Reading 3'12 Analyze the way in which a work of literature is related to the themes and issues of it

1
Learning Focus

• Reading 3.12 Analyze the way in which a work of
  literature is related to the themes and issues of
  its historical period. (Historical approach)

2
Terms

• Theme
• Conflict
• Setting

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Theme

• The central insight about life revealed by a
  piece, source, or work of literature.
• It is a generalization about human behavior and
  the human condition.
• Some themes are universal and apply to people
  everywhere.
• A theme or broad truth is open to interpretation.

4
How can you understand what a theme is?

• A theme isnt always easily recognized.
• Sometimes the theme ponders questions such as
  What does it mean to be just? or What is the
  meaning of life? or What is freedom, and how do
  we express it without trampling on the rights of
  others?
• The answers to these types of questions point to
  a theme.

5
Conflict

• The external and internal conflicts of a piece
  often result in resolutions that point to a
  theme.
• The struggles of people in general are common and
  allow us to make an interpretation of the works
  theme or broad truth.
• What happens to the characters is meant to impart
  a moral lesson about life and our experiences.

6
Setting-Historical Period

• The time and location of the story can have
  common themes to the issues and events of the
  time.
• Students should use their imaginations to see,
  feel, hear, taste, and smell the story setting
  and then make notes about their sensory images to
  understand the time period and maybe a common
  theme.

7
The Floral Apron

• There was a woman who wore a floral apron around
  her neck and asked village children what should
  be cooked for dinner. She suggested tiny squids
  which happened to be a part of village culture
  and family history. While cooking the six squid,
  the elderly woman was able to teach ancestral
  customs that have bound the Chinese together
  through many Asian plights and battles.

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The Floral Apron cont

• The village children learned quickly that even
  though squid probably wasnt their chosen food
  favorite, they learned to love and honor the time
  honored traditions of their tribe, the value of
  the floral apron, and the customs of the village
  and of its people.

9
Quick Check

• What are possible themes for The Floral Apron?
• Theme People are often bound together by common
  activities, lifestyles, and struggles.
• Theme The quilts and aprons of our lives often
  tie our culture and family together.
• Theme A familys honor is often portrayed in its
  artifacts.
• Theme The voices of our family are passed on to
  generations to give us direction and hope for the
  future.

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Extended Practice Theme in poetry

• Glencoe p. 650-651
• Read Teresa Palomo Acostas poem My Mother Pieced
  Quilts
• Reading Purpose Read the poem to see why the
  preparation of ethnic dishes and the making of
  quilts are important to a sense of cultural and
  family identity. What other activities are
  important for a sense of identity? Are these
  objects important to a familys history and love?