Now that you have read American Born Chinese, you should be able to see certain themes emerging that appear in all three different story lines within the graphic novel. Your assignment is to describe one of those emerging themes and explain, using specific examples from the text, how you see each of the three story lines embodying or developing that theme. Your post should be at least six sentences long. You may choose to write your answer in paragraph form if you wish. If you are unsure on what the definition of "theme" is, consult your literary term glossary at the back of Social Justice. Your comment is due by the start of class on Tuesday.
Remember--read the post, and then click on the word "comments" just below that post. After you have written your post, add your first name, then "Drogos," then your period (so, Calvin Drogos 12). Then, select "Anonymous" for your identity and click "publish your comment." Also, remember to click "Publish your comment" twice to be sure that it gets sent to Mr. Drogos to moderate.
We have spent the past two weeks discussing questions surrounding identity. As part of those discussions, we you have read several stories, listened to music, designed schemata, written in journals, and created identity collages to express your own unique cultural identifiers. We have also discussed various examples of "the box," which is a metaphor for any obstacles or barriers that might isolate, frustrate, enclose, or sometimes protect someone from a larger world.
Think back over everything we have read so far for this unit ("Theme for English B," "High Yellow White Trash," "Sylvia's Story" from National Public Radio, "Phone Booth at the Corner"). Your task now is to write and post a comment in this forum in which you describe a connection between at least TWO of these works, focusing on the role of "the box." Think about how different characters face similar or different challenges. Think about similarities or differences in the kinds of disguises characters wear. Do you think these characters will escape from their boxes? What kinds of factors put characters and/or people in boxes? Are the "boxes" constructed by society (for example, by stereotypes), or do families and individuals create their own boxes?
When you have made a connection between at least two works, write a post describing that connection. Make sure to mention specific characters/narrators, and to be clear about how the "boxes" they experience are similar. These posts do not need to be long: about four sentences, give or take one, will do. Your post should be in the form of a paragraph with evidence and examples directly from the text(s). You should feel free to respond to your classmates' posts, as well as to ask your classmates questions.
*** Remember to use your first name and "Drogos Period ___" when you sign your post. Also, if you choose to respond to what another classmate wrote, please do so in a respectful manner.
