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Some families have brittle bonds, forged with pain and disappointment while others have ones built on love, trust, and understanding. These three narratives (a poem, a spoken word piece, and a short story) talk about such bonds, each from a different perspective.
While reading Ada Limon's The Raincoat, take note of the following:
- Language - are the words difficult or easy to understand?
- Imagery - what images does the writer use to convey her message?
- Style - the writer isn't just painting a picture through poetry but illustrating an entire story. Is it effective as a poem?
- Theme - what is the persona's (the subject in the poem) experience with their mother? Is it positive or negative?
Next selection under this subtopic is the spoken word performance by Marshal Davis Jones, called "The Correct Spelling of Father".
I chose this piece because it not only pays homage to the deep bond between a parent and a child but also speaks of the experience of single parents and their children. A lot of my friends with children of their own always say how lucky they are to have partners they can share the responsibility of raising children with and also how much they respect those who have to go through the ropes of parenthood alone. You can find the full transcript here.
Last on our list is the short story "Sticks" by George Saunders. It's a short read (just one page) but packed with meaning—and issues. Be guided by these questions as you read the text:
- How is the father like and what does the main character feel about him?
- What does the pole in the story symbolize?
- Why was the ending such? What does it feel about the children’s feelings toward their father, especially in the latter part of his life?
R14 Sticks by George Saunders (Short Story 2018).pdfOnce you've read all three texts, answer this googleform to share your insights!
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