Examining The Namesake (Chp. 1), Names & Writing Prompts
Writing prompt #1: (10 min.) Name research: write about your name. If you did not research this information as I requested, please do so now. Check out this site: Behind the Name. This is also a good resource for writers to find names for characters. Use it throughout the course, if you'd like.
Writing prompt #2: (10 min.) Cultural groups: make a list of cultural groups you belong to. Include pop cultural or non-traditional groups as well as formal ones recognized by our society. For example: you are either male or female (or identify as a different gender--that is a group to which you belong), you may be part of a cultural heritage (African American or Irish or French or Korean, etc.--that is a cultural group to which you belong...); or a religion, or a fan of a particular style or art, or you may define yourself by who you know or what activities you participate in (soccer or softball or a "gamer" or a fan of jazz or a fan of a particular media or show or film.) Make or add to your list.
Then choose one and write about the WHY and WHAT of this particular group? Can anyone join? Why or why not? Who is involved? What are the members of this group like? How do they dress or act or what common traits do members share? What do they generally look like? What beliefs or traditions or rituals do they understand or practice? How are they different from other groups?
Writing prompt #3: (10 min.) Character sketch. Use the handout to flesh out some details about a character you will use in your writing. Your character can be based on yourself, someone you know, or someone made up. [ignore the option: give it to a friend and ask them to fill it in, unless you switch papers, and both of you complete a character sketch.]
Writing prompt #4: (10 min.) Opening scene. After completing your character sketch, complete the "opening scene" handout. When you finish both the character sketch and the opening scene handout, you may begin writing an interesting opening scene involving that character. Complete this opening scene during class writing time or as homework. See The Namesake, pages 1-2 (Ashima); or 10-13 (Ashoke), as an example/model.
During period 2, let's go back to examining The Namesake, Chapter 1. We'll examine the writing style going on here. Let's take a closer look at these passages:
HOMEWORK: Please read The Namesake, Chapter 2 (pg. 22-47). Develop any of the writing prompts you wrote today into a poem, short story, essay, film, script, podcast, speech, etc. Try to include some effective literary devices or structure that you examined from our discussion of chapter 1 in your draft.
Writing prompt #2: (10 min.) Cultural groups: make a list of cultural groups you belong to. Include pop cultural or non-traditional groups as well as formal ones recognized by our society. For example: you are either male or female (or identify as a different gender--that is a group to which you belong), you may be part of a cultural heritage (African American or Irish or French or Korean, etc.--that is a cultural group to which you belong...); or a religion, or a fan of a particular style or art, or you may define yourself by who you know or what activities you participate in (soccer or softball or a "gamer" or a fan of jazz or a fan of a particular media or show or film.) Make or add to your list.
Then choose one and write about the WHY and WHAT of this particular group? Can anyone join? Why or why not? Who is involved? What are the members of this group like? How do they dress or act or what common traits do members share? What do they generally look like? What beliefs or traditions or rituals do they understand or practice? How are they different from other groups?
Writing prompt #3: (10 min.) Character sketch. Use the handout to flesh out some details about a character you will use in your writing. Your character can be based on yourself, someone you know, or someone made up. [ignore the option: give it to a friend and ask them to fill it in, unless you switch papers, and both of you complete a character sketch.]
Writing prompt #4: (10 min.) Opening scene. After completing your character sketch, complete the "opening scene" handout. When you finish both the character sketch and the opening scene handout, you may begin writing an interesting opening scene involving that character. Complete this opening scene during class writing time or as homework. See The Namesake, pages 1-2 (Ashima); or 10-13 (Ashoke), as an example/model.
During period 2, let's go back to examining The Namesake, Chapter 1. We'll examine the writing style going on here. Let's take a closer look at these passages:
- Pg. 1 (paragraph 1): what details does Lahiri present to us in the first few sentences of her book? Consider how she uses words (diction) to create a tone and mood. Notice also, how she compares/contrasts familiar American culture with a more foreign or exotic Indian culture for her readers. What is the effect on you, the reader (mood)? How does she introduce conflict by the end of this paragraph?
- Pg. 3 (1st full paragraph) to 4 (end of 1st full paragraph): How is Ashima's character compared/contrasted with the American women in the hospital? What do you notice about the sentence structure of this paragraph? What does the use of dialogue in this paragraph provide for the reader? What literary devices do you notice? Can you find figurative language/metaphor/alliteration or other elements of imagery? How are the sentences similar to a contraction (the action in the scene)?
- Pg. 10-12: how is Ashoke's character presented? How does his story parallel or contrast with his wife's? How is Ashoke different from the other American men in the waiting room? What details do we learn about him?
- Pg. 13-14: Nickolai Gogol and the short story "The Overcoat" is alluded to here. Just notice it for now. This allusion is important.
- Pg. 15-16: Review the dialogue between Ashoke and Ghosh. How might this dialogue become important? What wisdom or message does it give us as readers? How might the last line of dialogue be symbolic? [particularly in light of what is about to happen...?]
- Pg. 17-18: Let's re-read the train wreck. Notice the sentence structure of these paragraphs. Also, notice the use of imagery. Imagery includes more than just visual imagery, it is also sound, movement, taste, smell, and touch; it may include temperature or the sense of pain.
- With time remaining, let's begin reading Chapter 2: pg. 22-47 (also, complete for homework).
HOMEWORK: Please read The Namesake, Chapter 2 (pg. 22-47). Develop any of the writing prompts you wrote today into a poem, short story, essay, film, script, podcast, speech, etc. Try to include some effective literary devices or structure that you examined from our discussion of chapter 1 in your draft.
Comments