47 pages • 1 hour read
Toni MorrisonA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Use these activities to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.
ACTIVITY 1: “Interludes”
Morrison’s short story “Recitatif” is titled with the French translation of “recitative,” an operatic interlude. Watch "Recitative vs. Aria and How to Tell the Difference" to identify the mood and tone associated with a recitative, or an interlude. Interludes are often overlooked in stories because readers are trained to look for the main events and climaxes in a narrative. Watch the composer Leonard Bernstein explain the importance of a recitative in propelling a story. Consider the importance of interludes to a human life and to a story. In groups, write, direct, and act out a script in which interludes feature as the prominent implication of theme instead of the main events.
Situation
Ex) A high school senior awaiting her college acceptance notifications comes home from school and checks her mailbox. In the mailbox there are two acceptances and three rejections from universities.
Central Conflict or Event
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