hughes and Passing

1. Class 4: EWRT 1B

2. AGENDA
Presentation: Terms
Teams and Points
Author Lecture: Langston Hughes
QHQ Discussion: Racial Passing:
"Passing" and "Passing”
Lecture: Writing a Summary and
Paraphrasing Poetry
In-class writing: Summary;
paraphrase

3. 2. The teams will remain the same through
the discussion, reading, and workshops of
one essay.
3. You must change at least 50% of your team
after each essay is completed.
4. You may never be on a team with the same
person more than twice.
5. You may never have a new team composed
of more than 50% of any prior team.
1. We will often use teams to
earn participation points.
Your teams can be made
up of 3 or 4 people.

4. Points will be earned
for correct answers to
questions, meaningful
contributions to the
discussion, the
willingness to share
your work, and for
work posted in the
slideshow. Each team
will track their own
points, but cheating
leads to death (or loss
of 25 participation
points).
Answers, comments,
and questions must
be posed in a
manner that
promotes learning.
Those who speak
out of turn or with
maliciousness will
not receive points for
their teams.

5. At the end of each class, you
will turn in a point sheet with
the full names of everyone in
your group and your
accumulated points for the day.
Please circle the total number
of earned points at the top of
the page.
It is your responsibility to make
the sheet, track the points, and
turn your final tally in. Points
must be turned in at the end of
each class.
Sit near your team
members in class to
facilitate ease of group
discussions

6. Essay #2
Teams
Get into groups of four. (1-2
minutes)
If you can’t find a group, please
raise your hand.
Once your group is established,
choose one person to be the
keeper of the points.
Write down members’ names.
Include the first letter of the
last name.
Turn in your sheet at the end
of the class period. Put the
total at the top of the page.

7. Terms Exam #1: Class 6
19. Characterization: the creation of the image of imaginary persons
in drama, narrative poetry, the novel, and the short story.
Characterization generates plot and is revealed by actions, speech,
thoughts, physical appearance, and the other characters’ thoughts
or words about him.
20. Dialogue: is a conversation, or a literary work in the form of a
conversation, that is often used to reveal characters and to
advance the plot. Also, it is the lines spoken by a character in a
play, essay, story, or novel.
21. Epistle: a letter, especially a formal or didactic one; written
communication. Also (usually initial capital letter ) one of the
apostolic letters in the new testament or ( often initial capital letter )
an extract, usually from one of the Epistles of the New Testament,
forming part of the Eucharistic service in certain churches.

8. 22. Irony: a dryly humorous or lightly sarcastic figure of speech in which the
literal meaning of a word or statement is the opposite of that intended. In
literature, it is the technique of indicating an intention or attitude opposed
to what is actually stated. Often, only the context of the statement leads
the reader to understand it is ironic. Irony makes use of hyperbole,
sarcasm, satire, and understatement.
There are four types of irony:
• Verbal irony as defined by Cicero: “Irony is the saying of one thing
and meaning another,” or Socrates: ”when one adopts another’s
point of view in order to reveal that person’s weaknesses and
eventually to ridicule him.”
• Situational irony, such as when a pickpocket gets his own pockets
picked
• Dramatic irony, such as when Oedipus unwittingly kills his own father
• Rhetorical irony, such as that of the innocent narrator in Twain’s
Huckleberry Finn

9. 23. Literal: pertaining to a letter of the alphabet. More typically, it
means “based on what is actually written or expressed.” A
literal interpretation gives an exact rendering— word for word—
taking words in their usual or primary sense. It is also used to
describe thinking which is unimaginative or matter of fact.
24. Literature: writings in which expression and form, in
connection with ideas and concerns of universal and
apparently permanent interest, are essential features. While
applied to any kind of printed material, such as circulars,
leaflets, and handbills, there are some who feel it is more
correctly reserved for prose and verse of acknowledged
excellence, such as George Eliot’s works. The term connotes
superior qualities.
25. Paraphrase: (also called rewording) – the restatement of a
passage giving the meaning in another form. This usually
involves expanding the original text so as to make it clear.

10. In your
groups: 5
minutes
Discuss the
reading for
today.
Share the
QHQs that
you wrote.

11. LANGSTON
HUGHES 1902-
1967
One of the founders of the
cultural movement known as the
Harlem Renaissance.
What do you know about Langston Hughes?

12. Few authors of the twentieth century are more significant than
Langston Hughes. He is assured his status by his many
contributions to literature.
• The length of his career: 1921-1967
• The variety of his output: articles, poems, short stories,
dramas, novels, and history texts.
• His influence on three generations of African American
writers: from the Harlem Renaissance through the Civil
Rights Movement
• His concern for the “ordinary” African American: The
subject of his work
• His introduction of the jazz idiom: the quality of black
colloquial speech and the rhythms of jazz and the blues.

13. During his long career Hughes was harshly criticized
by blacks and whites. Because he left no single
masterwork, such as Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man
(1952) or Richard Wright’s Native Son (1940), and
because he consciously wrote in the common idiom
of the people, academic interest in him grew only
slowly. The importance of his influence on several
generations of African American authors is, however,
indisputable and widely acknowledged.

14. QHQ
Discussion:
Racial
Passing:
"Passing" and
"Passing”

15. “Passing” Jack
1. Q: Should Jack identify as white or [African American]?
2. Q: Why if “passing” is hard and frightening does Jack do it?
3. Q: Was Jack fortunate to have a double identity and use it to
his own benefit?
4. Q: Why does Jack delude himself about race no longer
being an issue in his life?
5. Q: Is what Jack said and [did] too selfish?
6. Q: Is Jack really writing this letter to convince himself that
Passing is
7. Q: Even though Jack passes as white in society when he is
really dark-skinned, does he regret not being honest with
those around him about his true identity?

16. 1. Q. Why does the main character feel like a dog
passing his ma?
2. Q: Why did Jack’s mom urge him to pass as a white
man?
3. Q: How can [Jack] just put off his family and be okay
with doing it?
4. Q: Has Jack done anything else for his for family
besides just writing a letter to his mother?
5. Q: Why was passing as white so important to Jack if
it means not being able to see his mother and
siblings?
Jack’s Original Family

17. Jack’s New Family
1. Q: Why do I feel that Jack is wrong for hiding a whole
portion of his life from his romantic partner when all he’s
doing is trying to escape prejudice and maintain a
relationship?
2. Q: What will happen if Jack really denies his [dark-
skinned] child?
3. Q: Why does Jack think that denying a dark child of his
own is ok?
4. Q: How will Jacks child feel in the future about white
people because his father chose to be white rather than a
parent?
5. Q: What really was the meaning behind calling his lady
friend “my weakness” when he said he would take her to
the movies?
?

18. Consequences
1. Q. What if the main character came out and stated
that he really is mixed race? What if he starts talking to
his mom on the streets whenever he sees her? What
kind of repercussions might this have?
1. Q. Was the price he paid for his “freedom” actually
worth it? In other words, was the need to deny his
family and cut almost all contact with them actually
worth it for the life/lie he is living?

19. 1. Q: Is passing as something or someone you are not
right/okay?
2. Q: Do situations like these still exist today where
someone has to hide or pass as someone to their
romantic partner?
3. Q At what point is is acceptable to choose what is best for
yourself over your family without causing tension?
4. Q: Why does identity matter? How can people stop
“passing?”
5. Q. How much courage does it take for a person to deny his
or her own family?
Broader Inquiries about social policy,
perspective, and choice.

20. On sunny summer Sunday afternoons in Harlem
when the air is one interminable ball game
and grandma cannot get her gospel hymns
from the Saints of God in Christ
on account of the Dodgers on the radio,
on sunny Sunday afternoons
when the kids look all new
and far too clean to stay that way,
and Harlem has its
washed-and-ironed-and-cleaned-best out,
the ones who’ve crossed the line
to live downtown
miss you,
Harlem of the bitter dream
since their dream has
come true.
“Passing”By Langston Hughes

21. 1. Q. Who is the narrator?
2. Q. Does [the poem] mirror Hughes’s own experience of
“passing”? How might critics respond to this poem and what
social justice issues does this poem raise?
3. Q: Why does Hughes center his short poem on “sunny
Sunday afternoons?”
4. Q: What did Hughes mean by “the air is one interminable ball
game and grandma cannot get her gospel hymns”?
5. Q: What does Hughes mean at the end: “the ones who’ve
crossed the line to live downtown”?
6. Q: What does Hughes mean when [he says,] “Harlem of the
bitter dream since their dream has come true?” Could he
possibly be mentioning his own dream? Or does he
reference someone else’s?
“Passing”: The Poem

22. Paraphrase and Summary
Writing strategies that cannot be ignored

23. How to Paraphrase
 A paraphrase is a restatement of a passage giving the meaning in another
form. This usually involves expanding the original text so as to make it clear.
 A paraphrase will have none of the beauty or effectiveness of the original. It
merely aims, in its prosy way, to spell out the literal meaning. It will not
substitute for the original, then, but will help us appreciate the compactness
and complexity of many poems.
 Write in prose, not verse (in prose the lines go all the way to right margin).
The line breaks of the original are irrelevant in paraphrasing.
 Write modern prose, rearranging word order and sentence structure as
necessary. As far as possible, within the limits of commonsense, avoid using
the words of the original. Finding new words to express the meaning is a test
of what you are understanding.
 Write coherent syntax, imitating that of the original if you can do so with ease,
otherwise breaking it down into easier sentence forms.
 Write in the same grammatical person and tense as the original. If the original
is in the first person, as many poems are, so must the paraphrase be.

24. Expand what is condensed.
Spell out explicitly what the original implies or conveys by
hints. It follows that a paraphrase will normally be longer than
the original.
Spell out explicitly all the possible meanings if the original is
ambiguous (saying two or more things at once), as many
poems are.
Use square brackets to mark off any additional elements you
find it necessary to insert for the coherence of the meaning.
The brackets will show that these bits are editorial --
contributed by you for the sake of clarity but not strictly "said"
in the original. An example might be some implied transitional
phrase or even an implied thought that occurs to the speaker
causing a change in tone or feeling.

25. I, Too, Sing America
by Langston Hughes
I, too, sing America.
I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.
Tomorrow,
I'll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody'll dare
Say to me,
"Eat in the kitchen,"
Then.
Besides,
They'll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed--
I, too, am America.
 Paraphrased Text
I am an American.
Although the color of my skin may be
different from yours, I am like the rest of
my fellowmen. Now I am separated from
whites, but I [and my people] are gaining
strength.
Soon, I [we] will join the rest of America,
and my [our] rights will assure us that we
are not excluded from the fruits of the
country.
My darker complexion makes me no less
beautiful than everybody else, which should
make whites feel sorry for treating me like
less than the average individual.
I am like the rest of you.

26.  On sunny summer Sunday afternoons in Harlem
 when the air is one interminable ball game
 and grandma cannot get her gospel hymns
 from the Saints of God in Christ
 on account of the Dodgers on the radio,
 on sunny Sunday afternoons
 when the kids look all new
 and far too clean to stay that way,
 and Harlem has its
 washed-and-ironed-and-cleaned-best out,
 the ones who’ve crossed the line
 to live downtown
 miss you,
 Harlem of the bitter dream
 since their dream has
 come true.
“Passing”By Langston Hughes
Take a few minutes
to paraphrase this
poem

27. The Summary
A summary is condensed version of a larger
reading. A summary is not a rewrite of the
original piece and does not have to be long
nor should it be long. To write a summary, use
your own words to briefly express the main
idea and relevant details of the piece you have
read. Your purpose in writing the summary is
to give the basic ideas of the original
reading. What was it about and what did the
author want to communicate?

28. While reading the original work, take note of what or
who is the focus and ask the usual questions that
reporters use: Who? What? When? Where? Why?
How? Using these questions to examine what you are
reading can help you to write the summary.
Always read the introductory paragraph thoughtfully
and look for a thesis statement. Finding the thesis
statement is like finding a key to a locked
door. Frequently, however, the thesis, or central idea, is
implied or suggested. Thus, you will have to work
harder to figure out what the author wants readers to
understand. Use any hints that may shed light on the
meaning of the piece: pay attention to the title and any
headings and to the opening and closing lines of
paragraphs.

29. In writing the summary, let your reader know the piece that you are
summarizing. Identify the title, author and source of the piece. You
may want to use this formula:
In "Title of the Piece" (source and date of piece), author
shows/offers/suggests that: central idea of the piece.
Remember:
• Do not rewrite the original piece.
• Keep your summary short.
• Use your own wording.
• Refer to the central and main ideas of
the original piece.
• Read with who, what, when, where, why
and how questions in mind.

30. In the short story “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” author
James Thurber humorously presents a character who
fantasizes about himself as a hero enduring incredibly
challenging circumstances. In his real life, Walter Mitty lives an
ordinary, plain life; he is a husband under the control of an
overbearing, critical wife. Thurber uses lively dialogue to give
readers an understanding of Mitty's character. The story takes
place over a period of about twenty minutes; during this brief
time, Mitty drives his wife to the hairdresser and runs errands
that his wife has given him while he waits for her. In between
his worrying that he is not doing what she wants him to do, he
daydreams about himself as a great surgeon, brilliant repair
technician, expert marksman, and brave military captain. This
story shows that fantasy is often a good alternative to reality.
Here is a sample summary:

31. “Passing”
the Short Story
By Langston Hughes
Start your summary of the story

32. HOMEWORK
Read: Finish Larsen’s Passing
Post #4: Post your summary of "Passing" and your
paraphrase of "Passing."
Post #5: QHQ: Larsen’s Passing: Make sure to include
cited textual support in your question or answer.