Kathleen Schulte
Engl. 112B- Prof. Warner
5/10/11
Unit of Study: Father/Son Relations
My
overall purpose of the Unit of Study is to provide each student with literary
sources and non-literary sources that relate to a personal theme of father/son
relationships and the family unit. I chose this topic because it is a �real�
issue that anyone can connect with such as, a child, grown-up, someone who has
a father and someone who does not. My goal, through video clips, music, and
books, is to show the class how alone one may feel with such intimate issues,
but how comforting it can be to understand that in reality these feelings of
comfort or neglect are shared world-wide.
I
would begin the unit by sharing �The Godfather� movie trailer to the class.
After watching the trailer I would then ask the students what he or she
noticed, what �stood out� in terms of theme. This would introduce the idea of
family in a modern-day setting. �The Godfather,� a movie that the students may
already be familiar with, and therefore this will allow me to hopefully gain
the interest of the class. It is my objective to incorporate material that
�speaks� to a younger generation.
My
chosen canonical piece for the Unit of Study is father/son relationships or the
family unit. I chose this as my focus because although not everyone is a son or
a father, I�m attempting to connect this theme to a broader subject of family,
relationships, and how one functions in relation to
such fundamental parts of life. If not already realized by the class, I would
like to make it known that the �basics� (family, love,
relationships) are essential to being a happy, healthy human.
Arthur
Miller�s play, Death of a Salesman,
highlights such issues in Willy�s relationship to his two sons, Biff and Happy.
The dysfunction resides in the hopes, dreams, and aspirations a father expects
from his son(s) because he could not �succeed� in life. My chosen YA Literature
resources connect to this piece because whether a pleasant tale is told between
father and son or with the family in general, the unresolved �layers� to each
story tells a different tale and yet is familiar.
Introduction:
�The Godfather�- A dramatic tale, which focuses on the dysfunctional relationship between father and son in the midst of gang-life realities and the psychological torment produced by family involvement in such dangerous acts.
*Introduce the movie trailer to the class as a means to provide each student with not only the multi-layered theme of father/son relationships, but also the degree of its effects. This movie will provide the class with an understanding of how exactly �real� these personal issues can be.
Activity: After introducing the movie trailer to the class simply begin with discussion about what they saw. Did they notice the father/son issues that may arise in the movie? How? Do they have an idea of what the class will be focusing on in this unit after watching the movie trailer? How? And of what significance is it to study such issues in a literature class?
�Center
piece�: Death of a Salesman
~Arthur Miller�s play serves as a great example of issues involved with father/son relationships and the family unit. The father, Willy, �lives� through his son, Biff, in order to �succeed� in a world he has �failed.� Willy inevitably becomes disappointed in Biff because he also failed to reach the expectations set by Willy. While Willy struggles with trying to accept his �failed� self and son, he ignores Happy, his other son who to some degree has become successful but, not in the way Willy deems worth noticing.
Activity: Brainstorm as a class, topics that can be further explored in regards to the father/son theme in the play for example, communication, expectations, and personal development. After agreeing as a class on a few main points assign a writing assignment such as, a journal, where each student reflects on his or her own area for growth. Are they too living in a �dream�?
Select ONE novel to read and analyze as a means to engage the class and transition to Death of a Salesman.
Robert Cormier�s, After the First Death: Miro lacks a father and his only figure for one is negative. Ben has a father but the communication is nonexistent. In both cases, honesty is a crucial issue. The young adults in this novel walk into dangerous situations requiring maturity, but do not have the proper guidance to make the right decision. Therefore, Miro and Ben cannot understand and grow from such circumstances. Most importantly, they do not have someone to talk to and provide support.
Questions for the class�What needs to change in order for Ben to have a healthy relationship with his father? Does Miro truly have a �father� to look up to? Explain. How might the dynamics of the story change if the fathers where present?
J.K. Rowling�s, Harry Potter: In a more uplifting tale, which unfortunately is a by-product of a child�s worst dream: the death of one�s parents, Through the power of magic Harry finds ways to connect to the parents he no longer has. Although Harry cannot remember much about his mother and father, he learns about their characteristics, positive and negative, that he too possesses. He forms a relationship with his mother and father through the �pieces� and �parts� of them that still live on inside of him. This gives Harry a sense of hope.
Questions for the class�In what ways do you see your parents within yourself? If they were no longer around, how would you keep them �living�?
Pam Munoz Ryan�s, First Crossing: Marco wants nothing more than to please not only his father, but his entire family. In order to work and live with his father Marco must undergo unbelievable circumstances caused by trying to pass the U.S. boarder from Mexico. Marco is seen as a hero because of the trust he establishes for his father, even at times when happiness and success are not guaranteed.
Questions for the class�Do you see Marco as a hero? Explain. Why is Marco�s relationship to his father crucial to crossing the boarder? Would you do what Marco did if your family was by your side? Why or why not?
Other book options�
The Runner by Cynthia Voigt- A story about a teen, who is struggling with his own identity while dealing with the unresolved issues between himself and his father. A coming of age novel focused on the not so perfect life of a teen trying to find him self and how he fits into society.
Dancing on Dark Water by Alden Carter- A young female discovers her dad is a �robot� and must bring the family back together.
Barack Obama�s Speech on Father�s Day:
-Obama emphasizes the importance of being a father who can assume responsibility for their child and be present in that child�s life.
This would be a good video clip to show the classroom after or during the assigned reading to provide further insight into the central issue of family togetherness. By showing Barack Obama�s speech on fatherhood, students are given an outside, non-literary source, which adds to the effectiveness that the father/son relationship has in the �real-world.�
To end the unit�
"Life"
(feat. Amerie)
[Royce talking]
Come here Royce
[Royce talking
over chorus]
Come over here, sit down, let me talk to
you
Right here, over here
Sit on daddy's lap
I want to tell you something
[Chorus: Amerie (Royce)]
Life is a moment in space
When the dream is gone, it's a lonelier
place
(This is life)
Life is a moment in space
When the dream is gone, it's a lonelier
place
[Royce]
Listen, yo
Little Royce Nickel Nine, eyes wide with
sight
With a future as bright as the light in
the eyes of Christ
Ready to take on the world and whatever is
in it
Proof read, sign, and seal whatever you
finish
I can only lead you while you're on your
quest for knowledge
I'ma teach you to
have sense and to respect the dollar
Hope for the best, and you'll see, your
world will be solid
I'ma teach you the
truth, even behind worldly logic
This is life, cut and dry, days is bright, nights is dark
Fights get sparked,
it's almost like to get ahead
You got to be twice as smart, the
realities of life is harsh
Just know that God's keeping you level
He'll even speak through the ghetto to
reach you
Just to teach you that the streets is the
devil
Everybody's dishonest, different
Which means that we're dying by livin'
Oblivious to the time that we're given
So you don't prepare for the death, you
live for the life
And live right like,
do right by your kids and your wife
Have fun as a child, yo
them years is precious
The future brings fear and stresses as the
year progresses
You're gonna
turn a lot of them down, you're gonna feel rejection
You're gonna
tell a lot of lies and you're gonna hear confessions
It's a two way street when you deal in his
presence
Only your life can show that everything is
real in this message
This is life
[Chorus: Amerie (Royce)]
Life is a moment in space
When the dream is gone, it's a lonelier
place
(This is life)
Life is a moment in space
When the dream is gone, it's a lonelier
place
[Royce]
Yo, the whole
world is upon you, the pressure is on
And you can probably sum your life up the
best when you're gone
Upon the creation of all men, destiny's
born
For us to reproduce, so you can keep the
legacy goin'
I know you think I'm Superman, but I got
weaknesses too
I keep a firm leash on things by believing
in you
And after I'm gone I live on breathing
through you
And anything I had in this life, I leave
it to you
Aim for the sky and fly till you come back
down
I had you the baton and you run, till you
come back 'round
Let your heart tell your temper, "Put
that gun back down!"
Dry your tears up and turn that frown
upside-down
It'd be plenty to cry for, think life, not
death
You got much more to live for than to die
for
But you got to stay humble
Cause just as hard as your work to get it
There's people working harder to take it
from you
Cause life, something that people take for
granted
As time passes, you're gonna
want something back
But you won't get it cause history is made
every second
So you crave every lesson and save every blessin'
No matter how you view the world yo, you never will get it
The world will be the world through the
eyes of whoever is in it
But things ain't
gonna always go right
Look at it like, yo
this ain't your day, but this your life, and live
Life
[Chorus: Amerie (Royce)]
Life is a moment in space
When the dream is gone, it's a lonelier
place
(This is life)
Life is a moment in space
When the dream is gone, it's a lonelier
place
[Amerie]
There will be trials and tribulations
But don't let them, don't let them, don't
let them bring you down
I said you better keep going to your
destination
After your darkest hour the sun will come
around
[Royce talking]
This is life
Yo I don't care, I don't care if this song don't sell one copy
That's not even what it's for
It's for you, my boy
This is life
[Amerie singing in the background]
You gotta
keep going on, you gotta keep moving on
Be strong, be strong, be
strong
Cause this is
life
�this song will end the unit on a positive note! Again, �Life,� which makes similar points to Obama�s speech, emphasizes the importance of having a father figure present in a child�s life. To be �strong� comes from within, but to remain and feel �strong� in life requires support. This would be a great way to �wrap-up� the unit and discuss what each student has learned and has taken from the lesson.
Works cited
Azlyrics.com. �Life� ROYCE DA 5�9,� 2000-2011. Web. 9 May 2011.
�Dancing on Dark Water� (Scholastic Inc.) Goodreads.com. n.p., n.d. Web. 9 May 2011.
�Themes and Characters.� Bookrags.com. Bookrags, Inc. 2011. Web. 9 May 2011.
�My Books: Notes for Another Life.� Sueellenbridgers.com. n.p., n.d. Web. 9 May 2011.
Youtube.com �The Godfather.� Movie trailer. Web. 9 May 2011.
Youtube.com �Barack Obama�s Speech on Father�s Day.� Web. 9 May 2011.
Cormier, Robert. After
the First Death. New York, New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell, 1979.
Print.
Miller, Arthur. �Death of a Salesman.� Norton Anthology: American Literature. Ed. Nina Baym.
New York, New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2007. 2327-92. Print.
Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter
and The Prisoner of Azkaban. New York, New York: Scholastic, 1999. Print.
Ryan, Pam Munoz. First
Crossing: Stories about Teen Immigrants. Ed. Donald R. Gallo. York, PA:
Candlewick Press, 2004. Print.