Spunk Do Now
How do you define courage? Write out a detailed definition AND give an example.
Reading Questions:
Where is the story set? (Give a detailed answer)
What are the names of the main characters and how might their names reveal aspects of their character?
Why does Joe try to attack Spunk?
How do the townspeople feel about the attack?
What is the role of the bobcat in the story?
What are the two ways the story defines "courage" and which definition does the story ultimately endorse?
How would you describe the ending of the story? Is it happy or sad? Choose an adjective that captures the feeling you’re left with and explain why you chose it.
Digging Deeper
On one side of a t-chart, find specific examples of one of the following items. On the other side, draw conclusions. When you are done write one sentence that captures how the idea works in the story. (For example, The violence in Hunters in the Snow reveals how savage the men have become.)
Big Ideas: Power, The Supernatural, Violence
Spunk: Digging Deeper
Directions: Answer the following questions. Try to answer by using the response starters.
1) In what ways is "Spunk" a folktale? If it is a folktale, what might its lesson be? (Definition Below.)
A folktale is a traditional story or legend that's common to a specific culture and often passed along orally. Folktales often contain a lesson to be learned, or even an element of protest, and can take many forms, like fables, tall tales, and even ghost stories.
2) This story has an all-Black cast, but in what way could it still be about a master-slave relationship?
Possibly Response Starter: Even though she uses an all-black cast in her story, Hurston...
3) This story uses an all-Black cast, a choice that says something about the story's community. What could the story be revealing about this community?
Possible Response Starter: By using an all-Black cast, Hurston...
2) Where is the anger in this story? What might I mean when I say "anger?" Could it be the anger of weak people, of women, or something else entirely?
Possible Response Starter: This anger reveals that...