greatest American poets of all time. I would be remiss if I didn’t expose my students to her work.

First, in light of race theory, how is the speaker “the hope and dreams of the slaves?” Do you think African-Americans in particular, but ethnic minorities in general, have reached a point of social safety and security? What could the speaker be referring to when she says “You may write me down in history/with your bitter, twisted lies?”

In light of feminist theory, what do you think of the lines/stanza that refer to sassiness and sexiness? Is it appropriate that society is making judgments about the speaker based on these attributes? Do you think the speaker allows these judgments to deter her?

Angelou and Martin Luther King Jr.

To read a biography on Maya Angelou, click here.

For an analysis of the poem, click here.

For a quiz on the figurative language go here.