Perseverance and the American Dream

Teacher's Student Activities

CURRICULUM FOCUS: English

INTEGRATE WITH: Art and History

OBJECTIVES

Students will:

• Construct meaning, elaborate and respond critically to reading material.
• Relate reading experiences to personal experiences.
• Write in a variety of modes and purposes for a variety of audiences.

Students will: LITERATURE LINK

ANGELA'S ASHES (p. 176) makes reference to a satire by Jonathan Swift entitled "A Modest Proposal." This essay can be found in many high school English literature anthologies. It would add a rich dimension to your student's study of McCourt's memoir.

Study these novels describing events contemporary with ANGELA'S ASHES.

NIGHT, by Elie Wiesel, focuses on the horror of the holocaust.

THE GRAPES OF WRATH by John Steinbeck looks at a rural American family's experience of the Great Depression.

THE PLAGUE by Albert Camus is a 20th Century classic that would be an excellent study for your advanced students.

A book recommended especially for teachers of this unit is Viktor Frankl's MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING.

PRE-VIDEO ACTIVITIES:

1. Have students write about one or more of the following "seed words" (What does the word mean? How do other students in the school view the word? How would you feel if it were applied to you?)

• Charity
• Compassion
• Destitute
• Dignity
• Indigence
• Pauper
• Poverty
• Shame
• Hunger
• Tolerance
• Welfare

Conduct a follow-up discussion allowing students to share their writing. Then introduce the ATV video.

OR

Conduct a class discussion on the subject of "roadblocks to achievement." Have students write a list on the blackboard of roadblocks they personally envision. (i.e. grades, scholarships, high cost of post-secondary education, parental expectations...) Then have students analyze each item to determine who owns the problem. Basically there are two choices, it is either my personal problem or someone else's problem. Once students gain ownership of the problem, discussion may then focus more narrowly on tools for developing solutions.

Conclude the discussion by reading aloud the "Serenity Prayer:"

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
and the Wisdom to know the difference.

Finally, introduce the ATV video.

WATCH THE BROADCAST OR PRE-TAPED VIDEO OF ATV'S "PERSEVERANCE: TRIUMPH OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT."

POST-VIDEO ACTIVITIES:

1. Conduct a follow up discussion with the class:
a. What is perseverance?
b. What problems did the guests describe in their own lives?
c. What solutions did they offer?
d. What advice or comments were most personally meaningful?

AND/OR

2. Study the 1997 Pulitzer Prize winning biography ANGELA'S ASHES. (Frank McCourt. ANGELA'S ASHES. New York: Scribner 1996.)

ANGELA'S ASHES; A MEMOIR by Frank McCourt is a beautifully written book that documents the difficult life of a Depression-era family. The author hides nothing from the reader; pictures of cruelty, squalor, thievery, starvation, alcoholism, and death are clearly drawn. McCourt faces his past with honesty and truth. The result is a painful and joyous description of the failings and successes of the human spirit. If you and your students are willing to risk a glimpse into the frailties of the human heart, studying this book just may prove to be one of the most deeply meaningful experiences you and your students will share.

TO INTRODUCE THE BOOK TO YOUR STUDENTS:

Resiliency is being defined by educators as "the tendency for 'at-risk' children to not just survive, but to flourish, despite their 'risks.' A highly resilient child just may have the tools necessary to persevere. Listed below is a compilation of factors identified as essential traits of a resilient child. Present and explain the list to your students. During the discussion, ask them to name characters from TV situation comedies who exemplify each trait.

Then introduce the book, ANGELA'S ASHES by Frank McCourt. Point out that it is a memoir and attention needs to be focused on point of view. Assign students to find examples of the traits of resiliency as they read chapter one, pp. 11-46. Use this framework of resilience as the basis for a class discussion of the reading assignment. (The concluding written exam for the unit could be to write an essay on one of the six traits as developed, or not, in the book.)

TRAITS OF RESILIENT CHILDREN:
1. Social competence, including sense of humor
2. Problem solving skills
3. Autonomy: the ability to separate one's own identity from an unhealthy family environment, and/or a strong sense of self-control, independence and power (combined with problem-solving to give them some degree of control over their environment)
4. A sense of purpose and future, often helping them to overcome the present trials
5. The ability to recognize clues such as body language, which often translates into sensitivity to others and their plights
6. A trusting relationship, with unconditional acceptance an element (often family, but not always; maybe a peer or older child)

Sources:
Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. FOSTERING RESILIENCY IN KIDS: PROTECTIVE FACTORS IN THE FAMILY, SCHOOL, AND COMMUNITY. Portland, OR, 1991.

Wolin, S.J. and S. THE RESILIENT SELF: HOW SURVIVORS OF TROUBLED FAMILIES RISE ABOVE ADVERSITY. Random House, 1993.

ADDITIONAL MATERIALS FOR THE STUDY OF ANGELA'S ASHES:

The following is a suggestion of reading assignments for your class. It is recommended that every other class period be dedicated to silent reading of the book.

Assignment 1: (36 pages)
Chapter I pp. 11-46.

Assignment 2: (44 pages)
Chapter II pp. 47-90

Assignment 3: (60 pages)
Chapter III pp. 91-11
Chapter IV pp. 113-131
Chapter V pp.132-150

Assignment 4: (65 pages)
Chapter VI pp. 151-169
Chapter VII pp. 170-186
Chapter VIII pp. 187-215

Assignment 5: (93 pages)
Chapter IX pp. 216-234
Chapter X pp. 235-251
Chapter XI pp. 252-267
Chapter XII pp. 268-283
Chapter XIII pp. 284-296
Chapter XIV pp. 297-308

Assignment 6: (56 pages)
Chapter XV pp.309-326
Chapter XVI pp. 327-338
Chapter XVII pp. 339-354
Chapter XVIII pp. 355-363
Chapter XIX p. 364

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:

a. Each culture has unique stories and traditions. What examples can be found in the student population of your class or school? (p. 33 of ANGELA'S ASHES)

b. A stranger has a unique perspective of an unknown place. How much of the Irish picture of America is/was true? (p. 80 of ANGELA'S ASHES) What is the current foreign perception of America? Describe your perception of contemporary Ireland (or a third world country). How can it be verified?

c. The "child narrator," Frank, gives no interpretation of what his mother says. But what "must" he (or the reader?) be thinking? (i.e. p.88)

d. What do parent's dream for their children? (i.e. p.209) What do you dream for your own future children and grandchildren?

e. Find examples of class society in Ireland. (i.e. p. 216 refers to "a better class of people") Are there classes in contemporary American society?

f. Find examples of irony. (i.e. p. 273 "There are always people worse off.")

g. McCourt's writing is almost journalistic in detail. It is difficult for the reader to disbelieve such accurate description. Find examples.

h. Read the passage describing McCourt's encounter with radio. (p.274) First, list the "worlds" that were opened to his imagination. Then compare his experience with radio to your experience with TV. Who has had the better experience?

i. What are your dreams and goals for the future? Take a few minutes to write them down; then compare them to McCourt's list on page 298.

j. What problems addressed by McCourt remain unresolved today?

IDEAS FOR STUDENT WRITING AND/OR EXTENDED STUDY:

EXPOSITORY THEME TOPICS:

• Funeral Traditions and How They Have Changed
• Contemporary (and/or local) Poverty
• Dignity
• The Rules We Live By
• Religion
• Charities
• Family Roles and Responsibilities
• Shame
• Humor
• Research other depression era family stories:
• The American Dream
• The Magic of a Library (or an Education)
• Moral Crisis (p. 316)
• Why and How My Family Came to America
• Parenting Skills
• The Effect of Alcohol on Family Systems.
• How My Family Survived the Great Depression.
• My Ancestors: Struggle and Perseverance

Write a critique the book from one of the following points of view:

• A welfare officer or reformer
• A politician
• A priest or nun
• A mother and/or father
• An economist
• A teacher
• A Grocer

CREATIVE WRITING IDEAS:

1. Write a character sketch, a memoir, of a classmate or teacher from grade school. (P.120)
2. Describe a complex situation from a child's perspective.
3. Describe an example of a child's explanation of the world. (children's "mythologies" i.e. the stork)
4. Describe another family from the point of view of a child.
5. Describe a stay in the hospital or an illness.
6. Write a sketch of a parent. (p. 209)
7. Write about family Christmas/holiday dinners or stories.

AN ESSAY EXAM:

Would Frank McCourt agree or disagree with the following quote? Explain or defend your answer with examples from ANGELA'S ASHES.

"Often people attempt to live their lives backwards; they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want, so they will be happier. The way it actually works is the reverse. You must first be who you really are, then do what you need to do, in order to have what you want." Margaret Young