Curriculum  /  ELA  /  9th Grade  /  Unit 1: Me, Myself, and I: Examining Personal Identity in Short Texts  /  Lesson 11

Me, Myself, and I: Examining Personal Identity in Short Texts

Lesson 11
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ELA

Unit 1

9th Grade

Lesson 11 of 20

Objective

Analyze how the author uses symbolism and structure to reveal the story's meaning.

Readings and Materials

  • Book: The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu  pp. 26 – 43 — Short Story: “The Paper Menagerie”

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Target Task

Discussion & Writing Prompt

What is the significance of Liu's choice to end the story with the mother's letter? Provide evidence from the text and carefully explain your thinking.

Sample Response

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Key Questions

Close Read Questions

  • What do the paper animals symbolize throughout the story? How does Jack's relationship with the animals change at different points in his life?

  • Jack's mom says, "'If I say 'love,' I feel it here.' She pointed to her lips. 'If I say 'ai,' I feel here.' She put her hand over her heart" (33). What does she mean, and how does this moment relate to the central conflict between her and her son?

  • What is the significance of the scene with the neighbors on page 29–30, and how does it impact Jack's identity?

Vocabulary

Literary Terms

symbol

a character, setting, object, or event that represents something other than itself, i.e. a larger, more complex concept or idea

Text-based

menagerie

n.

(p. 30)

a collection of animals kept for display

wallow

v.

(p. 28)

roll about or lie relaxed in mud or water

translucent

adj.

(p. 29)

not completely clear or transparent but clear enough to allow light to pass through

tinny

adj.

(p. 30)

having a displeasingly thin, metallic sound

brittle

adj.

(p. 37)

 hard but liable to break or shatter easily

Notes

The story contains the ch-slur for a Chinese person.

Homework

  • Book: How Beautiful the Ordinary: Twelve Stories of Identity 

While reading, answer the following questions.

  • What is the narrative point of view?

  • Who is Neil going to visit at the opening of the story?

  • What significant event happens in Kindling? Which characters meet there?

  • Who gets married at the end of the story?

  • Who does Neil encounter later in life in a park?

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Standards

  • RL.9-10.3 — Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.
  • 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
RL.9-10.1
RL.9-10.2
RL.9-10.10
SL.9-10.1
SL.9-10.6

Next

Analyze how an author's choice of narrative perspective, structure, and tone contribute to overall meaning in a story.

Lesson 12
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