Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Consider different societal opinions about father-son relationships. What different roles might the father or father figure play in raising a child of the same sex? Should this role be mostly nurturing, assertive, protective, or something else? How is the father-son relationship similar to or different from the mother-daughter relationship? In what ways do education, success, socio-economic status, race or ethnicity, or The American Dream affect these parent-child relationships?

Teaching Suggestion: Before discussing The American Dream, it may be helpful to ensure students have a working explanation of the concept. Also, consider the ways in which the class might introduce the idea of gender fluidity into the discussion and be prepared to demonstrate inclusiveness.

• Excerpt from “The Negro and the American Dream” by Martin Luther King, Jr. suggests The American Dream is contradictory to the practices of racism and segregation.

2. A significant portion of world literature addresses the human fear of death. For what reasons are humans fearful of death? In what ways do they try to alleviate their fears?