To live anywhere in the world today and be against equality because of race or color is like living in Alaska and being against snow.
— William Faulkner
Unit Goals
After learning the unit, students are expected
·to learn about African-American life and struggle in 19th-20th century,
·to know Kate Chopin as an American southern writer,
·to understand the theme of race and prejudice and explore minor themes in a given selection,
·to be acquainted with other African-American writers or celebrities,
·to learn some useful words and expressions from the unit, and
·to improve English language skills, communication skills and critical thinking.
Before You Read
1. Read the following list of names, and match them with the correct information. Please find more information about them and share it with your classmates.
1) _____ An American southern woman writer and a forerunner of feminist authors of the 20th century, famous for Awakening
2) _____ African-American television host, actress and producer, whose program Talk Show is internationally popular
3) _____ A Nobel Prize and Pulitzer Prize-winning female American novelist who concerns a lot about racial issues
4) _____ An African-American novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and civil rights activist
5) _____ The 44th President of the United States and the first African American to hold the office
6) _____ An African-American poet, and one of the earliest innovators of the new literary art form called jazz poetry
7) _____ An African-American woman author, whose literary concern is what she calls “womanism”
8) _____ One of the most important writers of the Southern literature of the US, famous for The Sound and the Fury
9) _____ An American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement
10) _____ An African-American novelist and writer, best known for his novel Invisible Man