Novel to precede Huck Finn & To Kill a Mockingbird?

[Lostinabook]

This year I'm going to have my 2 students (9th & 11th graders) discuss/analyze 3 novels in depth. (They will also read other essays, short stories, and novels.)  I am planning on having them read Huck Finn & Mockingbird for sure & I need a third book which has racism as one of its themes. I'd like to have a novel written before Huck Finn, but I'm having a hard time coming up with a title. Any ideas?

[amy58103]

Uncle Tom's Cabin ???

[regentrude]

Not sure if this fits your criteria, but if they read Huck Finn, they should read Tom Sawyer before hand. While racism is not the main theme, it certainly plays a role here, too.

[foxbridgeacademy]

I was thinking Uncle Tom's Cabin too... Or Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl.... Fredrick Douglass Autobiography.  you should really have the POV from some one who actually suffered racism and if you do pre-Huck then you're looking at someone who was a slave.  There's also When I was a Slave.  It has 30 or so stories from previous slaves about their time pre war, and even some post war.  Most of them were young during the war so great for kids to get a POV from their own age.  There's another one that has those and about 70 more stories called Voices From Slavery.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Well this might be a very odd suggestion, but how about Tarzan?  My kid really enjoyed reading it.  The racism in it was not so obvious (to him), but that fact made for an interesting conversation. 

[Harriet Vane]

My classes have done slave narratives before those two books (Frederick Douglass, for example) or Uncle Tom's Cabin.

 

I don't see Tom Sawyer as necessary prior to Huck Finn. It's written entirely differently and more appropriate for a younger audience. 

 

Also consider Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston--fabulous book, and I love how it celebrates African-American culture.

 

And while we're at it, throw in poetry by Langston Hughes to round out the unit. 

 

 

A really cool book to consider for an African perspective (not African-American) is Cry the Beloved Country, by Alan Paton.

[Lostinabook]

Thank you so much for all of the suggestions!

 

Dd has already read Uncle Tom's Cabin, and ds will read it next year when he studies the US Civil War. That would work well otherwise.

 

Both kids have read Tom Sawyer, but I am going to have them re-read the ending since it's important to the set up of Huck Finn.

 

Having them read slave narratives is a great idea! Dd has already read the autobiographies of Frederick Douglass & Booker T. Washington, but I'll check into the others you suggested.

 

I'll get Tarzan from the library. I'm sure my son would appreciate it if I chose that one. :-)

 

I have Their Eyes Were Watching God to pre-read. So far, I'm enjoying it. I hadn't thought about poetry at all. I will add that.

 

Thank you!

 

[OnMyOwn]

Up from Slavery made a huge impact on me and is one of my favorite books. I'm not sure if it was written before or after Huck Finn, though. (Normally, I'd check, but I'm exhausted tonight.)

[purplelily]

I second Up From Slavery.

 

Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry  is set in the depression

 

 If you want you might want to have them watch the movie "Amazing Grace."  It will give the students a sense of how bad slavery really was.  

 

Some other topics you want to investigate is the Irish slaves and America.

 

Also, find out who captured and sold the African slaves.

 

[Lori D.]

Sounds like you are focusing on black/white racism and slavery in 19th century U.S.? Other than Uncle Tom's Cabin, the only thing I can think of is this adult novel (do-able for high school):

 

Invention of Wings (Kidd) -- white author; written in 21st century but set in 1830s-1850s, alternates first-person chapters between the real-life historical abolistionist/suffragist Sarah Grimke, and the fictious character of a slave girl of similar age given to Sarah on her 11th birthday; the novel follows them over the course of about 20 years; strong female points of view

 

 

If works set in the 20th century U.S. are okay here are a few more:

 

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (Taylor) -- 1930s Depression Deep South, racism and poverty

Warriors Don't Cry: Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High (Beals) -- late 1950s; first-hand account

Black Like Me (Griffin) -- late 1950s white journalist travels in the Deep South disguised as African American to experience racism first-hand

The Watsons Go To Birmingham (Curtis) -- set in 1963; African American family from MI, visit a grandmother in Birmingham, AL

 

 

And if it is helpful to look at U.S. slavery (and hence, the specific U.S. 19th century attitude of racism you want to explore that was entwined with slavery), here are some resources:

 

Bound for America: The Forced Migration of Africans to the New World (Haskins) -- start of US African slavery

Lest We Forget: The Passage From Africa to Slavery and Emancipation (Thomas) -- adult "picture book"

From Slave Ship to Freedom Road (Lester & Brown) -- picture book for late elementary/middle school; emotive paintings and text

To Be A Slave (Lester) -- first person narratives, ex-slave memoirs

When I Was a Slave (Yetman) -- first person narratives, ex-slave memoirs

Edited September 17, 2016 by Lori D.

[historymatters]

How about:

 

Arguing About Slavery: John Quincy Adams and the Great Battle in the United States Congress?

 

You can also fund Quincy's arguments before the court in the Amistad case.

Edited September 17, 2016 by historymatters

[Mike in SA]

Fundamentally, racism isn't about treatment of African-Americans; it's about ethnocentric behavior and gross injustices on that basis.

 

Even books like Hunchback of Notre Dame, which has the same discussion of Gypsies, would be right on point.

 

 

Edited September 17, 2016 by Mike in SA

[SarahW]

Not a novel, and more recent, but you could read A Raisin in the Sun. Or you could luck out and find it offered at a local community theatre and add it into the year that way.

 

I read it in 9th grade English.

[Lostinabook]

Thank you for all of the suggestions! My daughter did Ambleside's year 10 last year, so she's already read several of the suggested books re: slavery. I think I might need to start with Huck Finn and then add in another 20th century book. I hadn't thought about doing a 20th century first hand account; I'll order & review some books from the library. It's also a good idea to explore some other type of ethnocentrism. I may just pull together a collection of books and have the kids select one together.

[Lori D.]

I know this is a tangent to your plans, but The Day They Came to Arrest the Book (Hentoff) is a great discussion starter on the concept of censorship. It is set in contemporary times and a community fiercely debates aspects of censorship -- as well as racism and feminism -- when the local high school teacher requires the class to read Huck Finn, and an African American student refuses the assignment, finding the book offensive in the use of the "n" word and treatment of the slave character Jim.

 

 

...I think I might need to start with Huck Finn and then add in another 20th century book. I hadn't thought about doing a 20th century first hand account; I'll order & review some books from the library. It's also a good idea to explore some other type of ethnocentrism. I may just pull together a collection of books and have the kids select one together.

 

Yes, racism, discrimination, abuse/maltreatment, and violence based around race, ethnicity, religion, or culture has been around for millennia... :( So lots out there for comparison and discussion. Good luck, whatever books end up in this particular unit of study!

Edited September 17, 2016 by Lori D.

[Lostinabook]

I know this is a tangent to your plans, but The Day They Came to Arrest the Book (Hentoff) is a great discussion starter on the concept of censorship. 

 

 

This was already in my pile to read based upon your repeated recommendations in other threads! :)