1、Lesson 7 Everyday Use for your grandmamaAlice Walker本單元作者：陳彥會 顏靜蘭 Book 1外語教學與研究出版社FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING AND RESEARCH PRESS ContentsPart One: Warm-upPart Two: Background InformationPart Three: Text AppreciationPart Four: Language Study Part Five: Extension Part OneWarm-up . Video Watching . Brain

2、storming . Discussion . Learning Objectives. Video WatchingWatch the video clip and discuss the following questions.1. How to preserve our cultural traditions and heritage in the process of globalization?2. Is globalization in danger of diluting( dailju:t稀釋，沖淡)national identities and “transnationali

3、zing” cultures?3. How can societies attempt to manage globalization and e developed while maintaining a viable national identity? 4. Do you have stories from your grandparents or forefathers related to it ?. Video Watching1. What do you know about the black culture? 2. What is the situation of the b

4、lack culture in the white world?3. What can you predict about the story by reading the title? 4. Do you know any novels or stories by any Afro-American writers? Have you read any?. Brainstorming. DiscussionDuring the age of globalization, everyone is in front of contradictions. 1. Facing the traditi

5、ons and heritage of our ancestors, what kind of choice should we make? 2. What is the impact of globalization on traditional Chinese values/black cultures.Watch the video clip “impact of globalization on traditional Chinese values” . Learning Objectives1. To comprehend the whole story2. To lean and

6、master the vocabulary and expressions3. To learn to paraphrase the difficult sentences4. To understand the structure of the text5. To appreciate the style and rhetoric of the passage. Part TwoBackground Information. About the Author. The Black Power Movement . American Blacks and Its Culture. Johnny

7、 Carson. American Quilts . About the Author Alice Walker A famous American black woman novelist, poet and essayist. She is regarded as a most forceful representative of women literature and black literature. . About the AuthorAlice is expert at portraying people in rural areas and she often takes he

8、r hometown as the background in her writing. She is particularly interested in examining relationship among the blacks themselves, and concerns more about the life of black women. About the AuthorVolumes of poetry: Once (1968) 一度 Revolutionary Petunias and other Poems (1973)Biography: A Biography of

9、 Langston Hughes (1973)Collections of short stories: Love and Trouble: Stories of Black Women (1973)愛與煩惱Novels: The third Life of Grange Copeland (1970) 格蘭奇科普蘭的第三次生命 Meridian (1977) 梅麗迪恩 The Temple of My Familiar (1989) The Color Purple (1982) By the Fathers Smile (1998). About the Author. About the

10、 AuthorOf all the works, The Color Purple 紫色 is her best one which won all the three major book awards in Americathe Pulitzer, the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award. The novel was an instant bestseller and made into an equally successful movie in 1985. . The Black Power

11、MovementBlack Power, a political movement that arose in the middle 1960s, strove to express a new racial consciousness among Blacks in the United States. One main point of the Black Power Concept was the necessity for Black people to define the world in their own terms. At times this included a call

12、 for revolutionary political struggle to reject racism and imperialism in the United States.Through the early 1800s, black Arkansans helped shape the pioneer culture. Although they were slaves during this time, many escaped the hard labor of the fields and through their talents and skills became cra

13、ftsmen, creating frontier furniture, cast iron skillets, plows and locks. .American Blacks and Its CultureStrong group ties, extended families and religion were extremely important. This created unity and was the basis of the cultural enrichment that African-Americans still treasure today. .American

14、 Blacks and Its CultureReligion: They believe in mostly African religions and they worship their own God and establish their own community churches. .American Blacks and Its CultureLiterature: Many great Afro-American writers are worth mentioning, especially those during the Harlem Renaissances: Lan

15、gston Hughess Poetry, Richard Wrights Native Son, Ralph Ellisons Invisible Man, and James Baldwins Go Tell It on the Mountain. Some contemporary woman writers like the Nobel Prize winner (1993) Toni Morrison (The bluest Eye, Song of Solomon), Beloved and Alice Walker (The Color Purple).American Blac

16、ks and Its CultureArt and Music: Blues it depicted mostly sad feelings reflecting the difficult lives of American blacks. It is usually played and sung by black musicians, but it is popular with all Americans now. Politics: Some well-known figures in American history: Martin Luther King, Rice and Po

17、well, etc.American Blacks and Its Culturehost of NBCs “The Tonight Show” for nearly 30 years, died Sunday of emphysema.氣腫，肺氣腫“He passed away this morning,” Carsons nephew, Jeffrey Sotzing, told CNN. Johnny Carson Carson was host of the late-night talk show from October 1, 1962, to May 22, 1992, taki

18、ng over from Jack Paar and handing off to Jay Leno after 4,531 episodes. Johnny Carson . American quilts Symbolic meaning of the quilts:The quilts that Wangero covets link her generation to prior generations, and thus they represent the larger African American past. The quilts contain scraps of dres

19、ses worn by the grandmother and even the great-grandmother, as well as a piece of the uniform worn by the great-grandfather who served in the Union Army in the War between the states. . American quilts Part ThreeText Appreciation. Text Analysis Introduction Theme Text Organization Further Understand

20、ing. Writing Devices Language Style Rhetorical Devices . Sentence Paraphrase. Text Analysis Introduction“Everyday Use” is a short story. It focuses on the relationship among black people. It is one of the best-written short stories by Alice Walker. The main elements of a short story include: plot, c

21、haracters, point of view, setting, climax, theme and the methods to develop the theme. 1. Plot Dees coming back to fetch Grandmas everyday use (especially the old quilts) and her changed attitude toward them. Text Analysis 2. Characters 1) Dee a round character 叛逆者fashionable, rebellious, strong-min

22、ded and ill-tempered, a sense of vanitya symbol of the modern black womensuperficial love of black tradition圓形人物（Round character）即人物形象、性格等塑造得立體,有固定性格,可以通向（小說）較廣泛較深遠處；扁平人物（Flat character ）與圓形人物相對應,他的性格受某一種事物影響,在小說中的作用是直線的.這兩種人物,在小說中共同交織出扣人心弦的情節(jié). Text Analysis 2) Maggie a flat character 繼承者docile, tim

23、id, shy, good-tempered, kind-hearted and unselfish, a strong sense of inferiorityinherence of black culture, genuine love of black traditiona symbol of the traditional black weak women. Text Analysis 3) “I” a flat character 捍衛(wèi)者 uneducated but sensiblephysically strong but spiritually weak, a sense o

24、f inferioritycherish “grandmas everyday use”a symbol of the black working women: the majority of black women. Text Analysis 4) Asalamalakim a flat charactera black Muslim boya symbol of another kind of African culture. Text Analysis 3. Point of viewThe first-person narrator 4. SettingPlace “my court

25、yard”; Time in the middle of 1960s5. Climax Dee wanted to take away the old quilts but “I” took them back and gave them to Maggie. Text Analysis 6. Theme How to deal with the black traditional culture 7. Methodsflashback, foreshadowing,伏筆 contrast. Text Analysis How to deal with the black traditiona

26、l culture.The story addresses itself to the dilemma of African Americans who, in striving to escape prejudice and poverty, risk a terrible deracination, （di:rsnet根除、滅絕 ）a sundering（隔開） from all that has sustained and defined them. Theme. Text Analysis Text OrganizationPart 1 (Paras. 1-2): The first

27、paragraph describes the place where the story takes place, and the second paragraph introduces the narrators two daughters. So in the first two paragraphs we have met all the three main characters. The narrator, Mama, makes a contrast between the two sisters: one is nervous, homely and ashamed of he

28、r burn scars and the other one has a firm control of her life and can always get what she wants. Text Analysis Part 2 (Paras. 3-16): This section is what we call exposition, providing background and preparing for the main action, which is what happens during Dees visit. Mama provides background info

29、rmation about the family members by calling back the past. Mama describes to us what kind of person she is: less educated, large working woman and further reveals to us the differences between the two daughters. Text Analysis Part 3 (Paras. 17-81): This section describes the visit of Dee and her boy

30、friend. Around the issue of changing names a conflict is being developed as part of the rising action. The story reaches its climax when Dee tries every possible way to get hold of the quilts but is refused flatly by Mama. Text Analysis Further Understanding1.What is the significance of the title in

31、 relation to the central conflict of the story?2.Describe Maggies personality and her feelings toward her sister Dee. How does she deal with Dees demand for the quilts, and why? . Text Analysis Discuss some of the positive and negative aspects of Dees character, focusing in particular on her relatio

32、nship with her family. What is implied about Dee in the passage describing the loss of their previous home?4.Is there anything ironic about Dees accusations that her mother and sister do not understand their heritage? . Text Analysis 5.Describe the narrators personality and her feelings about her da

33、ughter Dee. In what sense is this “her” story?6.In the end, where does Alice Walker seem to stand on the issues she raises regarding the characters sense of their heritage? . Text Analysis . Writing DevicesLanguage Style1. Using many elliptical and short, simple sentences to achieve certain effect e

34、.g. “When the hard clay is swept clean as a floor and the fine sand around the edges lined with tiny, irregulargrooves.” Before the word “l(fā)ined”, the link verb “is” is omitted. 3. Using languages which suit the background of characters e.g. “The church and me” is incorrect grammar, and it should be

35、“the church and I”. Writing DevicesRhetorical Devices: HyperboleDefinition: An extravagant statement. Deliberate use of overstatement or exaggeration to achieve emphasis.e.g. “Ladies and gentlemen, Ive been to Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and I can say that this is a million times worse than all

36、of them put together. Writing DevicesRhetorical Devices: UnderstatementDefinition: A figure of speech in which a writer or a speaker deliberately makes a situation seem less important or serious than it is. It achieves its effect of emphasizing a fact by deliberately understating it, impressing the

37、listener or the reader more by what is merely implied or left unsaid than by bare statement. . Writing Devicese.g. “A soiled baby, with a neglected nose, cannot be conscientiously regarded as a thing of beauty.” (Mark Twain). Writing Devices. Sentence Paraphrase1. In real life I am a large, big-bone

38、d woman with rough, man-working hands. (Para. 5)The phrase “in real life” is transitional, linking this paragraph and the one above, implying that those TV programs are nothing but make-believe and the narratoris very skeptical of them. In reality she has the typical features of a black working woma

39、n. Sentence Paraphrase2. .with one foot raised in flight, with my head.from them. (Para. 6)Im ready to leave as quickly as possible because of fort, nervousness, timidity, etc., and turn my head away from them in order to avoid them as much as possible for the same reason.3. She has been like this,

40、chin on chest, eyes on ground.to the ground. (Para. 9)Maggie has been very shy ever since the fire destroyed the other house. The narrator hints that Maggie got her burn scars in the fire. She is so shy that she never raises her head or eyes when looking at and talking to people, and she is always s

41、o nervous and restless that she is unable to stand still. “Chin on chest, eyes on ground, feet in shuffle” are three nominative absolute constructions. Sentence Paraphrase4. Her eyes seemed stretched open, blazed open by the flames reflected in them. (Para. 10)Her eyes are wide open to the fullest e

42、xtent with fear and one can see flames reflected in her eyes. Sentence Paraphrase5. She used to read to us without pity, forcing.underneath her voice. (Para. 11)The narrator implies that the books Dee read to them were written by white people and full of their language and ideas, falsehoods and thei

43、r way of life. Sentence Paraphrase6. Her eyelids would not flicker for minutes at a time. (Para. 12)Again it shows that Dee was undaunted, with a strong character. She would look at anybody steadily and intently for a long time. . Sentence Paraphrase7. .and kisses me on the forehead. (Para. 22)It is

44、 not usual for a daughter to kiss her mother on the forehead. Normally, people kiss each other on the cheeks for greeting. This shows Dee is very distant to her family. Also note she takes all the photos first before she kisses her. A loving daughter will run up to her mother and throw her arms roun

45、d her. Sentence Paraphrase8. Everything delighted her. (Para. 45)Soon well learn that Dee/Wangero had a new interest in the old objects in the house such as the benches her daddy made when they were too poor to buy chairs, Grandma Dees butter dish, the churn Uncle Buddy whittled out of a tree, the d

46、asher, etc. . Sentence ParaphraseThe narrator expects the readers to contrast her new interest with her old hatred of the house. This indicates a change of values. Black cultural nationalists advocated for “Black Power” and that “Black is beautiful” in the 1960s, and obviously this deeply influenced

47、 Dee/Wangeros values. Sentence Paraphrase9. She held the quilts securely in her arms, stroking them. (Para. 61)In Para. 63, she was “clutching them closely to her bosom”. All this shows how much she wanted them and how determined she was to have them. Later we will learn that the mother had once off

48、ered Dee one of the quilts when she went away to college. At that time Dee thought the quilts were old-fashioned. Note the change in Dee/Wangeros attitudes toward the quilts. Sentence Paraphrase10. “Your heritage.” (Para. 80)“Heritage” is a key word. Dee/Wangero understood that old quilts represente

49、d heritage but her interpretation of it was superficial as she only saw it as a thing for showing off. Unlike Maggie who was deeply involved in carrying on the heritage, Dee/Wangero was actually detached from her cultural roots, only appreciating them from a distance. Sentence ParaphrasePart FourLan

50、guage Study. Word Study . Phrases and Expressions. Word Study1. totter2. tacky 3. shuffle4. flicker5. scalding6. pose7. wriggle8. peek 9. nibble10. whittle11. rifle12. scrape13. snuff14. hangdog15. stump1. totter(v.): to be unsteady on ones feet; to stagger e.g. The drunkard tottered along the road.

51、2. tacky(adj.): untidy; neglected; unrefined; vulgare.g. They spread a lot of tacky gossip about his love life. Word Study3. shuffle(v.): to walk slowly and in a dragging waye.g. The old lady shuffled across the room.4. flicker(v.): to move with a quick, light, wavering motione.g. An airy and innoce

52、nt playfulness seemed to flicker like the shadow of summer leaves over her children face, and around her buoyant figure. . Word Study5. scalding(adj.): fierce in attacking in words e.g. May your eyes never shed such stormy, scalding, heartwrung tears as poured from mine.6. pose(v.): to restore to co

53、mposure e.g. Pietersen needed to pose himself, but instead he played the worst shot of the day and paid the price. Word Study7. wriggle(v.): to twist from side to side, either in one place or when moving along e.g. Children wriggle themselves when they are bored. 8. peek(v.): to glance or look quick

54、ly and furtively, esp. through an opening or from behind something e.g. He just had time to peek into the room before the door closed. Word Study9. nibble(v.): to take small bites (out of sth.); to eat (sth.) with small bites e.g. She never had much for breakfast. She would drink a cup of coffee and

55、 nibble at a piece of bread. . Word Study10. whittle(v.): to cut (wood) into a smaller size by taking off small thin pieces e.g. Your article is too long, try to whittle it away to half its length. 11. rifle(v.): to ransack and rob (a place, building, etc.); to pillage; to plundere.g. He rifled thro

56、ugh my drawers to find matching socks. Word Study12. scrape(n.): a small piece; bit; fragment; shred e.g. He fell off the bike and got a scrape on his knee.13. snuff(n.): smell; scent e.g. Greedy heir wait for the old man to snuff out. . Word Study14. hangdog(adj.): ashamed and cringing e.g. I wanted to tell him off, but he had such a hangdog air I just couldnt do it. 15. stump(v.): (colloquial) to puzzle; to baffle e.g. He stumped the teacher with a question. Word Study. Phrases and Expressions1. crop up2. sidle up3. stand off4. stare down5. hang about6. blue streak