This is the lesson to accompany the story "Like a Winding Sheet" by Ann Petry and may include extra excerpts from songs and poems as comprehension questions and language development. The actual story in not included here; this lesson is for after reading the story. Created by Coleman’s Classroom.

2. I, Too, Sing America
Poem by Langston Hughes

3. Coleman 2009
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.

4. Hold fast to dreams,
For if dreams die,
Life is a broken-
winged bird
that cannot fly,
Hold fast to dreams,
For if dreams go,
Life is a barren
field,
Frozen with snow
Langston Hughes

5. What is a Winding Sheet?
Before fancy coffins with
pillows and satin, bodies were
wrapped in a sheet and laid in
a wooden box.
That sheet was called a “winding
sheet.”
Thus the connotation is death.

6. •Mr. Johnson
•Mae Johnson
•Forewoman
•Coffee Shop Girl
•Discrimination
•The Anger
Plot Understanding: Who?

7. Plot Understanding: How?
•How does Mr. Johnson
feel about the night
shift?
•How long has he been
working the night
shift?

8. The Night Shift
• More than 22 million Americans
work other than 9-5
• Physically difficult to sleep
during day
• Problems with person's health,
on-the-job safety, task
performance, memory and mood

9. Plot Understanding
•Where did Mr. Johnson
and Mae work?
•How were they
financially?

10. The Factory Job

11. Plot Understanding: Why?
•Why is Mr. Johnson
late for work this
day?
•Why does he beat his
wife?

12. Friday the 13th
• triskaidekaphobia
– (trisKIdecaphobia)
• paraskevidekatriaphobia (?)
• Started in 17th century, perhaps
with Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales
• About 10 % of Americans believe
Friday 13th to be unlucky

13. Cultural Lucky Numbers?
• Three
– Beginning, Middle, End
– Father, Son, Holy Ghost
– Clotho (the spinner), Lachesis
(the dispenser), and Atropos (the
cutter)
– Congressional, Judicial,
Presidential

14. Other Lucky Numbers?
• Two
• Four
• Six
• Seven
• Nine
• Twelve

15. Coleman’s Classroom www.clmn.net
Discrimination / Racism
Real
Forewoman
Ln 105-117
Perceived
Coffee Shop Girl
Ln 233-235,240-242
•Were her actions inappropriate?
•Did she know Mr. Johnson was
angry?
•Should he have been angry?

16. A Main Character: Anger
• Gentle argument about going to
work ln 57-61
• Physically furious with
forewoman ln 105-115
• Thinking about the situation ln
145-155
• Coffee Shop Girl ln 229-242
• Mae, his wife ln 308-312

17. Coleman’s Classroom www.clmn.net
The Anger’s Impetus
Forewoman
“And the niggers
are the worst…”
ln 106
(Red Lipstick)
Coffee shop girl
Lifted her hair
ln 216
(Scarlet
Lipstick)
Mae
• “Old hungry
nigger” ln 306
• Lifted her hair
ln 282
(Dark Red
lipstick)

18. The Anger’s Progression
With Mae
“He couldn’t bring himself to
talk to her roughly or threaten
to strike her like a lot of men
might have done. He wasn’t made
that way”
Ln 60-61

19. With Forewoman
“He stepped closer to her. His
fists were doubled. His lips
were drawn back into a think
narrow line. A vein in his
forehead stood out swollen,
thick.”
Ln 112-114
The Anger’s Progression

20. With Coffee Shop Girl
“He felt his hands began to
tingle… They were clenched
tight, hard, into fists… He
wanted to… hit her so hard that
the scarlet lipstick on her
mouth would smear…”
Ln 230-233
The Anger’s Progression

21. With Mae
“There was the smacking sound of
soft flesh being struck by a hard
object… so hard that the dark red
lipstick had blurred and spread…He
kept sticking her…He had lost
control over his hands… his hands
reached for her face again and yet
again.”
Ln 314-325
The Anger’s Progression

22. “King of Pain”
The Police

23. Song Excerpt
There's a little black spot on
the sun today
It's the same old thing as
yesterday
There's a black hat caught in a
high tree top
There's a flag-pole rag and the
wind won't stop

24. I have stood here before inside
the pouring rain
With the world turning circles
running 'round my brain
I guess I'm always hoping that
you'll end this reign
But it's my destiny to be the
king of pain

25. To Consider:
• Significance of story title?
• Is Mr. Johnson naturally
violent?
• Explain: the :anger-born energy
that had not been used had
spread through him like a
poison.
• Who was responsible for Mr.
Johnson’s actions?

26. To Consider:
• Do you blame Mr. Johnson for
finally boiling over? Should he
have exercised more self-
control? What other options did
he have to release his anger?
• Is violence ever the answer?

27. Coleman’s Classroom www.clmn.net
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