Blog Archives - STEPHANIE FITCH

Zeitoun Ch I Discussion Questions

3/31/2017

Overall Unit Themes and Questions:

Identity (racial, religious, gender) and how it can cause conflict within a society.
How to create social change around perceptions of identity.
- The power of protest: violence vs. nonviolence/peaceful protest - which is more effective?
To what extent does “invisibility” empower individuals?
Should we hide history we’re ashamed of? Are we doomed to repeat history we hide?
How do individuals maintain dignity while being oppressed or discriminated against? How do individuals maintain dignity while fighting for a just cause?
Are there different “levels” or “types” of prejudice? Are some more socially “acceptable” than others?
When, why, and how do we lose our humanity? Can we win it back? How?

Chapter I

Can you oppress one group but not another oppressed group? Or can you discriminate against one minority but not another?
How does one’s past influence their future?
Reflect on the idea Zeitoun was brought up with that “what God hates as much as anything is waste” (48).
What does Kathy’s family’s words or actions say about them and their thoughts/feelings of Kathy’s conversion to Islam? Or her relationship with Zeitoun?
How did Kathy’s presumptions (thoughts/ideas before she knew) of Islam affect her eventual conversion? Who and/or what events lead her to her decision to convert?
How does Kathy and Zeitoun’s religious beliefs affect or influence their business?
What does Zeitoun’s decision to leave say about him as a person? What does Kathy’s decision to leave say about her as a person? What do you think about their relationship?

Zeitoun Reading Schedule

3/30/2017

Q3 Interim Conclusion Paragraph Help

3/27/2017

When working on your conclusion:

Answer the “so what?” question for your essay. Why did you write it? What’s the point? Why does anyone need to know the ideas you wrote and proved?
How does this connect to the world today?
What can we do now?

Interim Essay Prompt for Invisible Man: Race and Racism in America

3/16/2017

Possible topics to explore within Race and Racism in America:

The effects of racism on people/groups of people
How systemic racism came to be and how it is still relevant today
Racism within local laws (police departments, housing, etc.) and how it affects people/groups of people
What to do about racism: what works and what doesn’t
Violence/riots vs. peaceful protests as forms of dissent
Ralph Ellison’s message regarding race and racism in America
How racism affects characters in the book and why they are (or are not) relevant to today
The struggles of being a black leader in America
The (in)visibility of race/racism in America

Requirements:

Rough Draft Due Tuesday, 3/21:
- Intro paragraph with thesis statement
- Four body paragraphs
- Minimum three quotes used
- Minimum one article/outside source used, two chosen to be used
- Preferred typed and shared (with sfitch@cityonahill.org) – need to be able to share with a peer during class

FINAL Due Tuesday, 3/28
- Introduction and conclusion paragraphs, clear thesis
- At least five body paragraphs
- At least 3 outside sources other than Invisible Man
  - Can include articles from class, other books you’ve read, speeches, or lit crits/articles you research outside of class, or even the Malcolm X movie.
- Works cited page
- Typed in MLA format
- Grammar and spell checked
- Submitted to Turnitin.com by 11:59pm

Organization and brainstorming for the body paragraphs:

What topic(s) are the most interesting to you?
What information do you have to establish first?
1. What does your reader need to know before hearing your thoughts/opinions on the issue?
2. Where can you find that evidence?
3. How do you want to organize it?
What do you have to say about your topic?
1. Ideas, opinions, where they come from
2. Bring up a counterargument or opposing viewpoint, but also refute it to go back to your point
What do you have to say about race/racism in America overall?

Invisible Man Ch 25 Discussion Questions

3/16/2017

Chapter 25

Why do people loot during riots? Think in terms of literally or symbolically why might people loot.
Where and how do the colors blue, red, or grey come up? What might they represent?
On page 540 Scofield says, “A man oughtn’t to be greedy. Though it’s time something like this happened.” Is the statement ironic? Why or why not? What does he mean by this statement?
Why does Scofield claim that TIM is “all right” (page 542) and what does that say about the state of things at that moment? Why does TIM go along with it? Would Scofield claim that if he was aware of TIM’s ties to the Brotherhood? Why or why not?
What do you think of Dupre’s plan? Why are they doing it? Why does TIM go along with it? What does the plan mean literally or symbolically?
What is the significance of the quote TIM states: “They organized it and carried it through alone; the decision their own and their own action. Capable of their own action…” (548)?
1. Who is “they” in this quote and what are the decisions or actions?
2. What implications does this have on the work TIM has been doing with the Brotherhood?
Why is TIM so attached to his briefcase? What does it represent?
1. What does he eventually say is in it and why does he say this (566)?
What does Ras want with TIM and why? What is TIM’s defence against it? Do you believe it? Why or why not?
What is the significance of names that are forgotten? What does the forgetting of names represent or symbolize about the person (or what the person represents)?
Throughout the book TIM brings up laughing, things being funny, or even a lack of laughter - what do you think the laughter represents?
Was TIM’s grandfather’s last words right or wrong? Why or why does TIM think what he thinks?
What is the symbolic difference between an oppressor freeing their oppressed versus the oppressed freeing themselves?
What is the significance of TIM’s dream (569-570)?
What does the last line of the chapter mean?
What does it mean to be invisible? In what ways is it good, in what ways is it bad?

Invisible Man Ch 24 Discussion Questions

3/12/2017

Chapter 24

What is more powerful, in a protest: peace or destruction?
Do you agree with TIM’s decision to “yes ‘em to death” and why or why not? Do you think it will work? Why or why not?
What do you think about TIM’s decision to get a woman to be someone he can get secrets from? Is his thinking inheriently sexiest?
What do you think about Sybil?
1. What do you think about how TIM view’s Sybil?
2. How does Sybil address TIM and what does it say about her?
3. How does Sybil view TIM and what are your reactions to their interactions?
4. What does Sybil want from TIM and what does this say about her? What does TIM’s reaction/what he actually does say about him?
What feelings/emotions does TIM describe having after being with Sybil? Why do you think he’s feeling like that? What does it say about him as a person?
What do you think was happening in Harlem? What is TIM running from?

Invisible Man Ch 23 Discussion Questions

3/9/2017

Chapter 23

How does the idea of invisibility come up throughout this chapter?
Who is Rinehart? Why do they keep calling him that? What might be the significance of this name/this person? What is the significance of the various people who keep calling TIM Rinehart?
1. How do so many people know of Rinehart, and TIM is just hearing about him? Wasn’t TIM working in Harlem with the community/getting to know the community?
2. Why does TIM sometimes go along with being called Rinehart and other times immediately rejects the name?
What do the dark green sunglasses represent? Why is he wearing them?
Why does TIM keep laughing at things - seemingly serious things? What does this reaction say about him and his state of mind?
What is the significance of the leaflet TIM picks up? (495-496).
What does TIM mean when he states, “All boundaries down, freedom was not only the recognition of necessity, it was the recognition of possibility” (499).
1. What boundaries? What freedom? What does freedom mean to him? What does he mean about recognizing necessity and possibility?
What do you think about TIM’s question on 502: “Shouldn’t sacrifice be made willingly by those who know what they’re doing?” What is this “sacrifice” that Hambro keeps mentioning? What do you think on Hambro’s ideas of sacrifice?
Discuss concepts from previous chapters that come back in this one: “outside history,” sacrifice, opportunistic (taking “advantage of the people”), science/scientific objectivity, responsibility, hope, etc.
According to TIM, what is the reality (the challenges) of being a black leader who works with whites in the fight against racism?
How does TIM’s grandfather’s advice connect to this chapter? To events from the Prologue?

Invisible Man Ch 22 Discussion Questions

3/8/2017

Chapter 22

What is “personal responsibility?” What does it mean to you? What does it mean to the characters in the novel?
What was Brother Jack’s or the Brotherhood’s reaction to the funeral and TIM’s speech at it?
What does Brother Jack or the Brotherhood think of Clifton and why?
1. Hint: they keep bringing up the work “traitor” - what do they mean by that?
Respond to TIM’s quote on page 468: “The Brotherhood isn’t the Negro people; no organization is. All you see in Clifton’s death is that it might harm the prestige of the Brotherhood. You see him only as a traitor. But Harlem doesn’t react that way.”
1. Has there been a shift in TIM’s thinking? If so, from what to what?
2. How does the Brotherhood react to this and why?
Have your views on Brother Jack changed or solidified? Why? Bring up specific quotes from him that prove your opinion on him.
Is the committee only white “brothers?” How can you be sure? If they are, how does this change or shape your thoughts on the Brotherhood?
What do you think of Tobitt and why? Bring up quotes about him or quotes he says that influence your opinion on him.
What does TIM mean by “great white father” (473)? What are the implications of his statement?
What happens between TIM and Brother Jack? What do we find out about Brother Jack? (Hint: 474-457.)
Comment on “blindness” in relation to this chapter and what you find out about Brother Jack - literally and metaphorically/symbolically.

Invisible Man Ch 21 Discussion Questions

3/6/2017

Chapter 21

What does TIM think about what happened to Clifton?
Would it have helped the situation if TIM jumped in? Or made it worse? Or something else? What does it say about TIM that he didn’t? How does TIM feel about the fact that he didn’t jump in to help?
What does the following statement by the narrator mean: “But the odds against us were too great for such weakness. We had to use every politically effective weapon against them” (448).
1. Who is we? Who is them?
2. What is the weakness? What are the weapons?
What does TIM do in response to Clifton’s death? Why do you think he organizes this? Is he feeling guilty or is he being an opportunist?
What was the community’s response to Clifton’s death? To his funeral/march?
What is the significance of TIM’s speech at Clifton’s funeral? (454-459)
1. What does it say?
2. What might it reflect on his views of the Brotherhood?
3. Is TIM hopeful or hopeless?
What do you think of the last paragraph of the chapter? What does TIM mean by “something had to be done” - what do you think that might be?

Invisible Man Ch 20 Discussion Questions

3/6/2017

Chapter 20

What issues has the Brotherhood decided were more important than specific issues in Harlem? What effect might this have on the community? What does TIM think about it?
What’s the significance of the Sambo doll?
What happened to Brother Clifton?
1. Why did it happen?
2. What happened between him and the police officer? Why? What was TIM’s reaction? What were other people’s reactions?
On pages 438-439, the narrator repeats the terms “plunge” and “outside history” - why? What significance do these terms have? What do they mean? What do they mean to TIM? What does it mean to be “outside history?”
TIM continues to speak about “history” - what does he mean? What is history?
How is TIM feeling about Brother Jack, the Brotherhood, and himself?
Why does TIM feel guilty?