DOC PREVIEW
UGA ELAN 7408 - White

This preview shows page 1-2-17-18-19-36-37 out of 37 pages.

Save
View full document
View full document
Premium Document
Do you want full access? Go Premium and unlock all 37 pages.
Access to all documents
Download any document
Ad free experience
View full document
Premium Document
Do you want full access? Go Premium and unlock all 37 pages.
Access to all documents
Download any document
Ad free experience
View full document
Premium Document
Do you want full access? Go Premium and unlock all 37 pages.
Access to all documents
Download any document
Ad free experience
View full document
Premium Document
Do you want full access? Go Premium and unlock all 37 pages.
Access to all documents
Download any document
Ad free experience
View full document
Premium Document
Do you want full access? Go Premium and unlock all 37 pages.
Access to all documents
Download any document
Ad free experience
View full document
Premium Document
Do you want full access? Go Premium and unlock all 37 pages.
Access to all documents
Download any document
Ad free experience
View full document
Premium Document
Do you want full access? Go Premium and unlock all 37 pages.
Access to all documents
Download any document
Ad free experience
Premium Document
Do you want full access? Go Premium and unlock all 37 pages.
Access to all documents
Download any document
Ad free experience

Unformatted text preview:

Naomi White ELAN 7408 Dr. Smagorinsky 15 October 2007 Journeys of Grief: the Quest of War, Inward and Out Rationale The sophomore world literature curriculum centers on the archetype of the Quest. In the fall, the students read The Epic of Gilgamesh, Oedipus Rex, and The Sword in the Stone, all of which incorporate a quest. Through reading and analyzing these texts, I hope they have begun to understand the universal concept of a journey. They also might start to realize the allegorical meanings behind a character’s journey. After spending fall semester focusing mostly on development of the literal process in a quest, spring semester, the students should have the tools to dig deeper and analyze the emotional growth process that develops through a meaningful quest. The journey through a difficult or traumatic experience can be an important catalyst for emotional growth. Human responses to anxiety and grief manifest themselves in a multitude of ways. However, many students have not experienced the fear and grief that develops as a result of catastrophe and war. Most have lived comfortable lives and many are unaware of prevalent conditions around the world. Literature is a great way for students to experience vicariously the events and daily life of others around the world. The purpose of this unit is for students to read texts that open them up to the horrors and sorrow of war so that they can understand grief as a complex struggle that often parallels a literal journey away from danger. The Other Side of the Sky, a memoir about growing up in Afghanistan by Farah Ahmedi, will anchor the unit. Farah Ahmedi wrote this book as an entry into Good Morning America’s “Story of My Life” contest. The memoir describes how Ahmedi’s daily life changes as the warbetween the mujahideen and the Soviets reaches its peak in Afghanistan. Her father and sisters are killed and her brothers go missing, never to be heard from again. On the way to school one day at age seven, she steps on a land mine and loses one of her legs. Eventually, through a humanitarian aide agency, Ahmedi and her mother are transported to Germany and eventually end up in the United States. The Other Side of the Sky nicely shows Ahmedi’s literal quest out of her home country and into a new life in the U.S. It also details her internal journey as she overcomes the death of her family, the devastating loss of her leg, and the grief of leaving her home, country, and culture behind. Because Ahmedi is a teenager, she is an empathetic protagonist that teenage readers should easily relate to. Through her memoir, I hope students will develop a greater, more benevolent understanding of another culture that has been labeled as “evil” by many Americans. Farah Ahmedi wrote her story when she was a junior in high school. This knowledge should help the students to empathize with her as a fellow teenager and inspire them to produce their own stories of their lives. Within this unit, students will be asked to examine their own way of dealing with sorrow. By writing a personal narrative, students will use the archetype of the quest to frame their own journey of grief. In an ideal world, the process of writing will be a freeing activity that will allow students to make connections between their personal experiences and the healing power of the writing word—and I hope my students will come to appreciate the value of personal writing. Another text that will add dimensions to students’ concept of the quest and grief of war is the short story “War,” by Luigi Pirandello, which examines various reactions of Italian parents whose sons are fighting in World War II. This text will present the grieving process fromvarious adult perspectives. Students will also read an excerpt from John Hersey’s Hiroshima, which will, like The Other Side of the Sky, serve to show the “enemies’” perspective. Other texts include the poems “Sonnet 71” by Pablo Neruda and “Thoughts of Hanoi” by Nguyn Thi Vinh. Both of these poems are included in the school issued literature book. These poems will be used to reflect the themes in The Other Side of the Sky. Each of these poems addresses a journey of grief from a different culture (Chile and Vietnam), which will add to the universality of the themes, as well as give the students a more comprehensive exposure to various cultures’ literature. Some people might worry that a book published in 2005 has not gained enough critical or scholarly merit to be studied in high school. Proponents of canonical literature might argue that The Other Side of the Sky has not stood the test of time and that by teaching it, I will be doing students a disservice. However, much of the curriculum already addresses canonical literature and the Journeys of Grief unit ties The Other Side of the Sky to the same themes and literary techniques that are addressed with the more traditional books. By yoking canonical literature to contemporary literature, some students will gain a greater understanding of the more traditional literature they read. My other concern about the memoir is Ahmedi’s bold conversations about her religion. She often refers to the power of God in her life and her journey, which is completely genuine, but might offend students who are uncomfortable in talking about religion. When taken literally, Ahmedi’s discussion of religion might be misconstrued as proselytizing the Islamic faith. Previously in the curriculum, though, we read excerpts from the Bible, the Torah, the Rig Veda, and the Koran. Ahmedi’s faith ties into a discussion of comparative religion. According to Ruth Caillouet, The Other Side of the Sky “may help students to see some connect between the prayersof this young Afghan girl and those of Christians and Jews. Handled delicately, the discussion of religious practice is almost essential in any study of literature from Afghanistan” (31). The Other Side of the Sky is inarguably relevant to current politics and ethics. After all, September 11th occurred when my sophomores were 10 years old and is embedded in most of their memories. At the same time, the memoir is embedded in many archetypal themes that cross time and culture. If students can engage and interact with this memoir in a meaningful way, then I will be completely satisfied with this unit.Works Cited Caillouet, Ruth. "The Other Side of Terrorism and the Children of


View Full Document

UGA ELAN 7408 - White

Download White
Our administrator received your request to download this document. We will send you the file to your email shortly.
Loading Unlocking...
Login

Join to view White and access 3M+ class-specific study document.

or
We will never post anything without your permission.
Don't have an account?
Sign Up

Join to view White 2 2 and access 3M+ class-specific study document.

or

By creating an account you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use

Already a member?