Fences (2020)

Lesson 3
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ELA

Unit 9

8th Grade

Lesson 3 of 17

Objective


Analyze what Troy’s personification of death reveals about his life perspective.

Readings and Materials


  • Book: Fences by August Wilson  pp. 9 – 13

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Target Task


Multiple Choice

What does Troy’s extended monologue about death/Death reveal about his perspective?

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Which pieces of evidence best support the answer above?

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Writing Prompt

Why do you think the playwright, August Wilson, chooses to begin his play with Troy talking about death/Death?

Key Questions


  • Take a minute to look at the pages we read yesterday and the first couple pages of Act 1. What do you notice about the genre, drama, that is different from a novel like To Kill a Mockingbird or Animal Farm? (It lists characters and descriptions before the book; it is mostly dialogue; there are stage directions.)
  • Reread the line below: "Death ain't nothing but a fastball on the outside corner...You can kiss it goodbye." (p. 10) Why does the author capitalize "Death" on p. 10? What does this excerpt reveal about Troy's relationship to Death?
  • Reread the line below: "That's a part of life. Everybody gonna die." (p. 10) What does this quotation reveal about Troy's perspective on death?
  • Reread the line below: "Death stood up, throwed on his robe...had him a white robe with a hood on it." (p. 12) Using your knowledge of American history, why does Wilson personify Death in this way? What is the playwright alluding to here?

Common Core Standards


  • RL.8.6 — Analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the audience or reader (e.g., created through the use of dramatic irony) create such effects as suspense or humor.
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Lesson 2

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Lesson 4

Lesson Map

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