1. Contemporary Nonfiction
Alice Walker
Page 1102
2007 COS – 1a
2010 COS – Ri ; RI ; RI ; RI ; RI ; W ; W ; W ; SL ; L ; L ; L
AHSGE – R.II.1; R.IV.2

2. Literary Terms
Dialogue (p. 1064) – the directly quoted words of two or more people in conversation
Characterization (p. 1081) – the process by which a writer reveals the personality of a character
Setting (p. 1093) – the time and location in which events occur or in which characters are placed

3. Literary Terms
Personal, or informal, essay – a short prose work of nonfiction that takes a personal look at some topic
Paradox – an apparent contradiction

4. Quickwrite
What is creativity?

5. from “In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens”
Why does the author point out that her mother labored “beside – not behind – [her] father in the fields”?
Using Walker’s description of her mother’s daily routine, describe her mother’s life
Who made the quilt depicting the Crucifixion?
What does Walker believe she inherited from her mother and previous generations of African American women?
What is the paradox presented in the poem?

6. Activity (part 1)
Working with your group, create an outline of Walker’s text.
Write each main idea by a Roman numeral
Under each main idea, provide details, examples, or anecdotes from the text that support and illustrate each main idea.
Note any key passages that seem to point to or support your statement of a main idea.
Be sure to consider the significance of the essay’s unusual title.

7. Sample Outline Form
Main Idea
A. Support
B. Support
C. Support

8. Activity (part 2) Working with your group
P Writing – A Personal Response
Refer to the outline you made of Walker’s text, then write two paragraphs summarizing and evaluating the essay.
In the first paragraph, summarize Walker’s main idea and the details that support that idea. What are her philosophical beliefs about woman as artists?
In the second paragraph, give your response to Walker’s main idea. Use your own personal experiences to either support or challenge Walker’s conclusions.