Hey guys!
This week’s theme is all about what
we have been studying and reading from all semester:
G L
O B A L L I T E R A T U R E
What is global literature?
Global literature is writing that
people of any language and culture can relate to and have a meaning evoked from
inside them.
A great example of global
literature is Girl by Jamaica
Kincaid. It is relatable to any girl, anywhere. It is about a mom telling her
daughter how to behave in front of \society
and people so that she can achieve real women status and not be considered as
promiscuous. The piece as a whole speaks of what a girl should do, say, act,
etc.
The
rules itself are based on the tradition and culture in that time. You can see
this in the references to Sunday school, planting her garden, and the
activities she does. If the daughter does not follow the rules, she is labeled
a bad person and someone that doesn’t belong.
This all represents global
literature because of the widely different rules than what girls in America are
used to. In the United States, women and men are equal and can do whatever they
want, however they want. Meanwhile, in Girl,
there are rules and ways that must be followed. This is all based on the
time this was written and the culture where this was the norm.
Global literature is a great thing to
teach to students because it can be seen in all sorts of works of very diverse
nature. There are many options to teach it to students to keep them engaged and
interested and one is to have them read
Night, a book about a young man named Elie and his time during World War
II. This book is a popular one and is taught frequently in English classes. To
give it a twist however, you can have students go through their copies of the
book and highlight cultural norms in the book that isn’t prevalent in today’s
times, in America. Then, discuss these differences and why did the people in
the book do what they did in that time period. Why is it relatable now? Why
isn’t it?
Then, have them research a few other
titles that show the meaning of global literature. Then, have them pick one
book to read (with teacher and parent approval) and give each a month to read
it. As a final project, have them write an essay on the book and why it relates
to global literature. You can also have them share the stories with classmates,
allowing them to discuss the theme and allow further investigation into it.
Global literature is more widely
popular in pop culture than you think. You could choose a movie from here,
and pick the top three. Then, have your class decide on the winning movie and
let them watch it. As it plays, you can have the students write down all the
little things they see that relate to the definition of Global Literature.
Whether it be a culture or habit apart of the time, it’s all right. When the
movie is over, have a class discussion and discuss all the Magical Realism that
is identified.
And
without further ado, I am off to watch some movies to look for all the culture!
Have a blessed day!
Lily
Comments
Post a Comment