General Guidelines

Choose one of the following prompts from each unit and respond to it (3 total). Address the questions in the prompt in approximately 500-600 words. Be sure to organize your ideas and have a clear beginning, middle, and end with distinct paragraphs. Include at least one quote (excluding any quotes in the prompt itself) from the primary source along with analysis of that quote. State the name of the text you are quoting in your reflection and provide an MLA in-text citation for it. Don’t forget to include a works cited entry at the end of the post. Be sure to create a unique cover image for your post. Refer to the syllabus for the specific breakdown in the grading criteria.

Option 1: What ideals of femininity and womanhood does the mother in “Girl” impart to her daughter? How does the mother’s past and her own life experiences likely influence the advice she gives to the girl? To what extent is this advice protective and to what extent is it restrictive to the girl’s future?

Option 2: Consider the role of gender in this story. What would this story look like if it were advice from a father to a son? What type of advice would be included in that version of the story? What do the differences (or similarities) in this advice suggest about the expectations of society for women versus those for men?

Option 1: Lucy is a coming-of-age story. How does her living in a foreign land influence this journey? What does she learn about her relationships with others (Mariah, her mother, her friends) and even with her homeland? What does she learn about herself and how does she grow (or not) throughout the book?

Option 2: In chapter 3, Hugh says, “Isn’t it the most blissful thing in the world to be away from everything you have ever known – to be so far away that you don’t even know yourself anymore and you’re not sure you ever want to come back to all the things you’re a part of?” (66). To what extent do you agree or disagree with this claim and why? Why does Lucy react so positively to this question? How has colonization shaped her response to this question? How does it shape her experiences, ideas, and values overall?

Option 1: Even though we did not read the entire book (and therefore did not have the opportunity to explore most of the characters in depth), we were still given a substantial idea as to what the men on Miguel Street were like, especially among one another. How is the theme of interpersonal masculinity demonstrated in the chapters we did read? Knowing that masculinity is not inherently toxic, what are some positive examples of masculine behavior that we saw? Where was toxicity apparent in these relationships? What is the importance of sharing and analyzing these types of relationships in literature?

Option 2: How do the unit themes of community, poverty, and escapism connect with one another in the assigned chapters from this novel? What (if any) are the positive messages that you took from these chapters? What (if any) societal issues or concerns do you think were being addressed? What solution (if any) was presented to us as readers?

Option 1: How does understanding the political and historical context of this novel (Trinidad in the 1940s) help us discern the impact that social class, economic status, and religious affiliation have on the different characters in the novel? Choose two different characters and compare how their actions serve as a reflection of their own standing in society. What privileges and/or disadvantages do they have (or did they have in the past)? How do they try to take control of their life circumstances and to what degree are they (or are they not) successful in doing so?

Option 2: The novel is divided into five sections and each of them begins with a flashback. What do these introduction sections (“A Gate to Hell,” “A Small Sacrifice,” “A Father’s Sins,” “A Clean Break,” and “Deadwater”) have in common? What is the value in sharing these stories that take place outside of the main plot? How might this influence how we understand the rest of the novel and/or the characters within it?

Option 1: At the beginning of each chapter, we are provided with “Recetas para los vivos” or “Recipes for the Living.” What purpose do these recipes serve? Why do you think the author included them? What do they tell us (if anything) about the upcoming chapter? What one recipe stands out to you the most and why?

Option 2: How are the unit themes of dreams and spirituality apparent in this novel? Focus on one character and their dreams and spiritual journey. What does this character learn? How do they embody or reject the different spiritual worlds/gods/individuals they engage with? To what extent do their dreams disappoint them and/or come true? How does this play a role in who the character becomes?

Option 1: This is a play (visual literature) that incorporates poetry and letters as well. Why do you think the playwright chose to do this? What effect does it have on the audience? This play doesn’t seem to have a lot of “action” so what do the letters give us in place of this action? How does the inclusion of different literary mediums in the play give us an insight into the different characters and who they are? How do you think this would translate on the stage?

Option 2: Letters from Cuba is a play about individuals seeking connection with one another. What are some of the different ways they try to bridge the physical and emotional gaps that have developed between them? How does art and creative expression play a role in bringing these characters closer to one another? How does this desire for connecting with others relate to the unit themes of dreams and spirituality?