I felt it was more than appropriate to talk about the novel, Water Ghosts, on such a dreary and rainy afternoon! This novel by Shawna Yang Ryan certainly offers a more unusual take on the relationship between Chinese immigrants and Americans during the 1920s.
My reasoning for the title of this post, "Gambling with Water Ghosts", has a dual meaning. First, some of content within the book may be a little difficult in regards to what is considered "appropriate" in a high school classroom setting, so you may be gambling with a bit of trouble from parents or supervisors. I spoke about this in my previous post, and if Beloved was considered inappropriate by many, I would not be the least bit surprised if there was a fuss about Water Ghosts. Some of the content that could be considered inappropriate to includes prostitution, homosexuality, cussing, sexual relations, etc. This is where I stress that you teachers out there read and RE-READ the novel each time you present it to your classroom, so that you are prepared to deal with how to appropriately relay this to your students, but how to deal with backlash from parents if that issue presents itself.
Secondly, the title relates to Richard Fong, the owner of a gambling hall in Water Ghosts. I'd like to give you a little background info about a few of the main characters in the novel in case those of you reading have no idea what I am talking about. ATTENTION: Spoiler alerts if you read further! Fong Gum is Richard's birth name - however, upon his arrival to American over a decade ago, he decided to Americanize it. After starting from the bottom of the totem pole, Richard has finally been able to make a living for himself, and even spend extra money on having relations with a white American prostitute, Chloe. Richard has made a routine life for himself in America, though he has definitely had his fair share of harsh experiences along the way. After living comfortably, Ming Wai, his wife from China, appears out of the water on a boat with two other Chinese women. Poppy, another Chinese immigrant woman who happens to be the owner of the prostitute home in which Chloe resides, ALSO happens to be some sort of a psychic. Though she knows there isn't something right about these three women, no one else can see what she sees. Ming Wai moves in with Richard, and seems to be barely alive. He has difficulties with accepting her into his home and into his life, which continues to be a struggle throughout the novel. Let's fast forward a bit to the end of the novel for the sake of your attention span. After a huge rainstorm causes a flood in Sacramento, where the novel takes place, Richard and Ming Wai escape their apartment, but Richard does not escape the flood. He drowns while holding on to Ming Wai, and seems to accept his death by becoming one with her.
My main point in explaining this to all of my readers is this: Richard was struggling with a conflict that many of us face today. He was partially stuck in his old world while yearning for his new desires, such as Chloe. Though Richard's conflict between old and new was the main one discussed in the novel, I think it would be not only beneficial, but necessary for your classroom to do an exercise in where they list each characters past and present memories and desires. Due to the lack of quotation marks in the story, it is very difficult to keep track of the flow of each character's life, and lose sight of the overall story being told.
I feel it is best to list each character's past and present desires as a whole, because some students may be completely lost without this guidance. After listing their desires, I think it would be appropriate to discuss how they ultimately affected each character by the end of the novel. Discussing issues such as gender roles, sexuality preference, and immigration can also be discussed as a whole to make sure things stay appropriate, mature, and strictly educational. Questions about how gender roles, sexuality and immigration can be discussed in terms of how our culture's opinions on these issues have changed since the 1920s, and what the repercussions may have been if these things happened if people did not fulfill the norms of that time.
Here are some quiz questions you could ask the class. I feel these quiz questions should not be used for points, because the novel is even a bit hard to follow for veteran readers.
1. Why did Chloe want to be "baptized" by Sofia?
2. What happened to the three "water ghosts" at the end of the novel?
3. What is Richard's very first reaction to Ming Wai?
4. When did Poppy first realize she was able to see ghosts?
Are there parts of the novel that you feel are more important than each character's past and present desires? Is there a different way you would teach this to a high school classroom? This is definitely a tougher read, so I think keeping it as simple as possible is vital for the reader's understanding of the novel as a whole. Let me know your thoughts!
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Friday, April 19, 2013
Banned Books and Bye Bye, Beloved...
After finishing Beloved this week, I decided to do a little more research on what other educators and literary enthusiasts thought about using this book in high school curriculum. I had a hunch that it would be controversial between the educators and parents of students, and oh boy, was I right! Though my suspicions about parents being weary of Beloved being taught to their children were absolutely correct, I was shocked to discover that there was a dispute on my own turf in Fairfax, Virginia. This is the article I found about the dispute that occurred in the Fairfax County school district.
Though I may sound as if I am being a bit judgmental, how many parents that are opposed to this novel have actually read it in its entirety? Probably a very slim amount. I have a feeling that their children repeat some of the novel's more graphic or sexual moments to their parents, which results on sending them on a rant about protecting their child's innocence. I would love to know if the readers of this blog agree or disagree with the statement I have just made. What do you think about the parents who are so strongly opposed to their children reading this Nobel prize winning book?
Though ethics come into play for the argument of protecting student's innocence, I feel that teachers and their parents must realize that a teenager in this generation's innocence has most likely already been compromised with the things they hear and see on a daily basis through the media (the most obvious and current example: the tragedy in Boston). Though students have a general understanding of slavery and that African American's were treated very poorly, Beloved offers a plethora of insight as to how slavery truly compromised not only a person's physical being, but mental being as well. It is hard to envision slavery on this level unless you have read Beloved as a whole, and it is an essential part of history for students to understand.
After reading this article, I came to the the conclusion that it is a teacher's responsibility to have their students participate in Banned Books Week. Though the week of celebrating the freedom to read whatever we choose has already passed for this school year, it gives us teachers a chance to prepare for the upcoming Banned Books Week which lasts from September 22nd - 28th. If you future teachers or new teachers need some information on the Banned Books Week, here is the link about the event.
A beneficial assignment for your class would be to have each of your students work on a journal during the week that explains the importance of reading Beloved and other banned books. They can write what important themes they have taken away from the book, how they felt after reading it, why it is important to keep an open mind regarding stories such as these, etc. Try to steer them away from themes such as "slavery was bad" or "violence does not solve problems". Before you instruct the class to write this journal, have them dig deep into parts of the text that really stuck out to them and analyze them as a whole classroom. This way, the students will truly understand how slavery drove African American's to the brink of insanity, and what it feels like to be classified as an animal or an object.
If you want to be absolutely positive that your class has read and understood Beloved, here are a few quiz questions you could give to your students pertaining to the ending portion of the novel:
1. What happens to Sethe after she tells Beloved she knows that Beloved is the daughter she has killed?
2. How does Denver first reach out for help after she realizes that she is the only one who can hold the family together?
3. What is Sethe's, Denver's, and Beloved's reaction to Mr. Bodwin when he rides up to 124?
Are there any more quiz questions you feel would be essential to obtaining the knowledge that your students have read and understood Beloved? How do you feel about Banned Books Week, or about the article that I posted above? I would love to hear your feedback.
Hope you all are weathering the storm!
Sources:
"Banned Books Week." Banned Books Week. Center for the Book at the Library of Congress, n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2013.
Shapiro, T. Rees. "Education." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 07 Feb. 2013. Web. 19 Apr. 2013. <http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-02-07/local/36963373_1_books-older-students-parents-more-control>.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
The Darling Beloved...
This week I have read a portion of the novel Beloved. I have never before read this piece, and I have a hunch that if I blog about my experiences while I am reading rather than after I have finished reading, I will be able to better understand the novel. It's obvious that this is not only beneficial for my own reading, but also beneficial for any teacher using new material for instruction. Making notes of the author's style, how the dialogue is written, and how you feel during certain parts of the novel are all beneficial in understanding what the best way to relay a work back to your students.
Thus far, I have noticed that I am still having trouble keeping track of who is speaking, or which memory belongs to which character. During my class today, we broke down memories through three of the main characters: Sethe, Beloved, and Denver. I felt this exercise was definitely helpful in understanding what we have read and for further understanding for the rest of my experience reading this novel. Though this can certainly be used in a high school classroom, I would suggest taking it a step further.
I have had similar experiences in exploring character's personalities, their actions, how they are portrayed to the reader and anything else you could possibly imagine during my own high school career. One of the most beneficial experiences I have had with character breakdown came from working with the book The Scarlet Letter. Though this work is romantic fiction, the concept can be applied to any genre of literature.
We were able to pick one of the characters to work specifically with, and then instructed to make an artistic piece of work that represented the character. For example, I chose to work with Hester Prynne's daughter, Pearl. Pearl represented sin and shame because she was born out of adultery, and was the reason for the red "A" that was emblazoned on all of Hester's clothing. For my artistic work, I chose to paint her name, "Pearl", using wooden letters in all black - except the A. On this letter, I chose to glue on chains to represent how Pearl and her mother were bound to a life of misery because of the repercussions of adulthood.
An artistic piece to represent a character can be as simple as that! I would definitely give your students a variety of options as to what they want this piece to be. It does not necessarily have to be a work of art. These pieces can come in the form of a written prequel, a sequel, poetry, cartoon strips, collages, fictional movie trailers, or whatever your students can think of that represents the character of their choosing. Focusing on on specific character by tying in an out-of-the-ordinary project will help students to better understand the parts that create their conclusions drawn at the end of a novel.
This could easily be done with the book Beloved, especially because Toni Morrison uses such an abundance of imagery. This could definitely be a book that can be taught in your high school classroom because not only is it great for an English class, but also puts faces to the slavery learned about in Social Studies classrooms.
It may also be beneficial to do the project alongside your students if you are doing this for the first time. This way, you can see the exact ways in which the project is benefiting them, or take it to another level the next year. If I were to complete this project for Beloved, I would choose Denver from what I have read thus far. I would somehow use water for my project because of her water birth, and also depict how she is somewhat drowning in her need to understand and have Beloved for herself. I still have much more to read to figure out the end result of my own project, so I will keep you updated!!
Spring (or summer) has sprung, so get outside and enjoy it!
Thus far, I have noticed that I am still having trouble keeping track of who is speaking, or which memory belongs to which character. During my class today, we broke down memories through three of the main characters: Sethe, Beloved, and Denver. I felt this exercise was definitely helpful in understanding what we have read and for further understanding for the rest of my experience reading this novel. Though this can certainly be used in a high school classroom, I would suggest taking it a step further.
I have had similar experiences in exploring character's personalities, their actions, how they are portrayed to the reader and anything else you could possibly imagine during my own high school career. One of the most beneficial experiences I have had with character breakdown came from working with the book The Scarlet Letter. Though this work is romantic fiction, the concept can be applied to any genre of literature.
We were able to pick one of the characters to work specifically with, and then instructed to make an artistic piece of work that represented the character. For example, I chose to work with Hester Prynne's daughter, Pearl. Pearl represented sin and shame because she was born out of adultery, and was the reason for the red "A" that was emblazoned on all of Hester's clothing. For my artistic work, I chose to paint her name, "Pearl", using wooden letters in all black - except the A. On this letter, I chose to glue on chains to represent how Pearl and her mother were bound to a life of misery because of the repercussions of adulthood.
An artistic piece to represent a character can be as simple as that! I would definitely give your students a variety of options as to what they want this piece to be. It does not necessarily have to be a work of art. These pieces can come in the form of a written prequel, a sequel, poetry, cartoon strips, collages, fictional movie trailers, or whatever your students can think of that represents the character of their choosing. Focusing on on specific character by tying in an out-of-the-ordinary project will help students to better understand the parts that create their conclusions drawn at the end of a novel.
This could easily be done with the book Beloved, especially because Toni Morrison uses such an abundance of imagery. This could definitely be a book that can be taught in your high school classroom because not only is it great for an English class, but also puts faces to the slavery learned about in Social Studies classrooms.
It may also be beneficial to do the project alongside your students if you are doing this for the first time. This way, you can see the exact ways in which the project is benefiting them, or take it to another level the next year. If I were to complete this project for Beloved, I would choose Denver from what I have read thus far. I would somehow use water for my project because of her water birth, and also depict how she is somewhat drowning in her need to understand and have Beloved for herself. I still have much more to read to figure out the end result of my own project, so I will keep you updated!!
Spring (or summer) has sprung, so get outside and enjoy it!
Monday, April 1, 2013
A Teacher's Solution for Scary Kids and Tech Troubles
When I say "scary kids", I do not mean the students within your classroom! I am referring to the main characters in horror movies or stories being children. Last week, I viewed the 1980s film version of The Changeling. Though Joseph - the child doing the haunting for those of you who have not seen the movie - was only shown through flashbacks, his presence was still utterly terrifying. Now that is a scary kid: one who can perturb you without actually even being seen. After viewing this movie, I went on to read "The Wind in the Rose Bush" and "The Lost Ghost" by Mary Wilkins Freeman. I would definitely suggest tying all three of these together in the classroom to make comparisons of a haunting through child characters. Now here comes another thing that will make you squirm: making sure each of your students actually views the movie and reads the stories!
Finding the time and the means to view movies and use sources outside of a standard curriculum can be difficult for a teacher in a high school classroom. This can become even more complicated due to standardized testing (another scary presence in the classroom!) and being on the brink of springtime and warm weather. Both students and teachers begin to get a bit stir-crazy from the winter's cabin fever and are ready to let loose. Though this may seem like quite the task, I am here to let you know that it CAN be done!
For those of you who are reading as future teachers or are new to the profession, it is imperative for you to remember that not all students in your class will have access to a computer or the Internet. Though it may seem that in this day and age that every teenager and pre-teen on the planet is completely obsessed and able to obtain some form of social media, this is not always the case. Using this sort of aesthetic awareness is critical for utilizing movies or any sort of media successfully in a classroom. My suggestion would be to allot a day for everyone to watch the movie during class time. If this cannot be done all in one day, have the students jot down some notes during the movie to remind themselves of the plot line over the course of time that the movie is being watched. A plot refresher is always helpful. Though this may sound a little corny, having the students bring snacks or even bringing popcorn yourself never fails to entice students to watch a movie in class.
Setting up the frame for what you want your students to look for will also be helpful in assisting their thought process about Gothic literature. Tell them that you want them make note of each child character, because every reader can skip over important comparisons such as these without even knowing otherwise.
As for my experience with The Changeling, I am feeling more horror stricken than I have thus far in my studies of Gothic literature and film. I immediately pinpointed what petrified me the most - a child in the form a ghost is the main focus of all three plot lines. Why is this so common amongst those who read and view horror stories?
My first thought is that when viewing something that disturbs the routine of our everyday normalcy, we start to feel uncomfortable and intimidated by what we cannot explain. If one were to describe a child, the words "innocence", "playful", and "naive" may come to mind. People expect children to misbehave, but they expect this to come purely from innocence and naivety, rather than out of spite and revenge. People expect adults to to wretched things because we regularly hear stories of how adults have committed some horrendous crime. It is the unexpected deviousness of a child that gets under our skin. Can anyone think of any other films where children are featured that completely scares you out of your wits?
My second thought is that in both of these stories by Mary Wilkins Freeman and The Changeling all feature children who were neglected by their parents, which adds to an already unsettling feeling. Rather than feeling suspense during the plot, it fills the reader with curiosity, and even a little sadness. Children are helpless without their parents, and it is unfathomable to many that people can abuse or neglect their spawn.
I would think that I, personally, would be more fearful when an adult is featured in a horror story such as these because we know that adults are capable of these types of atrocities. Would you agree? Is it more frightening to watch movies with suspense featuring adults? Or is it more uncomfortable when a small, creepy child seems to be tugging at your heart strings?
Finding the time and the means to view movies and use sources outside of a standard curriculum can be difficult for a teacher in a high school classroom. This can become even more complicated due to standardized testing (another scary presence in the classroom!) and being on the brink of springtime and warm weather. Both students and teachers begin to get a bit stir-crazy from the winter's cabin fever and are ready to let loose. Though this may seem like quite the task, I am here to let you know that it CAN be done!
For those of you who are reading as future teachers or are new to the profession, it is imperative for you to remember that not all students in your class will have access to a computer or the Internet. Though it may seem that in this day and age that every teenager and pre-teen on the planet is completely obsessed and able to obtain some form of social media, this is not always the case. Using this sort of aesthetic awareness is critical for utilizing movies or any sort of media successfully in a classroom. My suggestion would be to allot a day for everyone to watch the movie during class time. If this cannot be done all in one day, have the students jot down some notes during the movie to remind themselves of the plot line over the course of time that the movie is being watched. A plot refresher is always helpful. Though this may sound a little corny, having the students bring snacks or even bringing popcorn yourself never fails to entice students to watch a movie in class.
Setting up the frame for what you want your students to look for will also be helpful in assisting their thought process about Gothic literature. Tell them that you want them make note of each child character, because every reader can skip over important comparisons such as these without even knowing otherwise.
As for my experience with The Changeling, I am feeling more horror stricken than I have thus far in my studies of Gothic literature and film. I immediately pinpointed what petrified me the most - a child in the form a ghost is the main focus of all three plot lines. Why is this so common amongst those who read and view horror stories?
My first thought is that when viewing something that disturbs the routine of our everyday normalcy, we start to feel uncomfortable and intimidated by what we cannot explain. If one were to describe a child, the words "innocence", "playful", and "naive" may come to mind. People expect children to misbehave, but they expect this to come purely from innocence and naivety, rather than out of spite and revenge. People expect adults to to wretched things because we regularly hear stories of how adults have committed some horrendous crime. It is the unexpected deviousness of a child that gets under our skin. Can anyone think of any other films where children are featured that completely scares you out of your wits?
My second thought is that in both of these stories by Mary Wilkins Freeman and The Changeling all feature children who were neglected by their parents, which adds to an already unsettling feeling. Rather than feeling suspense during the plot, it fills the reader with curiosity, and even a little sadness. Children are helpless without their parents, and it is unfathomable to many that people can abuse or neglect their spawn.
I would think that I, personally, would be more fearful when an adult is featured in a horror story such as these because we know that adults are capable of these types of atrocities. Would you agree? Is it more frightening to watch movies with suspense featuring adults? Or is it more uncomfortable when a small, creepy child seems to be tugging at your heart strings?
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