Description
Told in a series of vignettes stunning for their eloquence, The House on Mango Street is Sandra Cisneros's greatly admired novel of a young girl growing up in the Latino section of Chicago. Acclaimed by critics, beloved by children, their parents and grandparents, taught everywhere from inner-city grade schools to universities across the country, and translated all over the world, it has entered the canon of coming-of-age classics.
Sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes deeply joyous, The House on Mango Street tells the story of Esperanza Cordero, whose neighborhood is one of harsh realities and harsh beauty. Esperanza doesn't want to belong, not to her rundown neighborhood, and not to the low expectations the world has for her. Esperanza's story is that of a young girl coming into her power, and inventing for herself what she will become.
“My Name” from The House On Mango Street,
by Sandra Cisneros
In English my name means hope. In Spanish it means too many letters. It means sadness, it means waiting. It is like the number nine. A muddy color. It is the Mexican records my father plays on Sunday mornings when he is shaving, songs like sobbing.
It was my great-grandmother’s name and now it is mine. She was a horse woman too, born like me in the Chinese year of the horse–-which is supposed to be bad luck if you’re born female--but I think this is a Chinese lie because the Chinese, like the Mexican, don’t like their women strong.
My great-grandmother. I would’ve liked to have known her, a wild horse of a woman, so wild she wouldn’t marry. Until my great-grandfather threw a sack over her head and carried her off. Just like that, as if she were a fancy chandelier. That’s the way he did it.
And the story goes she never forgave him. She looked out the window her whole life, the way so many women sit their sadness on an elbow. I wonder if she made the best with what she got or was she sorry because she couldn’t be all the things she wanted to be. Esperanza. I have inherited her name, but don’t want to inherit her place by the window.
At school they say my name funny as if the syllables were made out of tin and hurt the roof of your mouth. But in Spanish my name is made out of a softer something, like silver, not quite as thick as sister’s name--Magdalena--which is uglier than mine. Magdalena who at least can come home and become Nenny. But I am always Esperanza.
I would like to baptize myself under a new name, a name more like the real me, the one nobody sees. Esperanza as Lisandra or Maritza or Zeze the X. Yes. Something like Zeze the X will do.
Directions: After reading the model essay by Sandra Cisneros, use the following prompts to guide you as you write your own personal essay on your name. The essay should be a full page in length, legibly handwritten. (120-150 words)
1. What’s the story behind your name? How and why was it chosen for you?
2. What people, places, events, things or ideas do you associate with your name?
3. Do you feel like your name represents/reflects who you are?
Explain why or why not.
4. If you go by a nickname, did you choose it or did others?
What is the story behind it?
5. How would you describe the connection between your name and your sense of who you are?
6. What do you know about the history of your last name?
Do you feel a connection to an ancestor who also had your last name?
7. If you could change your name, would you? Why or why not?
If you changed it, what would you change it to? Why?
Sandra Cisneros talks about the story behind The House on Mango Street and its connection to her own life.
Sandra Cisneros talks about her childhood and the role libraries and education played in her life
Sandra talks about writing, the authors who inspired her,
and the advice she has for aspiring authors.
The House On Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros(full audiobook)
Sandra Cisneros talks about her childhood and the role libraries and education played in her life
Sandra talks about writing, the authors who inspired her,
and the advice she has for aspiring authors.
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The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
by Mark Haddon
The author of the book, Mark Haddon, worked with autistic children before he wrote 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time'. This helped him a lot to get into the character of Christopher. The result is a beautiful book that has won a lot of prizes and awards
The Curious Incident of
the Dog in the Night-time tells us the story of Christopher, a boy who has
Asperger's Syndrom. Christopher lives with his mother and
father in Swindon. One evening, he passes Mrs Shears' garden and finds her
dog Wellington lying dead, stabbed with a garden fork. Christopher decides to
do an investigation about the murder and writes down his detective work. But
his story becomes more complicated when his mother, who was claimed to be dead
by Christopher's father, turns out to be still alive. Christopher is very
confused and can't live with his father anymore because he is a liar. That is
why he decides to go to his mother and live with her.
In the story, Christopher takes you on a trip through his book and his thoughts.
Read it online
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Roald Dahl (1916-1990)
The lamb to Slaughter - Read online
Watch the video of an old episode of the TV series Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Tales Of The Unexpected, Season 1, Episode 4 Lamb to the Slaughter (1979) — with the introduction by Roald Dahl — based on the short story of Roald Dahl The Lamb to Slaughter
The Leg of Lamb
Watch the video of an old episode of the TV series Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Tales Of The Unexpected, Season 1, Episode 4 Lamb to the Slaughter (1979) — with the introduction by Roald Dahl — based on the short story of Roald Dahl The Lamb to Slaughter
The Leg of Lamb
Before reading
· What do you understand by the idea of a perfect crime?
· What characteristics does it have?
· Have you heard about a crime which was considered to be perfect?
While reading
· Will Mrs Maloney be caught or will she get away with the murder. How might the police catch her?
After reading
Mrs Maloney thinks she has committed the perfect crime and that the police will not catch her.
In groups, students imagine their perfect crime:
· Will it be a robbery, a murder or something else?
· How will they do it? What will be involved? Why will they not be caught?
Make a chart with at least 6 the similarities and differences between the book and the television episode.
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Quizlet Animal Farm
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Animal Farm, by George Orwell
To make sense of Animal Farm, it's vital to understand what triggered the Russian Revolution of 1917, its development and later results. So, let’s begin by learning a little about the context and background, as well as its author George Orwell.
Tips to work on Animal Farm -
- Author and context of the novel
- Plot summary (150-200 words)
- Characters in the book; a) Main b) Secondary
- The seven commandments
- Personal opinion. Justify it.
Animal Farm Audio book - YouTube
How to write a book review
How to write a simple summary
Each group will be assigned one of the topics below:
- Group 1 Victorian Era: general overview
- Group 2 Industrial Revolution and scientific progress
- Group 3 Victorian society and class: general overview
- Group 4 Victorian society as reflected in the novel: the English countryside in the late 19th century, ‘Old World’ England vs. ‘New World’ America .
- Group 5 Victorian literature: Oscar WIlde, his life and works & other important writers of the time.
by Oscar Wilde
ALSO IN WIKISOURCE
The Canterville Ghost (audiobook)
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