literature homework
watch it pls; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21nPEFybmtQ&feature=youtu.be
1)How do you think Cassie is able to keep her sense of self and pride in who she is throughout all the sufferings that she and her family experience in the story? ( at least 250 words long )
2) What kinds of discrimination do some children experience in 21st century America? How can literature help these children to make sense of their pain and move forward? What can parents, teachers, and other adults do to help them along the way? ( between 100 – 150 words )
3) Question 1
Social protest literature can trace its roots back to the 18th century.
Select one:True or False
Question 2
Many social problem novels take place in an urban setting.
Select one:True or False
Question 3
The social novel applauded the many changes taking place during the Industrial Revolution.
Select one:True or False
Question 4
Charles Dickens was a strong critic of the society of his day.
Select one:True or False
Question 5
“Les Miserables” is a work of literature condemning the poor for their criminality.
Select one:True or False
Question 6
America had important black social protest writers in the 20th century.
Select one:True or False
Question 7
Class is closely examined in social problem novels.
Select one:True or False
Question 8
Oppression only occurs in impoverished societies.
Select one:True or False
Question 9
The privileged are always aware of and fully understand the advantages that their privilege gives them in society.
Select one:True or False
Question 10
Gender oppression refers exclusively to the oppression of women by men.
Select one:True or False
CHILDRENS LITERATURE II
MODULE SIX: LECTURE TWO
OPPRESSION
Oppression is typically defined in terms of a dominant group subjugating another minority group.
Oppression is malicious or unjust treatment or exercise of power. Oppression may be overt or covert,
depending on how it is practiced. Oppression refers to discrimination when the injustice does not target
and may not directly affect everyone in society but instead treats specific groups of people.
Social Oppression
Social oppression is when a single group in society takes advantage of and exercises power over another
group using dominance and subordination. This results in the socially supported mistreatment and
exploitation of a group of individuals by those with relative power. In a social group setting, oppression
may be based on many ideas such as poverty, gender, class, race or sexual orientation. Systematic
oppression is when the laws of a place create unequal treatment of a specific social identity group or
groups
Privilege
Some political theorists argue that oppression persists because most individuals fail to recognize it, that
is, discrimination is often not visible to those who are not in the midst of it. Privilege refers to a
sociopolitical immunity one group has over others derived from particular societal benefits. Most groups
who are privileged because of gender or race, for example, can be unaware of the power their privilege
holds. These inequalities further perpetuate themselves because those who are oppressed rarely have
access to resources that would allow them to escape their maltreatment. This can lead to internalized
oppression, where subordinate groups essentially give up the fight to get access to equality and accept
their fate as a non-dominant group.
Racial Oppression
Racial oppression is defined as burdening a specific race with unjust or cruel restraints or impositions.
Some important forms of racial oppression are genocide, geographical displacement, slavery, second-class
citizenship and racial discrimination.
Genocide and Geographical Displacement: U.S. settlers took over the lands of the indigenous
population. Native Americans were relocated to Indian reservations or killed during wars which
were fought over possession of their land
Slavery: Africans were taken from their homeland and sold as property to white and some black
Americans
Second Class Citizenship: This refers to some categories of citizens having fewer rights than
others. For example, during the times of Jim Crow we had separate but equal laws, which did
not allow blacks full citizenship in the United States
Racial Discrimination: These are discriminatory actions that are not directly backed by the State,
but take place in widespread everyday social interactions: employers not hiring certain individuals
based on race, landlords only renting to people of certain racial groups, etc.
Gender Oppression
This is carried out through the gender norms society has adopted. In many cultures, masculinity is
dominant, and femininity is subordinate. Many theorists argue that cultural practices concerning gender
norms of childcare, housework, and appearance impose an unfair burden on women, keeping them from
developing their full potential as human beings. Gender oppression can also take place against trans
gender non-conforming or non-binary individuals who do not identify with binary categories of
male/female.
Class Oppression
This type of oppression can be defined as prejudice and discrimination based on social class. Class is an
unspoken social ranking system which is based on income, wealth, education, status and power. Class
oppression of the poor and working class can lead to further poverty and feelings of shame and inferiority.
Religious Persecution
This is systematic mistreatment of individuals because of their religious beliefs CHILDRENS LITERATURE II
MODULE SIX: LECTURE ONE
SOCIAL REALISM THE LITERATURE OF OPPRESSION
Social protest literature is rooted in 18th century literature that addressed social problems, but which,
more often than not, did not present a solution. The social novel also known as the social problem novel
or social protest novel is a work of fiction in which a prevailing social problem such as gender, race, or
class prejudice is dramatized through its effects on the characters of a novel. A few specific social
problems addressed include poverty, conditions in factories and mines, child labor, prostitution, violence
against women, rising criminality and epidemics because of over-crowding and poor sanitation in cities.
In England during the 1830s and 1840s the social novel rose as a reaction to a rapid industrialization and
the social, political and economic issues associated with it. This literature was a means of commenting on
abuses of government and industry and the suffering of the poor, who were not profiting from Englands
economic prosperity. Social problems are an important concern, for example, in all the novels of Charles
Dickens. Dickens was a fierce critic of the poverty and social stratification of Victorian society, and his
many works serve as a lifelong condemnation of the injustices committed by the rich against the poor and
downtrodden in Victorian society. Two of his most famous works dealing with these issues are Oliver
Twist (1839) and Hard Times (1854).
Another fierce critic of oppression against the poor in society was French author Victor Hugo. In 1857 he
wrote his most famous work, Les Miserables, which rose to become the most significant social protest
novel of the 19th century in Europe. Even today his story of a man who is ultimately condemned to twenty
years of hard labor for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his starving sister and her many children touches
the hearts of audiences worldwide. There have been many film adaptations of Les Miserables and even
a Broadway show – the fifth longest running Broadway show in history.
In America Uncle Toms Cabin (1852) by Harriet Beecher Stone and Huckleberry Finn (1884) by Mark
Twain were popular social protest novels. In addition, two black writers who were famous for their protest
literature were Richard Wright, author of native Son (1940) and James Baldwin, author of Go Tell it on
The Mountain (1953.)
All these different authors dealt with the injustices committed against marginalized groups., whether by
gender, class, race, religion, sexual orientation, or other characteristics.
Characteristics of Social Realism
Takes place in the present or in the recent past
Characters are involved in events that could happen
Characters live in places that could be or are real
The characters seem like real people with real issues that are solved in a realistic way
Class is closely studied especially middle-class life
The dialogue is believable
Popular Childrens Social Realism Novels from the Last 100 Years
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1976)
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (1967)
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor (1976)
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson (1977)
Bud, not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis (1999)
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan (2000)
The Other Side of Truth by Beverley Naidoo (2000)
