OVERVIEW:
Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison, pulls the reader into the struggles of black Americans living in the “Jim Crow” years, or the years of segregation in America. The intertwining of African-American folklore throughout the narrative gives the writing an epic feel and as the reader follows Milkman Dead on his quest of self-discovery they should be reminded of The Odyssey. The novel is complex and the characters are lively, even ferocious at times, and the mood throughout the book is defined by a sense of desperation. Always in the background of this novel are the whites and their oppression, though there is not one white character in the book. Some of the major themes we should be watching for include: Murder/Death, Names, Shame, Domestic Violence, Poverty, Folklore, Women vs. Men, Love, Class, and though it’s not overt in the novel, Racism.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Literature Circle Discussion: You will be reading the book silently in class and at home and will be filling out Literature Circle Role Sheets for group discussions every Wednesday. There are five roles and you must play each role at least once. Your discussions should last most of the block, remembering that discussion does not mean simply reading your role sheets. The reading sections and due dates are below:
Wednesday, April 14th (Chapt. 1 & 2)
Wednesday, April 21st (Chapt. 3 & 4)
Wednesday, April 28th (Chapt. 5)
Wednesday, May 5th (Chapt. 6, 7, & 8)
Wednesday, May 12th (Chapt. 9)
Wednesday, May 19th (Chapt. 10)
Wednesday, May 26th (Chapt .11 & 12)
Wednesday, June 2nd (Chapt. 13, 14, & 15)
Characterization Assignment: Each person in your group will need to pick a different character to explore using one of the following options: 1) Dear Diary: Pick a character other than Milkman and write 5 diary entries discussing their point-of-view regarding 5 major events in the book. 2) Second Chance: Write about how it would change the story if a certain character had made a different decision earlier in the story. 3) 13 views: Read “13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird,” by Wallace Stevens, and write a poem about a character in a similar fashion, looking at the character from 13 different points-of-view. 4) Open Mind: Draw the empty head of your character and draw any symbols or words or images that would be bouncing around in their mind (5 to 10). Each symbol, word, and/or image needs an explanation (I recommend a legend). 5) Collage: Make a collage silhouette of your character and explain the images you chose to use. 6) Dramatic Monologue: Pick a crucial point in your character’s life and write a dramatic monologue explaining all their feelings.
Vocab Quizzes: Each block, before discussions, you will take a TIMED vocab quiz. You’ll have 7 minutes (from the time the bell rings) to write 5 words, their definitions, and a sentence that uses the word correctly.
Extra Credit: (ONLY FOR STUDENTS WITH LESS THAN 70%) For 30 possible points of extra credit, you may SIGN UP to give a formal informative speech (7-10 minutes) on one of the following: 1) Overview of Civil Rights Movements beginning at the abolishment of slavery. 2) Overview of African-American Folklore. 3) Biography of Malcolm X. 4) Biography of Martin Luther King, Jr. 5) Overview of Beloved, The Bluest Eye, Jazz, or Sula. 6) Overview of the development of Jazz music.
FINAL REMINDERS:
We’ll be working on the novel and reading in class on Thursdays and Fridays in preparation for the following Wednesdays. We’ll be using Mondays or Tuesdays for poetry and compare/contrast essays.