Activity One
Examining Nathan’s Misogyny
1. Divide the class into fi ve groups or a number of groups divisible by fi ve.
2. Assign each group one of the following sections of the novel:
• Book One, chapter nine (A chapter narrated by Adah). From the beginning of the chapter until
“I still have a fellow feeling for that almond-tasting word.”
• Book One, chapter eleven (A chapter narrated by Adah). From midway through the chapter
when Nathan begins his parable—“Later on at the dinner table he was still animated …” until
the end of the chapter.
• Book Three, chapter thirty-three (A chapter narrated by Leah) Beginning near the end of the
chapter with “I wanted to believe in him” and continuing through the end of the chapter.
• Book Two, chapter sixteen (A chapter narrated by Rachel) Beginning after Anatole leaves the
dinner table—“Well, that puts a whole new outlook on things, doesn’t it?”—and continuing
through to the end of the chapter.
• Book One, chapter eight (A chapter narrated by Ruth May) Beginning with “Father says the body
is the temple” and continuing through the end of the chapter.
3. Have each group closely read its assigned passage. Then, have each group discuss the following
questions:
• How has Nathan infl uenced the thinking of the narrator of your assigned chapter?
---Nathan influenced the thinking of the narrator by telling how his family members got suffered from the environment and conditions of Africa.
• Does Nathan’s status as a man surrounded by women affect his actions and teachings?
---Yes, Nathan's status as a man surrounded by women affects his actions and teachings.
4. When the groups have fi nished discussion, reconvene the class and have a representative from each
group briefl y paraphrase what happened in the assigned passage.
5. Have the students discuss the following questions:
• How does Nathan use his masculinity to exercise power?
---he never listens to his family members' opinions and thinks that he has to control the family.
• Is Nathan a misogynist?
---Yes, Nathan is a misogynist.
Activity One
Examining Shifting Narration
1. Divide the class into fi ve groups or a number of groups divisible by fi ve.
2. Assign each group a narrator from the following list:
• Orleanna
• Leah
• Adah
• Rachel
• Ruth May
3. Instruct each group to make a list of the characteristics that best defi ne the narrative style of its
assigned narrator.
Note: The groups do not need to refer to any specifi c point in the novel; rather, they should think of the
narrative techniques as a whole instead of at any specifi c point.
4. After each group has made its list, ask the groups to brainstorm about how the novel would be different
if its assigned narrator were the only narrator. How would this affect the themes? Tone? Motifs?
5. Reconvene the class and have a representative from each group present what they found to be the
characteristics of their narrator and how the work would be different if she were the only narrator.
6. Lead the whole class in discussion, asking the following questions:
• What is the literary function of having so many narrators in this novel?
---The literary function is to tell how all of the Price family members feel about their lives as a family and in Congo.
• What themes of the text does this shifting narration emphasize?
---The themes are like stressful, hopeless, or tiring.
• How does this shifting point of view affect the story being told?
---the shifting point of view affect the story by having various types of people showing their emotions and opinions throughout their story.
Activity One
Examining Class Confl ict
1. Divide the class into three groups or a number of groups divisible by three.
2. Assign each group a different section of the novel, as outlined below.
• Book Two, chapter 24 (the fi nal chapter Leah narrates in Book Two). The entire chapter, as Leah
hears Lumumba’s speech and refl ects on what she has seen in the Underdowns’ home.
• Book Three, chapter 31 (the second chapter Leah narrates in Book Three). Beginning midway
through the chapter when Leah says, “I thought the Congo belonged to Belgium …” until the end
of Leah’s conversation with Anatole.
• Book Five, chapter 70 (the fourth chapter Leah narrates in Book Five). Beginning early in the
chapter with “In every package there’s one oddball thing from Adah …” until Elisabet asks, “How
would you cook an elephant?”
3. Have the groups discuss and answer the following questions:
• How does this section of the novel illustrate class confl ict?
---this section of the novel illustrates class conflict by telling about political or economic power between people.
• How does this section of the novel illustrate confl ict between races?
---
• What tone does Kingsolver use when writing about economic disparity?
---very poorly expressed, showing that there were too many conflicts before, and racial discriminations.
• What tone does Kingsolver use when writing about those who have political or economic power?
---he expresses that the men are trying to become superior over women. trying to have an overlead toward the women.
people are also having conflicts between nations due to leaders and economy.
4. Reconvene the class and have a representative from each group briefl y summarize what happened
in his or her assigned section.
5. Lead a class discussion in which you ask the following questions:
• What tone does the novel as a whole use when describing class confl ict and struggles?
---when the whole novel describes class conflict and struggles, the tone is like stressful, expressive, and gives many examples.
• How does the Marxist theory behind class confl ict overlap with ideas about race confl ict in the novel?
---
Examining Nathan’s Misogyny
1. Divide the class into fi ve groups or a number of groups divisible by fi ve.
2. Assign each group one of the following sections of the novel:
• Book One, chapter nine (A chapter narrated by Adah). From the beginning of the chapter until
“I still have a fellow feeling for that almond-tasting word.”
• Book One, chapter eleven (A chapter narrated by Adah). From midway through the chapter
when Nathan begins his parable—“Later on at the dinner table he was still animated …” until
the end of the chapter.
• Book Three, chapter thirty-three (A chapter narrated by Leah) Beginning near the end of the
chapter with “I wanted to believe in him” and continuing through the end of the chapter.
• Book Two, chapter sixteen (A chapter narrated by Rachel) Beginning after Anatole leaves the
dinner table—“Well, that puts a whole new outlook on things, doesn’t it?”—and continuing
through to the end of the chapter.
• Book One, chapter eight (A chapter narrated by Ruth May) Beginning with “Father says the body
is the temple” and continuing through the end of the chapter.
3. Have each group closely read its assigned passage. Then, have each group discuss the following
questions:
• How has Nathan infl uenced the thinking of the narrator of your assigned chapter?
---Nathan influenced the thinking of the narrator by telling how his family members got suffered from the environment and conditions of Africa.
• Does Nathan’s status as a man surrounded by women affect his actions and teachings?
---Yes, Nathan's status as a man surrounded by women affects his actions and teachings.
4. When the groups have fi nished discussion, reconvene the class and have a representative from each
group briefl y paraphrase what happened in the assigned passage.
5. Have the students discuss the following questions:
• How does Nathan use his masculinity to exercise power?
---he never listens to his family members' opinions and thinks that he has to control the family.
• Is Nathan a misogynist?
---Yes, Nathan is a misogynist.
Activity One
Examining Shifting Narration
1. Divide the class into fi ve groups or a number of groups divisible by fi ve.
2. Assign each group a narrator from the following list:
• Orleanna
• Leah
• Adah
• Rachel
• Ruth May
3. Instruct each group to make a list of the characteristics that best defi ne the narrative style of its
assigned narrator.
Note: The groups do not need to refer to any specifi c point in the novel; rather, they should think of the
narrative techniques as a whole instead of at any specifi c point.
4. After each group has made its list, ask the groups to brainstorm about how the novel would be different
if its assigned narrator were the only narrator. How would this affect the themes? Tone? Motifs?
5. Reconvene the class and have a representative from each group present what they found to be the
characteristics of their narrator and how the work would be different if she were the only narrator.
6. Lead the whole class in discussion, asking the following questions:
• What is the literary function of having so many narrators in this novel?
---The literary function is to tell how all of the Price family members feel about their lives as a family and in Congo.
• What themes of the text does this shifting narration emphasize?
---The themes are like stressful, hopeless, or tiring.
• How does this shifting point of view affect the story being told?
---the shifting point of view affect the story by having various types of people showing their emotions and opinions throughout their story.
Activity One
Examining Class Confl ict
1. Divide the class into three groups or a number of groups divisible by three.
2. Assign each group a different section of the novel, as outlined below.
• Book Two, chapter 24 (the fi nal chapter Leah narrates in Book Two). The entire chapter, as Leah
hears Lumumba’s speech and refl ects on what she has seen in the Underdowns’ home.
• Book Three, chapter 31 (the second chapter Leah narrates in Book Three). Beginning midway
through the chapter when Leah says, “I thought the Congo belonged to Belgium …” until the end
of Leah’s conversation with Anatole.
• Book Five, chapter 70 (the fourth chapter Leah narrates in Book Five). Beginning early in the
chapter with “In every package there’s one oddball thing from Adah …” until Elisabet asks, “How
would you cook an elephant?”
3. Have the groups discuss and answer the following questions:
• How does this section of the novel illustrate class confl ict?
---this section of the novel illustrates class conflict by telling about political or economic power between people.
• How does this section of the novel illustrate confl ict between races?
---
• What tone does Kingsolver use when writing about economic disparity?
---very poorly expressed, showing that there were too many conflicts before, and racial discriminations.
• What tone does Kingsolver use when writing about those who have political or economic power?
---he expresses that the men are trying to become superior over women. trying to have an overlead toward the women.
people are also having conflicts between nations due to leaders and economy.
4. Reconvene the class and have a representative from each group briefl y summarize what happened
in his or her assigned section.
5. Lead a class discussion in which you ask the following questions:
• What tone does the novel as a whole use when describing class confl ict and struggles?
---when the whole novel describes class conflict and struggles, the tone is like stressful, expressive, and gives many examples.
• How does the Marxist theory behind class confl ict overlap with ideas about race confl ict in the novel?
---