Chapters 3 & 4 present a lot of culture, history, and life lessons.
Write a commentary, In your commentary:
- Make a claim about which characteristics of testimonio literature provide a complex portrayal of culture, history, and life lessons, or not.
- In your commentary, you may include arguments – backed up by evidence from the text, on the following questions:
- What does Caribbean culture consists of, according to Reyita?
- Look at the word choice, and the specific aspects of culture that are in the text. Are there specific adjectives, verbs, and tone in the text?
- Are there specific cultural events/rituals, that relate to an overall theme? What does the theme reveal or how does the theme limit Caribbean identities? Examples of themes: death, rebirth, diversity, motherhood, other themes listed here.
- What is one life lesson that you gathered from chapter 4? How is the life lesson presented in the text: with sarcasm, gloom, nostalgia, or another tone? Other tones listed here
- Briefly present your overall impression of the testimonio genre–what did you learn about this genre of literature, and what impact did the genre have on you, as a reader?
As always, include one discussion question that relates specifically to the reading.
