Literature and Life

Setting

Q1. Where has each of the above stories been set?

The Real Durwan by Jhumpa Lahiri- India, Calcutta
The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle- Baker Street, Central London
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen- A town in England

Q2. What time period has each of these stories been set in?

The Real Durwan by Jhumpa Lahiri- 1950s
The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle- 18th Century
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen- 18th Century

Q3. What clues do you get from the setting about the kind of story it is going to turn out to be?

The Real Durwan by Jhumpa Lahiri- It is going to be a very tragic and sad story as the time period is during the partition of India and Boori Ma had nobody to take care of her as she is separated from her family members.
The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle- The story would be very interesting, full of dialogues and adventures and it will be a story about a detective case. The story would be fast paced and it will also be about a very efficient and good detective who earns a lot as he lives in the Central of London, indicating that he is rich.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen- It is going to be a story which shows the importance of being rich as the rich usually get most of the privileges and also shows how desperate a family is to marry their daughters off to a rich person. This would be about a romance story where daughters should not have the feelings of Pride and Prejudice when being married off to a man regardless of his age.

Q4. Now look at Chapter 1 of ' To kill a mockingbird'. Identify the setting of the novel in this chapter. Do you get clues about the story that follows from the setting? Write your answer in 150 words (Use SEE).

Setting- In Maycomb, Albama, USA during early 20th Century

The story To kill a mocking bird has a setting in a "old-fashion" town, therefore, they follows a certain custom or tradition. This could be seen as there was still discrimination against dark-skinned people when there isn't any more in the modern society. Discrimination against dark-skinned people could be seen when Tom Robinson, a dark-skinned person was charged in court for raping May Ewell when he did not even do that. However, May Ewell eventually won the case and this was most probably because Tom Robinson was dark-skinned.

Literature and Life

Poem Telephone Conversation by Wole Soyinka

Q1. This poem is full of colours not just that of skin, what do you think these colours signify?

Ans: This poem used many colours to signify different things in the passage.

Firstly, dark and light was used and the metaphor " plain or milk chocolate" further creates a visual image for the reader to imagine the colour of the author. Dark and light was used most often and this may be because the author wanted to show the contrast between the author and the landlady. Red was also used- "Red booth", the "Red pillar-box", and the "Red double-tiered Omnibus" to show the anger of the African-American as he was being discriminated by the landlady through her speeches.

Next, the colours signify the discrimination of dark-skinned African-American as the landlady was very reluctant to rent the flat to the speaker. This can be seen from the landlady being "Silence" with "Silenced transmission of pressurized good-breeding".

Lastly, the colours also shows that the speaker is a black and that he did not like being discriminated by others. This can be seen from the incident where the speaker keep explaining that he is not really that dark-skinned/black.

In conclusion, the dark-skinned African-American were discriminated during the past and the colours used in the passage further enhance the dark-skin the speaker has. The conversation shows how unwilling the landlady wanted to rent the flat to him, showing the discrimination of dark-skinned African-American in the past.

Q2.What does the dialogue in this poem reveal about these two characters?

Ans: The dialogue in this poem reveals the different origins of the two characters.

In stanza 1, which is the start of the conversation, the speaker was already asked about his skin colour and his origin. The landlady immediately felt the pressure as she was unwilling to take a dark-skinned African-American in.

This poem shows that the two characters, the landlady and the speaker are white and black respectively. Many colours were then used to describe the different parts of the speaker. This may be because the author wanted to show the deep contrast between the two characters.

The landlady may be convicted for renting her flat to a black because she was not really that reluctant to rent the flat to the speaker. There may be a rule then that a white could not help the black or something like that as the passage revealed that she was not really that reluctant from the "..." used

In conclusion, the two characters in the poem showed the deep "grudge" or different between a white and a black. This may be due to the discrimination of African-American in the past.

Q3. The poet dramatises a battle, who wins finally and why?

Ans: In this poem Telephone conversation by Wole Soyinka, a "battle" was happening with the winner being the speaker.

This is because the speaker was insistent on renting the flat. The white lady was rather to rent her flat to the speaker and kept asking him questions. The speaker showed that he must rent the flat regardless of anything as he said, " I hate a wasted journey."

The speaker seemed to know that he is being discriminated as he states, " I am African". He seems prepared for the battle as he had already told the landlady his origin. Then, as the whitelady tried to insult or humiliate him with the different metaphors like "plain or milk chocolate" and insisting that he is a black.

The speaker was not really affected as he was prepared for it. He eventually won when he showed his anger. We could see that he is kind of angry from the different "Red" used in the passage to describe the surroundings, more for describing the atmosphere. The red also described the different items in the background which are commonly used in countries to show that he did not notice his surroundings till he got discriminated. He eventually said, " wouldn't you rather see for yourself?" in the last line of the last stanza. He seemed to be angry when the landlady kept asking the colour of his different body parts. After the multiple insults from the white landlady, the African eventually got angry and re-butted by telling her that his bottom is extremely black due to the friction it got after he stood and sat for the many years. He ends off by asking the landlady to see him for herself, winning the battle eventually.

In conclusion, the poet won the battle dramatised in the poem most probably because he was more well-spoken and because he was very insistent on renting the flat. He managed to re-butt the landlady by asking her to see his skin colour and the colour of his different body parts herself.

Literature and Life

The Civil Rights Movement

a. When did the civil rights movement begin?
Ans: It began on began on December 1, 1955.
b. What was the civil rights movement about?
Ans: The civil rights movement “refers to the movements in the United States aimed at outlawing racial discrimination against African Americans and restoring voting rights in Southern states.”
c. State some of the significant incidents that took place in the civil rights movements.
1. A Fourteen-year-old boy named Chicagoan Emmett Till is visiting his family in Mississippi when he is killed for allegedly whistling at a white woman.
2. Montgomery, Ala. refused to give up her seat at the “black” corner when the bus was full to a white passenger and she was arrested for this.
d. Which American President supported the civil rights movement?
Ans: John F. Kennedy
e. What was the outcome of this movement?
Ans: The Africans are now equal to the whites in terms of their rights.
f. In what way is the Civil Rights movement related to the novel?
Ans: The civil rights movement asks for equality for all and this is the same as that in the novel- Atticus asking for equality for blacks (Tom Robinson).

Montgomery Bus Boycott and Scottsboro Trials

a. State the specifics of each trial and why they were significant
Ans: Scottsboro Trials- 9 African American boys were accused of rape in Alabama. Montgomery Bus Boycott- Fight for African American in the transport system as it is more biased towards the white Americans. The Montgomery Bus Boycott was significant as it reflected new attitude of protest by southern blacks, was the beginning of Civil Rights Movement and it also led to similar protests in other southern states. The Scottsboro Trials were significant because such cases may have happened many times and it needs national attention so that such discrimination is not carried out anymore.
b. How is the Scottsboro trial related to the trial in the novel?
Ans: Like the Scottsboro trial, Tom Robinson was also accused of raping May Ewell, a white.
c. In what way are these trials similar?
Ans: Both trials showed the discrimination of blacks in the 20th century.

Trials of a true Southern Belle and Southern Gentleman

a. What were the rules of etiquette for Southern gentlemen and ladies?
Ans: Southern ladies cannot chew gum or smoke in the street, never show anger in the public, act helpless and confused when it’s to your advantage, be elegant and graceful. Southern gentlemen must know how to dress in front of a woman, does not curse or tell off-coloured joke in front of a woman, know how to flirt, learn the basic gestures of old school chivalry, say ma’am or sir when talking to people who are older, always defend a lady’s honour, and be a man of his word.
b. What did the southern ladies do to pass their time?
Ans: They bake cakes etc.
c. (shown)
d. Gentleman- Atticus- He has all the etiquettes above and he is also very helpful.
Belle- Miss Maudie- She is very kind and bakes cakes, then, she gives the cakes to her neighbours.

Harper Lee

a. About the author
Ans: She is an American author born on April 28, 1926. Her best book written was To kill a Mocking Bird where she was awarded the 1960 Pulitzer Prize. She was born in Monroeville, Alabama. She was also a tomboy and a precocious reader.
b. Biodata
Ans: Harper Lee received her early education in the Monroeville public schools. Then, she entered the University of Alabama to study law, but left in 1950 without having completed the requirements for her law degree. Studying law proved to be good for her writing career as they promote logical thinking, and legal cases are an excellent source of story ideas.
c. Novels written by her
Ans: To kill a mocking bird, Snow! Snow! Snow! , Looking for the Easy Life (Illustrator), Turkey Trouble (Illustrator).
d. Awards received
Ans: She won the Bestseller’s Paperback award for the year 1962 and also got the 1960 Pulitzer Prize for writing the novel To kill a Mocking Bird.
e. Why was TKAM a significant novel to her?
Ans: It helped her get famous- it won the 1960 Pulitzer Prize.



Sources:
• http://www.enotes.com/history-fact-finder/political-social-movements/when-how-did-civil-rights-movement-begin
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African-American_Civil_Rights_Movement_(1955%E2%80%931968)
• http://www.infoplease.com/spot/civilrightstimeline1.html
• http://www.slideshare.net/chinann96/black-history-6689410
• http://www.alabamamoments.state.al.us/sec55qs.html
• http://law.jrank.org/pages/2899/Scottsboro-Trials-1931-37.html
• http://ashlandbelle.com/Belles.html
• http://www.ehow.com/how_5881593_southern-gentleman.html
• Google images
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harper_Lee
• http://library.thinkquest.org/2847/authors/lee.htm

Literature and Life

Research

Slavery

a. When and how did slavery begin in the southern state?
Ans: It began in 1526. It began when the Spanish brought African slaves to work in South Caroilne.
b. Which country were the slaves brought from?
Ans: The slaves were brought from Africa.
c. Who traditionally bought and owned the slaves?
Ans: Slavery was practiced and established in the Spanish colonies in the 1560s.
d. Were there laws/rules that the slaves had to abide by? If yes what were they?
Ans: Yes. Slaves could not gather in groups of 4 or more. They cannot leave their owners property without a written pass. They could not own weapons. Slaves were not allowed to learn how to read or write.
e. How does the notion of slavery relate to the novel? Does the study of slavery help you understand the novel better?
Ans: As slaves are often discriminated and are dark-skinned, it is linked to the story- Tom Robinson, a black who was maligned of raping May Ewell when he did not but nobody believed him as he was a black. This shows the discrimination of black in the past. Yes the study of slavery helped me to understand the novel better.

The Civil War

a. Identify the southern states.
Ans:
Texas
Oklahoma
Arkansas
Louisiana
Mississippi
Alabama
Tennessee
Kentucky
Georgia
Virginia
Washington D.C.
West Virginia
North Carolina
South Carolina
Florida
Maryland
Delaware

b. Who was the US president who proclaimed war against the South?
Ans: President Lincoln

c. Why was the Civil War fought?
Ans: The Civil war was fought over slavery and many other reasons which started long before the first shot was fired.


d. When was this war fought?
Ans: 1861-1865.
e. What was the outcome of this war?
Ans: Slavery was banned in US after the civil war.
f. How does the Civil Rights movement relate to the novel?
Ans: Civil Rights movement is a worldwide political movement for equality before the law and this is like Atticus fighting for equality for Tom Robinson.

Jim Crow’s Laws

a. What/who is Jim Crow?
Ans: Jim Crow is a system which believes that whites are more superior than blacks in all superior ways.
b. What were Jim Crow Laws?
Ans: “Jim Crow laws defined what many U.S. citizens felt to be "separate but equal" treatment for African Americans.”
c. What was the response of the slaves and the Blacks to these laws?
Ans: They reacted with mob violence.
d. Do we see the Jim Crow laws surface in the novel? If so then in which part of the novel?
Ans: Yes. It happened at the part where Tom Robinson was treated unjustly in court- he was convicted on something he did not do.

Sources: http://library.thinkquest.org/J002047F/slave_laws_and_auctions.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_in_the_United_States
http://www.innercity.org/holt/slavechron.html
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-were-jim-crow-laws.htm
http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/what.htm

Literature and Life
Bias
an opinion or judgment being leaned against one side.

Stereotyping
a particular group of people who are believed to act in a way but can change when the person's knowledge is higher. (usually bad)

Prejudice
an unreasonable judgment against somebody without prior knowledge (bad)

Discrimination
acting out the prejudice judgments (bad)

Online Learning- Comic Strip

Moral of the story: Always listen to your elderly.

Links:
Part 1: http://www.toondoo.com/cartoon/2726522
Part 2: http://www.toondoo.com/cartoon/2726535

Worksheet Blog Topic

Would you have treated Boyd or someone who is not of the same race as you differently? Why or why not?

No, I would not have treated Boyd or someone who is not of the same race as me differently. I feel that in this modernised world, there is no such thing as you are dark-skinned or you are not from my race, therefore, I would discriminate you. I feel that this is a very wrong thinking and everyone should not have such thinking. I feel that the world is equal and fair to all. We have what they have mentally and physically and this makes them the same as us. Discriminating others only shows that you are very childish to a certain extent as you have not truly understand the meaning of everyone being equal regardless of race, language and religion.

Discrimination

Employment:
Education- Somebody with a degree gets the job rather than one with diploma.
Gender- Man may be favoured more than women.
Age- Younger people find jobs easier.
Intelligence- People who are more intelligent tends to do well in work.
Sex- People who provided sex services to their boss may rise in position very quickly.
Appearance- People who are more handsome/beautiful may rise in position faster than those who are ugly.

Nationality- All Indians are smart.
Belief- All muslims are terrorists. (No Offence, examples for school work).

Medical problems:
Disability- People with disability may not be able to blend in with the society.

Political affiliation- People with political affiliation may be treated with much more respect than those without political affiliation.

Economic status- People with better economic status finds doing things easier.
Sexual orientation- Gays are not very much accepted by people.

Literature and Life
Shel Silverstein Poems

The Little Boy and the Old Man

1. What is the underlying message that is being conveyed in this poem?
Ans: The child is like the past of the adults who neglected the child while the old man is like the future of the adults. The adults does not seem to understand that the child is actually feeling sad and although they had experienced the same thing when they were young, they became selfish as they grew up. They also does not understand that they would be the same when they grew up, like the old man. This shows that they are very self-centered.

2. Has Shel Silverstein used any particular poetic technique that brings out this message more clearly?
Ans: He used dialogues in the poem. The old man also repeated with similar answers, showing that he share the same experience with the little boy.

Messy Room

1. Can you say that the poem is humerous? If so how?
Ans: The poem is exaggerated. As clothes are suppose to be in the closet, the poet's clothes are hung all around the room. His socks are also very sticky as they can stick onto the wall. This shows that his socks are very dirty.

2. What aspect of the human character has been highlighted in this poem?
Ans: We are often quick to find others faults and errors but not in ourselves.

Cloony The Clown

1. Explain the irony in this poem.
Ans: When Cloony tried to be funny, people feel sad for him. When he tried to make people empathise with him and tell them his sorrows, people laughed their heads off.

2. Does Shel Silverstein manage to convey some harsh realities in this poem?
Ans: People in this world are sadistic and tend to laugh at others misfortune.

3. What poetic devices has the poet used to effectively convey his message?
Ans: He used the poetic device of irony to convey the message that people in the world are sadistic.

Which of the above poems can you identify with the most? Write down your thoughts on your blog.
Ans: Messy Room. I always tend to point my finger at others first without looking at myself but came to realise that I am the exact duplicate of him. I would try to change myself as I feel that this is not a good habit. I feel that one must always reflect about themselves before they start accusing others of their wrongs.