Grade 11: TEWWG Essay Rubric

When discussing Hurston’s perspective on race, one cannot underestimate the effect of Franz Boas and his anthropological outlook on her philosophy. Boas, considered one of the most important anthropologists of the 20th century, was Hurston’s professor at Barnard College from 1925 to 1927.

Instead of approaching race as a marker of innate difference and inferiority, he began to use anthropology to study race in cultural terms, discussing, for example, how ideas of racism circulate. Boas believed that race is not the fundamental truth about a person or group of people but rather a mere cultural construct that affects the perception of a specific person or group. Boas’s perspective was the source of Hurston’s iconoclastic depiction of racism: in the novel, racism is a mode of thought, capable of seducing white and black alike, and, as such, is a force larger than any particular person or group.

In your essay, you must prove or disprove the idea of race, highlighted in bold print above. Use and analyze Hurston’s writing style, characterization, symbolism and themes of race to formulate your thesis (basically, your thesis will be a form of our class brainstorm about racism expressed in the novel).

IMPORTANT: NO MORE THAN 3 pages, ONLY the novel used as main source of information and remember to submit to turn-it-in.

You will be graded on the following Rubric:

___/20	MLA Format: Heading, header, font, margins, spacing, citations, works cited page, engaging title, etc. All must be done correctly.
___/5	Introduction: Has a hook, states the topic, novel, and author.  Thesis is clear, appropriate, and adheres to the topic asked of you
___/20	Paragraph Structure: Each body paragraph has a topic sentence Topic sentences support your thesis and supportive evidence is used in your argument.
­___/15	Evidence: Use at least three textual citations. Citations are explained, properly cited and relevant to your argument.
___/5	Conclusion restates your argument and gives “so what” insight, food for thought, lesson or moral
___/5	Voice/Vocabulary/Writing style: Vocabulary is scholarly but does not interrupt the voice of the writer. Writing style is fluid and focused
___/5	Grammar/spelling: Proper punctuation, verb tenses, spelling etc.
____/5	Final Copy Ready: rubric attached to the TOP of your essay, stapled and handed in at the beginning of class
____/20	Turnitin: Submitted to Turn-it-in ON TIME.
____/100	Final Grade and Comments:

 

Grade 11: TEWWG Ch. 15 to 18

Directions: Please read the following chapters and answer each response question thoughtfully and insightfully. You also recieved a hard copy of this in class on Monday. No excuses of why you don’t have this done.

Chapters 15 -16:

1. Why do you think Hurston devotes an entire chapter to Janie’s jealousy of Tea Cake and Nunkie?
2. What is Mrs. Turner’s appalling attitude toward black men like Tea Cake?
3. Why does Tea Cake decide he doesn’t want to eat at Mrs. Turner’s house?
4. Why does Mrs. Turner persist in visiting Janie even though Janie tried to discourage Mrs. Turner’s visits?
5. Find and explain specific evidence in Ch. 16 that shows Tea Cake’s opinion of Mrs. Turner’s bigoted attitudes.
6. In what ways may the character, Mrs. Turner, be a caricature of the black person corrupted by the standards of white society?

Chapters 17 – 18:

1. Why does Tea Cake beat Janie?
2. Why doesn’t Mrs Turner’s husband, son, or brother help her to stop the fight?
3. How are Janie and Tea Cake forewarned about the impending hurricane? Why do they ignore it?
4. A legend is a story handed down through oral tradition about a possibly historical person. Find an example in ch. 18.
5. Describe Motor Boat.
6. In what ways does Janie believe in fate and accept her troubles as the will of God? Connect this to the opening paragraph in ch. 1.
7. Why does Janie fall into the water? How does she get out? How does Tea Cake get injured?
8. Find an example of personification in Ch. 18.
9. Hurston wrote this novel in only seven weeks. Knowing this, how believable is the incident with the cow and dog?

Grade 11: TEWWG Ch 13 to 14

TEWWG: Study Questions

Chapters 13 – 14:

1. When Tea Cake “disappears” what does he take with him and how does Janie react? Do you think her reaction is accurate or is she over reacting?
2. What does Tea Cake go and what does he do with Janie’s money?
3. What reason does Tea Cake give for not taking Janie to his party? Describe Janie’s reaction to this.
4. Define “the Muck” and describe Tea Cake’s attraction to it.
5. Tea Cake asks Janie to work in the field with him and Janie is happy to do so. Contrast her reaction with specific and similar situations within her previous marriages.
6. In your opinion, how has Janie changed or has she changed at all? Explain and use specific instances from the novel.

Grade 11: TEWWG: ch 11 – 12

DIRECTIONS: Evaluate the relationship between Janie and Tea Cake by giving an in-depth analysis of the citations below.

Chapter 11:

1. “He looked like the love thoughts of woman. He could be a bee to a blossom – a pear tree blossom in the spring. He seemed to be crushing the scent out of the world with his footsteps” (106). (remember: the idea connected with the pear tree..)..

Chapter 12:

1. “It was after the picnic that the town began to notice things and got mad… day after day and week after week” (110).
2. “He ain’t nevet ast de first penny from me yet, and if he love property, he ain’t no different from all de rest of us…Cause dey got nothin’, dat’s why” (112).
3. “Ah ain’t grievin’ so why do Ah hafta mourn? Tea Cake love me in blue, so Ah wears it. Jody aint’t. . .Ah was wearin’ it for de rest of ya’ll” (113) Connect to the end of ch. 9.
4. “Cause Tea Cake ain’t no Jody Starks…Ah done lived Grandma’s way, now Ah means tuh live mine” (114).

Grade 11: TEWWG: Ch 5 – 8

TEWWG: Study Questions:

Ch. 5:

1. What does Joe Starks do that surprises the townspeople? How do the men react to Janie?
2. How does Janie feel about being the mayor’s wife?
3. Support the following statement: “But any man who walks in the way of power and property is bound to meet hate.”
4. Explain: “Ah often wonder how dat lit wife uh hisn makes out wid him, ’cause he’s uh man dat changes everything, but nothin’ don’t change him.” What does the following quotation suggest is wrong with Janie’s and Joe’s relationship?

Ch 6:

1. Why is the mule talk in front of the store frustrating and entertaining for Janie?
2. What prompts Joe to insist that Janie wear a rag over her hair?
3. How does Joe explain the odd spectacle of the dead mule on his back with his feet sticking up in the air?
4. Why is Janie excluded from the Mule’s funeral?
5. Local color is defined as details and descriptions common to a certain place. Some critics point out Hurston presents the local color of the black community through the stories told on the front porch of the store. Find and example of local color in this chapter and include the page number, and explain what is learned about the community from the stories.
6. What event in Janie’s marriage convinces her that Joe isn’t the wonderful man she thought she was marrying? How does she survive in the marriage without losing her identity?
7. At the end of the chapter, Janie finally speaks her mind. According to Janie, what is God’s opinion of women? How does she think he will judge men’s behavior toward women?

Ch 7 and 8:

1. Why does Joe start hassling Janie about her age?
2. What does Janie say to Joe in front of his friends that humiliates him? What does he do to retaliate?
3. In chapter 8, cite a quotation illustrating how Hurston uses personification to describe death.
4. What does Janie tell her husband just before he dies?
5. How does Janie symbolically express her freedom from Joe after his death?
6. Support or refute the following: Joe Starks is a static character. Use evidence from the text to support your opinion.

House of Cards

Dear Grades 9 and 11 (and seniors, educate yourself! You are welcome to watch, too!):

Since we are both discussing racial themes in the novels, The Harlem Renaissance and The Great Depression, I have posted a link below for you to view an exciting (and user friendly) documentary about the downfall of our current economy.

Here is the documentary, House of Cards. Here, CNBC presents the defining story of our time. Correspondent David Faber investigates the origins of the global economic crisis and the events leading to the most devastating financial collapse since the Great Depression.

If you want to learn more about bank and government bail outs, CLICK HERE for a documentary, Inside the Meltdown from Frontline.

Enjoy!

Grade 11: Harlem Renaissance Webquest

Directions: Research and answer the following questions. Use the internet and/or other encyclopedia sources (NO WIKIPEDIA); use scholarly sources ONLY. You must TAKE NOTES and WRITE (and by that I mean type in your own words) the answers; no copy and pasting. It is important that you know this information. You can use bullet points or paragraph form. It is important to read all of the questions first and it is helpful to cite specific factual information in your answers.

 Be sure to keep a list of sources used so you can make an MLA formatted works cited page (use the packet and the reference MLA guides to help you). Use the school databases from the Hapgood Library.

Bring a HARD COPY and Submit to turnitin by the start of class by MONDAY 10/9

1. Create an MLA formatted works cited page so use your resources: This is a MUST! Keep track of ALL information used and websites visited. Use your resources to help you set up the page.
2. Define The Harlem Renaissance (THR) in your own words.
3. What does the term “Jim Crow” mean and where did it get its origins? What is its connection to THR
4. What is “black urban migration” and how does it relate to THR? Explain and be specific.
5. What is “Vernacular”? What is black vernacular?
6. What were some of the reasons and/or social/economic conditions that may have encouraged a large number of black Americans to migrate from the South to urban areas in the northern and western parts of the country during the early twentieth century? What impact did it have on the South?
7. Give historical and present information about Harlem, New York. Include its origins, current demographics, etc.
8. What the dates/time period of THR? Where did it start?
9. Why/How did THR begin? Explain and be specific.
10. What laws and amendments were made to the constitution during 1908-1960? How do you think these amendments affected THR movement?
11. Find 2 people who are noted for being influential during THR. Who are they, what did they do (in general AND for THR), why/how are they important to THR?
12. Find a piece of Art created during THR. If you can print it, attach it along with your answers, or make sure you write your source so that it can be visited. Explain the picture (focus on focal points, color, contrasts, reflection of reality, think of what we discussed in class for Romanticism). What is your reaction?
13. Using supportive evidence, what is the image of African-American culture today? How has it changed over the last 50+ years? What seems not to have changed?
14. Define the word “urban” and gather an understanding to the term “urban life.” How do you define it in your own words? How do we use the term? Give examples and explanations.
15. Define the word “ghetto.” What is the historical meaning of the term? How do you use it today and give examples? To we use it appropriately today in discussions of urban life?