Making the Ordinary Extraordinary: Magical Realism in Latin American Literature

Lesson 11
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ELA

Unit 4

10th Grade

Lesson 11 of 22

Objective


Analyze how the girls' experience at St. Lucy's serves as an allegory for assimilation.

Readings and Materials


  • Book: St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves by Karen Russell  pp. 235 – 246

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Target Task


Discussion & Writing Prompt

In what way does this story function as an allegory for assimilation and its impact on one's identity? What might be Russell's purpose for having the three characters—Mirabella, Jeannette, and Claudette—respond so differently to St. Lucy’s?

Sample Response

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Key Thinking


Close Read Questions

How do Mirabella and Jeannette's actions and progress in Stage 3 compare with that of Claudette?

How does the Stage 4 epigraph compare with Claudette's experiences at the Debutante dance? What does the juxtaposition of Claudette's thoughts and actions on page 244 dance reveal about her?

Explain the significance of the final line of the story. What is the tone? How does Claudette's experience visiting home compare with the Stage 5 epigraph?

Homework


In preparation for a creative writing assignment, begin to brainstorm ideas for a magical realism short story.

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Standards


  • RL.9-10.2 — Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
  • RL.9-10.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).
  • RL.9-10.5 — Analyze how an author's choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.

Supporting Standards

L.9-10.1
L.9-10.6
RI.9-10.3
RL.9-10.1
SL.9-10.1
SL.9-10.6
W.9-10.9.a
W.9-10.10

Next

Brainstorm ideas for a magical realism short story, and then plan out one idea fully using a graphic organizer.

Lesson 12
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Lesson Map

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