Words By Heartby
Based on the author's personal experiences, a gifted young African-American girl of 12 learns
about the realities of racism in the Midwest during 1910. Important, poignant and heartbreaking.
A few study questions I jotted down regarding the first two chapters (pages 1-22), which were
published as a short story in 1968:
1) Serena Williams wrote, in 2019, that "my family truly changed [tennis],
not because we were welcomed, but because we wouldn't stop winning." Does this quote
remind us of Lena's situation in the Bible-Verse Contest?
2) Many of the Bible-verses Lena recites have a deep personal meaning. Do you have the
same relationship with the Bible--or any other work of literature?
3) (pages 12-14): After reciting verses from the "Song of Solomon," Sebestyen writes that
"it would never mean again what it had meant (before)." What did the verses mean before?
Why won't they mean the same again?
4) What "prize" did Lena win? What prize did Lena really want?
5) What lessons does Papa teach Lena in the last pages of chapter 2?
6) (pages 18-21): How does Claudie react tot he knife in the bread? How does Papa react? Why do you suppose they responded so differently?
7) This story takes place in 1910. What lessons does it hold for us in 2020?
about the realities of racism in the Midwest during 1910. Important, poignant and heartbreaking.
A few study questions I jotted down regarding the first two chapters (pages 1-22), which were
published as a short story in 1968:
1) Serena Williams wrote, in 2019, that "my family truly changed [tennis],
not because we were welcomed, but because we wouldn't stop winning." Does this quote
remind us of Lena's situation in the Bible-Verse Contest?
2) Many of the Bible-verses Lena recites have a deep personal meaning. Do you have the
same relationship with the Bible--or any other work of literature?
3) (pages 12-14): After reciting verses from the "Song of Solomon," Sebestyen writes that
"it would never mean again what it had meant (before)." What did the verses mean before?
Why won't they mean the same again?
4) What "prize" did Lena win? What prize did Lena really want?
5) What lessons does Papa teach Lena in the last pages of chapter 2?
6) (pages 18-21): How does Claudie react tot he knife in the bread? How does Papa react? Why do you suppose they responded so differently?
7) This story takes place in 1910. What lessons does it hold for us in 2020?
No comments:
Post a Comment