Week 12

In your teams:

1. What are the main emotions that you felt while reading this? Where in the article did you feel those emotions and why?

2. Considering that this article (and the book) were written and published after the worst of the United States AIDS epidemic, what do you think the author's goals are? Why did he write this? What does he want his reader to think by the end?

3. The LGBTQ community still faces some of the same prejudices now as they did then. How does France confront those prejudices in this article? How does he try to portray the community of his friends and loved ones?

4. On page 331 the author writes about Juan. Juan is the only example of someone with AIDS who is not gay. Why do you think that France includes this story? What does it contribute to the emotions and argument of this article?

In your teams:

1. Often times with tragic stories we watch knowing that the story will have a sad ending (Romeo and Juliet, Titanic). How is the experience of watching a movie we know ends tragically different from a tragic ending that surprises us? Why are we still attracted to movies that we know will end sadly?

2. There are a couple more examples of the "voice of experience" on page 327 (right before the Summer 1983 section). Find at least one. What emotions does it add to the article?

3. On page 330 France writes "I would never see Tom Ho again, to my lasting shame". This is another example of the voice of experience (talks about information that the author did not have at the time). What does this sentence add to the story? Consider both the stated fact and the "shame" that the author expresses.

4. This article ends with the implication that Doug Gould will die. Why do you think France chooses to end the story here instead of with Doug's death or funeral? How does that change the emotions and meaning of the article?

In your teams:

1. You have index cards with several different emotions written on them. Define those emotions as best you can. What are these specific feelings? How are they different from words that mean similar emotions? (Example: if you have the word "afraid" how is that different from "worried").

2. Decide where your words should go on our emotion map. Consider what other feelings they are similar to and different from (so that you can put them closer to or farther from those words). Consider if this emotion tends to be very powerful or more mild.

3. Send someone up to the board and add your words to our emotions map.

In your teams:

What argument is Gay making about young adult literature? Why do we need stories like the Hunger Games in her opinion? How does her story of her own assault fit into this argument?

How would you describe Gay's persona (personality) in this essay? How does she show that personality in the way she writes? How does that persona change throughout the essay?

Throughout the essay, Gay repeats that she was a "good girl". Why do you think she does this?

On page 337 she uses the voice of experience in the sentence, "As an adult . . .". Why does she add the voice of experience here? What does it add to either the pathos or ethos of this article?

In your teams:

1. You have index cards with several different emotions written on them. Define those emotions as best you can. What are these specific feelings? What situations make us feel this way? How are they different from words that mean similar emotions? (Example: if you have the word "afraid" how is that different from "worried").

2. Decide where your words should go on our emotion map. Consider what other feelings they are similar to and different from (so that you can put them closer to or farther from those words). Consider if this emotion tends to be very powerful or more mild.

3. Send someone up to the board and add your words to our emotions map.

In your teams:

1. Most of these small situations that Rankine describes here are examples of microaggressions: moments when someone does a small racist (in this case) thing. What is one of these microaggressions that particularly struck or surprised you? Why did it have that effect?

2. Why does Rankine choose to collect all of these microaggressions and put them side by side? How does it make you feel as a reader? How does it affect you?

3. Rankine does not tell us the race of anyone in these situations. Why do you think she does that? How does it change the process of reading it?

4. The cover of the book is the hood of a black hoodie on a white background. Why do you think Rankine chose this cover? What feelings does this cover bring and what messages does it send?