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Am I Blue - Alice Walker

Short Story - Am I Blue? By Alice Walker

This is one of the 2 works written by the controversial Pulitzer Prize-Winning African American Novelist, Political and Human Rights activist Alice Walker which were censored/banned. Am I Blue is a short story about an African American woman who bonds with a male horse named Blue. The short story will be used to practice some reading, writing and speaking. During the next two lessons, you will read the story, answer questions and discuss topics like racism, animal cruelty and how that is related to each other. This preparation will lead to a debate in the third lesson. At the bottom of the page, you can find the Goals we're working on.

Lesson 1

Reading comprehension questions. Read the text linked above. Answer these questions while you're reading the story.

1. What is the reason the writer doesn't ride horses anymore?
2. What did the writer notice in Blue's eyes at first?
3. What was Blue's initial reaction to the new horse?
4. What did the writer notice in Blue's eyes in the end?

After reading. Answer these questions when you're done reading.

1. Write down any phrases, passages or ideas that you find particularly interesting.
2. Write down any questions you have about plot, character, setting or theme.
3. What is the significance of the title? In what ways does it have multiple meanings?
4. What similarities do you see between human beings and animals? What differences do you think exist?

Discussing the N-word

In the text, the N-word is used twice. In a respectful class discussion, your teacher will talk to you about the following things:

- Why the N-word is chosen by the writer
- What effect using the N-word in literature can have
- Why we, as white teachers, choose to use/not use the word in this context
- Why it is absolutely not to be used in modern society
- What other options there are
- What language and word choice does for teaching perspectives
- What (the Dutch) language implies with words like white/caucasian/blank/Black/Blacks/African-Americans

- Interferences: Making inferences about a story involves using the information in a story, as well as your own common sense, to make logical guesses. This will help you understand characters as writers seldom explain everything about a characters' background, thoughts and emotions.

Choose one of the following options.

Option 1. Interferences about character's background

1. Look for details on the physical environment and about any social, cultural and moral influences. Describe them. If you're feeling up for it, create a drawing of the environment.

2. Describe what it would be like to live in the story's setting. Consider details about the context in regards to what you know about the history of slavery.

Option 2. Interferences about character's feelings

1. Connect to the writer's experiences in the story. Talk about similar experiences you've had and how you felt.

2. As you read the events leading up to the writer spitting the meat out, what emotions is the writer feeling from the beginning of the story up until the end? Explain how you make your guess.

Lesson 2

Reading and writing to prepare for the debate

Over the course of the story, Walker humanizes Blue by comparing him to a person born into slavery and describing his 'crazed' reaction to the removal of his partner. Her experiences with Blue lead her to ultimately reject the exploitation of animals and to 'spit out' the 'steak' that she is eating.

First, we're going to read an article (linked below) that discusses the connection between human and animal oppression. Use this in your debate preparation.

Adapted text on Human and Animal Oppression

Goals Reading: 1) Ik vind relevant informatie voor een project. 2) Ik begrijp persoonlijke gevoelens en wensen van vrienden of iets dat gebeurd is. 3) Ik begrijp instructies. 4) Ik begrijp specifieke informatie, de hoofdgedachte van een artikel, een jeugdroman of songtekst.

Debate questions to prepare

In class, we will have a debate concerning the ethicality of eating meat and how the topics in the story relate to the oppression of all kinds. You will have to prepare arguments for both sides and should be ready to argue for and against eating meat. The questions to help you prepare are:

1. Is it ethical for humans to eat meat?
2. In what situations is it ethical/in what situations is it not?
3. What are alternatives to eating meat? Are these alternatives sustainable?
4. What is the effect of eating meat on the individual/groups of poeple/the animals/the climate?
5. What is the connection between eating meat and feminism? (use the article you have read and research this article in Dutch to help)

The statements you will argue are:

1. It is not ethical for humans to eat meat.
2. There are situations where it is ethical for humans to eat meat, and people should not be criticized for eating meat.
3. There are plenty of alternatives to eating meat. Eating vegetarian or vegan food is just as, if not more, healthy than other foods.
4. Eating meat has an effect on the climate and should be banned or taxed a lot more.
5. There is a clear connection between eating meat and harm to individuals/groups of people
6. In order to be a true feminist, you have to stop eating meat.

Goals Writing: 1) Ik noteer de belangrijkste punten van een artikel. 2) Ik schrijf een kort verslag over iets wat ik gedaan en gezien heb. 3) Ik reageer op een verhaal van anderen. 4) Ik geef mijn mening. 5) Ik schrijf over een ervaring, persoonlijke reactie op een film/boek of een zelfverzonnen verhaal.

Goals Speaking and Conversing: 1) Ik kan iets uitleggen en redenen geven, toespraken houden over leerervaringen en gelezen teksten. 2) Ik kan verslag doen van een leerervaring, verwachting of ambitie, of een verhaal dat ik bedenk. 3) Ik breng een standpunt over en geef commentaar. 4) Ik uit gevoelens en reageer op gevoelens van een ander, geef mijn standpunt/mening/commentaar, leg een probleem uit, stel oplossingen voor en reageer op standpunten van anderen. 5) Ik geef en volg aanwijzingen en toelichtingen.