My Name. 1. from: Othello By William Shakespeare [Iago to Othello]

Transcription

1 My Name Names are very important to the characters in the following excerpts. Read each selection and consider why each character places value on his or her name. 1. from: Othello By William Shakespeare [Iago to Othello] He that filches from me my good name Robs me of that which not enriches him And makes me poor indeed. 2. from: The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest J. Gaines [A major in the union army is talking to a young slave girl.] Well, just call me Mr. Brown, he said. And I m go n call you something else sides Ticey. Ticey is a slave name, and I don t like slavery. I m go n call you Jane, he said. That s right, I ll call you Jane. That s my girl s name back there in Ohio. You like for me to call you that? I stood there grinning like a little fool. I rubbed my foot with my big toe and just stood there grinning. The other Troops was grinning at me, too. Yes, he said, I think you do like that name. Well, from now on your name is Jane. Not Ticey no more. Jane. Jane Brown. Miss Jane Brown. When you get older you can change it to what else you want. But till then your name is Jane Brown. [Later, the mistress of the plantation is talking to Jane.] You little wench, didn t you hear me calling you? she said. I raised my head high and looked her straight in the face and said: You called me Ticey. My name ain t no Ticey no more, it s Miss Jane Brown. And Mr. Brown say catch him and tell him if you don t like it. My mistress face got red, her eyes got wide, and for about half a minute she just stood there gaping at me. Then she gathered up her dress and started running for the house. That night when the master and the rest of them came in from the swamps she told my master I had sassed her in front of the Yankees. My master told two of the other slaves to hold me down. One took my arms, the other one took my legs. My master jecked up my dress and gived my mistress the whip and told her to teach me a lesson. Every time she hit me she asked my what I said my name was. I said Jane Brown. She hit me again: what I said my name was. I said Jane Brown. My mistress got tired beating me and told my master to beat me some. He told her that was enough, I was already bleeding. (Pgs. 8,9) 3. from: When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago [Mami talks to her daughter Negi about her name.] Delsa s black curly hair framed a heart shaped face with tiny pouty lips and round eyes thick with lashes. Mami called her Munequita, Little Doll. Norma s hair was the color of clay, her yellow eyes slanted at the corners, and her skin glowed the same color as the inside of a yam. Mami called her La Colorá, the red girl. I thought I had no nickname until she told me my name wasn t Negi but Esmeralda. You re named after your father s sister, who is also your god mother. You know her as Titi Merín. Why does everyone call me Negi? Because when you were little you were so black, my mother said you were a negrita [a word of endearment meaning little black one ]. And we all called you Negrita, and it got shortened to Negi. So Negi means I m black? It s a sweet name because we love you, Negrita. She hugged and kissed me. Does anyone call Titi Merin Esmeralda? Oh, sure. People who don t know her well the government, her boss. We all have our official names, and then our nicknames, which are like secrets that only the people who love us use. (Pgs. 13, 14)

2 4. from: The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros At school they say my name funny as if the syllables were made out of tin and hurt the roof of your mouth. But in Spanish my name is made out of a softer something, like silver, not quite as thick as sister s name Magdalena which is uglier than mine. Magdalena who at least can come home and become Nenny. But I am always Esperanza. I would like to baptize myself under a new name, a name more like the real me, the one nobody sees. Esperanza as Lisandra or Maritza or Zeze the X. Yes. Something like Zeze the X will do. (Pg. 11) How would you rate, on a scale of one to five, with one representing a high degree of concern and five representing no concern, the reasons each of the characters in these selections is concerned about his or her name? Othello Personal Honor Cultural Identity Indicator of Self Worth Symbol of Family Love Ancestral Connection The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman Personal Honor Cultural Identity Indicator of Self Worth Symbol of Family Love Ancestral Connection When I Was Puerto Rican Personal Honor Cultural Identity Indicator of Self Worth Symbol of Family Love Ancestral Connection The House on Mango Street Personal Honor Cultural Identity Indicator of Self Worth Symbol of Family Love Ancestral Connection B. Choose one of the selections and justify your reasons for any number 1 and any number 5.

3 Our Good Day A. Identify the traits you think Esperanza possesses. 1. aloof 11. difficult 21. wise 2. conventional 12. practical 22. compassionate 3. courageous 13. reliable 23. understanding 4. energetic 14. resourceful 24. thoughtful 5. honest 15. intelligent 25. simple 6. insensitive 16. sensitive 26. imaginative 7. methodical 17. diligent 27. persistent 8. confident 18. conscientious 28. stubborn 9. coarse 19. tender 29. reasonable 10. cautious 20. callous 30. impudent B. Cisneros has a poetic style. She incorporates both vivid imagery and spare prose. She uses both to create a picture of the narrator s world. 1. What words does the narrator use to describe Lucy and Rachel? How does her reaction to Lucy and Rachel differ from Cathy s? 2. What words or descriptions in the story make you realize how much Esperanza wants friendship? 3. What images describe the bike ride? What do you learn about the world of Mango Street from these images?

4 Louie, His Cousin & His Other Cousin A. Write a headline based on the events in Chapter 10 that may have appeared in the next day s issue of The Chicago Tribune. Draw or find an appropriate picture for this story. Write a caption for the picture. B. Write a short news story based on the events in the chapter. Remember to include the what, when, where, who, why, and how, if this information is available in the chapter. Do not invent anything; a newspaper story should strive to be factual.

5 Darius & The Clouds A. This chapter is similar to a poem because some of the sentences have poetic elements, such as internal rhyme and repetition. Complete the following chart, noting examples of repetition, internal rhyme, and simile from the chapter. What do you think sky might represent in this chapter? Darius & the Clouds Example of Repetition Example of Internal Rhyme Example of Simile the word sky (internal rhyme = any rhymes that happen within lines of a story that are near each other) the world was full of clouds, the kind like pillows. B. Cisneros has a poetic style. She incorporates both vivid imagery and spare prose. She uses both to create a picture of the narrator s world. 1. How do does Esperanza describe Darius? How does her word choice create a complete picture of the boy Darius is? 2. Explain the last line of the chapter. How does Darius make it simple?

6 The First Job Questions Answer the following questions in complete sentences. 1. Why did Esperanza need a job? 2. What job did Esperanza get? 3. What is a major thing that happened to her on her first day of work? Activity Consider the unwanted kiss incident. Write a diary entry Esperanza might make regarding the incident; include her feelings at the time. In what way does the incident help define the coming-of-age theme? Personal Response In this chapter, Esperanza s trusting nature is abused. Has there been a time in your life when you feel that your trust in people put you in a difficult position? Do you think it is better to be trusting or cynical? Why?

7 Born Bad Questions 1. What words does Esperanza use to describe her aunt and her illness? 2. How do these words create a sense of the responsibility the narrator feels towards her aunt s death? 3. How does Esperanza describe her aunt s illness and the way her aunt is suffering? What similes and metaphors are used to describe her and the illness? Quotes Explain the significance of the following quotes. You must keep writing. It will keep you free, and I said yes, but at that time I didn t know what she meant. Personal Response Esperanza connects her aunt s death with the imitation game that she and the other children played. Have you ever imitated or mocked someone else? Did you feel guilty? Do you feel guilty now? Esperanza questions why people get sick or injured. She ends up believing that it is just chance. What do you believe?

8 Sire Because Esperanza is the narrator, the incidents are told from her perspective. How might the incident with Sire be written if it were told from his point of view? Try to rewrite all the paragraphs in this chapter from his perspective. It might begin as follows: I like to watch Esperanza walk down the street with her nose in the air. She does not look at me, but I know she notices me

9 No Speak English Questions Answer the following questions in complete sentences. 1. What English phrases does Mamacita know? 2. Why doesn t Mamacita leave the apartment? 3. Where is home to Mamacita? 4. What broke Mamacita s heart? Personal Response Mamacita is homesick. She is refusing to try to belong in America. Describe a situation in your life when you refused to try to fit in. Or describe a time in your life when you were homesick.

10 Beautiful & Cruel A. In this chapter, Esperanza describes the kind of woman she wants to emulate. In the movies there is always one with red red lips who is beautiful and cruel. She is the one who drives the men crazy and laughs them all away. Her power is her own. She will not give it away. (Pg. 89) Think of three female characters from movies, television, or literature who are similar in character, attitude, or appearance as the beautiful and cruel woman Esperanza admires. ( You might want to focus on female villains as a starting point.) Complete the chart below. Name of Character Movie/TV Show/Book Brief Description of Character What does the character highly value? What don t they value?

11 Sally Questions Answer the following questions in complete sentences. 1. Who is Sally? 2. What is Sally s relationship with her father? 3. How does Sally change when it is time to go home? Quotes Explain the significance of the following quote. Her father says to be this beautiful is trouble

12 What Sally Said Themes A major theme is continued in this disturbing chapter. The abuser in this chapter is Sally s father rather than her husband but she behaves the same way that the other abused women have. Discuss the irony of father s behavior in this chapter. Re-write this chapter as a conversation between Sally and Esperanza as if they are texting. Things you can include are: emojis no capital letters short sentences slang is fine

13 Linoleum Roses Questions Answer the following questions in complete sentences. 1. Why did Sally say she got married? How old was she when she married? 2. Why does Esperanza believe that Sally got married? 3. How does her husband treat her? A. Identify the character traits you think Esperanza possesses. independent lonely beautiful hopeful intelligent persecuted unloved afraid understanding creative unconquerable sad trustworthy compassionate deluded self reliant naïve popular thoughtful reliable B. Identify the character traits you think Sally possesses. independent lonely beautiful hopeful intelligent persecuted unloved afraid understanding creative unconquerable sad trustworthy compassionate deluded self reliant naïve popular thoughtful reliable C. Which character traits do they share? Why do you think Esperanza includes Sally in these chapters? Personal Response What do you feel is the best age to get married? Is there a best age? Is there a best reason to get married? What myths do you think society perpetuates about marriage and romance? Do you think Sally thought her life would be better if she married the salesman? Is it?

14 The Three Sisters Questions Answer the following questions in complete sentences. 1. When did Esperanza meet the three sisters? 2. How are the three sisters described? 3. What future do the three sisters predict for Esperanza? 4. What do they say that Esperanza must do to complete the circle? Quotes Explain the significance of the following quotes. When you leave, you must remember to come back for the others. A circle, understand? You will always be Esperanza. You will always be Mango Street. You can t erase what you know. You can t forget who you are. You must remember to come back. For the ones who cannot leave as easily as you.

15 A House of My Own Questions 1. What words does Esperanza use to describe her house? What significance is it that she begins by describing what it will not be? 2. What lines in this chapter read like poetry? What does this contribute to the chapter? Personal Response What are your dreams for the future? What do you want to happen in your life?

16 Mango Says Goodbye Sometimes Questions Answer the following questions in complete sentences. 1. What does Esperanza do to help her cope? 2. What are her plans? 3. How does the ending of the novel complete a circle? 4. What does she mean when she says, I ve gone away to come back? Activity Write a vignette set in your own neighborhood. In your vignette, select a theme you want to present and tailor your story to define your theme.