Nicole Mangiardi
English 112B
Literature for Young Adults
Dr. Mary Warner
May 3, 2003
Exploring
Prejudice through Poetry, Drama, and Young Adult Literature
Racism,
sexism, classism and other forms of prejudice are sadly still a large part of
our world today. Key in helping
curb these negative viewpoints of the world is education. Educating students about the types and
dangers of prejudice will hopefully open the minds of students and better
prepare them for our continually diversifying world. Certain works of literature that focus on acts of prejudice
are great learning tools for students to broaden horizons and become more
accepting individuals. One such
canonical work is Shakespeare�s Merchant of Venice,
which explores some prejudicial issues. With that work as the centerpiece of
this unit, the opportunities for supplemental materials focusing on racism,
sexism, or otherwise are endless.
In order to narrow down this sweeping category, this units focus tends
to lean towards Judaism and the Holocaust, though not entirely. Each work within the unit helps
students not only explore different genres of literature, but also their own
ambiguous feelings about race, culture, gender, and class in our society.
In
addition to Merchant of Venice, which will be read in and
out of class, other works that will be included in this unit are excerpts from Diary
of Anne Frank and The Diary of Anne Frank The Play, I
Never Saw Another Butterfly, and The Young Traveler. Because Shakespeare's plays can be
difficult for teens, Merchant of Venice will be a heavy focus
on daily class activities once the unit is launched. Other works will be discussed in class and used to
supplement the main work, but will be read outside of class.
Launching the Unit:
It is important to remember
that prejudice is a controversial, and sometimes sensitive, topic for teens and
all people to discuss openly. In
launching this unit it may be helpful to proceed slowly, but honestly. You may launch the unit by choosing
one, more, or all of the following "into" lesson ideas.
1. Play a song to pique interest. John Lennon's Imagine, although older to
today's generation, is a fitting song that can lead to discussions about what a
"perfect" world might be.
Pass out lyrics to each student before playing the song so that student
unfamiliar with it may follow along.
Also, student will use the lyrics to analyze the song. Have the students "free
write" about the song stating whether they agree or disagree with the
message, or both. In partners or
groups the students can discuss their opinions. Stressing respect is always important, and even more so in
this lesson, as that is a focus on breaking the barriers of prejudice. Other
song possibilities: Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream by Ed
McCurdy, about world peace, What Would You Do by
City High, dealing with judgment and class issues, and the classic Let There
Be Peace on Earth.
Imagine
John Lennon
Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one
2. Read "The Swede" by Arden R. Carter aloud or
silently in class. Have students
write or discuss in groups why prejudice can be dangerous using examples from
the story to support their ideas.
In groups, make "visual representation" posters using a symbol
to represent a character in the story.
Have students write in class or for homework supporting their symbol.
3. Write "I am" poems using model "I am..."
poems as a guideline. Have
students bring their "I am" poems to class to read in groups. Have students discuss and chart which
characteristics they share and which they do not share. Each group makes a poster to represent
their differences and alikeness.
I Am
I am (two special
characteristics)
I wonder (something you are actually
curious about)
I hear (an imaginary sound)
I see (an imaginary sight)
I want (an actual desire)
I am (the first line of the
poem again)
I pretend (something you
actually pretend to do)
I feel (a feeling about
something imaginary)
I touch (an imaginary touch)
I worry (something that
really bothers you)
I cry (something that makes
you very sad)
I am (the first line of the
poem restated)
I understand (something you
know is true)
I say (something you believe
in)
I dream (something you actually
dream about)
I try (something you really
make an effort about)
I hope (something you
actually hope for)
I am (the first line of the
poem again)
Extending the Unit
1.
Shakespeare�s Merchant of Venice deals wonderfully with the subject of
prejudice and its role in society.
In addition to reading the play, study the "Hath Not a Jew"
monologue. Have students rewrite
this monologue in everyday Modern English, and changing the word
"Jew" to a word that applies to or affects them. Do they agree or disagree
with Shylock? Use examples from
today�s world to support the answer.
2.
In addition to the in class study of Shakespeare�s Merchant of Venice,
supplemental material should be provided to further enhance the unit. Because Shakespeare is a bit denser
then other fiction and poetry, it seems this one play is enough on its own in
terms of drama. However, adding
films to class can be beneficial.
The Diary of Anne Frank is not only a treasured novel, but it is also a
play. Reading some scenes in
groups or watching taped versions of the play can further an understanding of
theatre and also the unit theme or prejudice.
3.
I Never Saw Another Butterfly is a compilation work
including drawings, poetry, and other writings of children imprisoned in Terezin
concentration camp in Prague. One
poem can be assigned to a small group of students who then read and analyze the
poem using any literary terms learned about poetry. The group works on a group project during the unit where
they will present the poem including a reading of the poem, an explanation of
its meaning, and a visual representation of the poem or its author using a
poster or manipulatives.
4.
Students will continue reading from The Young Traveler�s Gift: Seven
Decisions That Determine Personal Success, by Andy Andrews, paying close attention to the
chapter where the narrator meets Anne Frank. An essay topic for this chapter is what advice does Anne
Frank give the narrator? Why would
Anne Frank give that advice? Use
what you know about prejudice to explain your answer.
5.
If your school has classroom access to the Internet, or if you feel
comfortable assigning an Internet project to your class, register as an
instructor at understandingprejudice.org and have students complete the baseline
survey and lessons throughout the unit.
This is a great interactive teaching tool, which incorporates technology
into the unit and deals with many types of prejudice.
Other Young Adult novels can
be paired with Merchant of Venice as outside reading. The following are choices for either the teacher or students
in the way of young adult literature, all dealing with prejudice and/or
multiculturalism:
Diary of Anne Frank: The
journal of a Jewish girl in her early teens describes both the joys and
torments of daily life, as well as typical adolescent thoughts, throughout two
years spent in hiding with her family during the Nazi occupation of Holland.
My
Forbidden Face,
by Latifa: Latifa was born in Kabul in 1980 into a educated middle-class Afghan
family. In 1996, the Taliban
seized power and Latifa, then 16 years old, became a prisoner in her own
home. With painful honesty and
clarity Latifa describes the way her world fell apart in the name of a
fanatical interpretation of a faith.
House on Mango Street,
Sandra Cisneros: A collection of stories and poems written when Cisneros was in
her early twenties and explains from a child�s point of view different race
relations in her neighborhood and her own self-identity as a minority.
Bent*, by Martin Sherman: Martin Sherman's worldwide hit play Bent took London by
storm in 1979 when it was first performed by the Royal Court Theatre, with Ian
McKellen as Max (a character written with the actor in mind). The play itself
caused an uproar. "It educated the world," Sherman explains.
"People knew about how the Third Reich treated Jews and, to some extent,
gypsies and political prisoners. But very little had come out about their
treatment of homosexuals." Gays were arrested and interned at work camps
prior to the genocide of Jews, gypsies, and handicapped, and continued to be
imprisoned even after the fall of the Third Reich and liberation of the camps.
The play Bent highlights the reason why - a largely ignored German law,
Paragraph 175, making homosexuality a criminal offense, which Hitler
reactivated and strengthened during his rise to power. * This play is graphic and is for
mature readers only.
The Starplace, by Vicki Grove: It's the year 1961, and Frannie lives in the perfect
little town of Quiver, Oklahoma. She is planning a party with her friends to
launch their eighth grade school year. Then, Celeste, an African-American girl,
moves to town. Frannie is drawn to Celeste, but she is afraid to make friends
with her because Celeste is the only African-American student in the school. As
time goes by, however, they become close friends. Through their friendship,
Frannie learns some history that was not taught in her school.
The Young Traveler�s Gift: Before David Ponder ever visited Truman in The
Traveler's Gift, Michael Holder began
his journey as the last young traveler to receive the unique gifts of wisdom
offered by historical greats. In his senior year of high school, Michael hits
rock bottom. Having been caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, he has
now been suspended from the track team and lost his college scholarship. His
coach is angry, his parents are disappointed, and he's diving headfirst into a
downward spiral. Facing the bleak future ahead, he sees no way out and wonders
if life is really worth living. But with some divine intervention, he's given a
second chance when he's offered a once-in-a-lifetime journey of discovery.
Rewritten to engage the minds of teens and tweens, The Young Traveler's Gift is sure to encourage and enlighten young men and
women as they prepare to face the journeys that lie ahead.
Night, by Elie Wiesel: An autobiographical narrative in
which the author describes his experiences in Nazi concentration camps,
watching family and friends die, and how they led him to believe that God is
dead. Night is Elie Wiesel�s
masterpiece, a candid, horrific, and deeply poignant autobiographical account
of his survival as a teenager in the Nazi death camps. This new translation by
Marion Wiesel, Elie�s wife and frequent translator, presents this seminal
memoir in the language and spirit truest to the author�s original intent. And
in a substantive new preface, Elie reflects on the enduring importance of Night
and his lifelong, passionate dedication to ensuring that the world never
forgets man�s capacity for inhumanity to man.
Andrews,
Andy. The Young Traveler�s
Gift: Seven
Decisions That Determine Personal
Success. Thomas Nelson Publishers,
2004.
Carter,
Arden R. �The Swede�. First
Crossing: Stories About Teen Immigrants.
Ed.
Donald R.
Gallo. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2004.
Cisneros,
Sandra. The House on Mango Street.
Vintage Press, 1991.
Frank,
Anne. The Diary of Anne Frank. Dramaticists Play Services, Inc. 1958
Grove, Vicki. The
Starplace. New York: Putnam, 1999.
Latifa. My Forbidden Face. Miramax, 2002.
Sherman,
Martin. Bent. Applause
Theatre Books, 2000.
Volovkova,
Hana. I Never Saw Another
Butterfly. Schocken Books, Inc.,
1993.
Wiesel,
Elie. Night. Bantam
Publications, 1982.
Also:
Shakespeare,
William. Merchant of Venice.
Booktalks
in Dr. Warner�s 112B class, Spring 2006 by Amanda Barker and Evelyn
Valdovinos.
�I
am� poem template from Dr. Warner
www.understandingprejudice.com