Focus and Motivate - LiteraTour Fitness Adams and Phylly... · Focus and Motivate READING 8 Analyze...

Selection Resources 258

Meet the Authors

Letter to the Reverend Samson Occomby Phillis Wheatley

Letter to John Adamsby Abigail Adams

Phillis Wheatley was the first African-American poet to be published. Moreover, her unusual life is the stuff that movies are made of. Kidnapped at age seven in West Africa, she was sold to the prosperous Wheatley family at a Boston slave auction. Within 16 months, she had mastered English and could read the Bible. She went on to learn Latin and Greek well enough to read the classics.

Startling Success Story Encouraged by the Wheatley family, Phillis started writing poetry as a teenager; She earned fame in the colonies and England when newspapers began publishing her poems, most of them on moral and religious

subjects. While in London in 1773 to publish her book of poetry, Wheatley was the toast of society, which included many nobles and dignitaries and the visiting American patriot Ben Franklin.

Life as a Free Black Woman By 1778, Wheatley had gained her freedom and married a free black man. Their life together was a losing struggle against poverty, however, for in many respects living as a free black in a colonial city was as hard as being a slave. In late 1779, Wheatley tried to get a second book of her poems published, but war-torn, financially strapped Boston had lost interest in her.

Abigail Adams was the wife of the second U.S. president, John Adams, and mother of the sixth, John Quincy Adams. But she is equally well-known for her outspoken opinions as expressed in thousands of personal letters.

Intelligent and Competent The daughter of a wealthy minister, young Abigail read extensively in her father’s library. After marrying John Adams, she moved to a farm in Braintree, Massachusetts. As John became increasingly involved in colonial politics and the struggle for independ-

ence, Abigail managed the household and farm as well as John’s business affairs.

An Early Feminist? Because of her support for women’s education and her acute awareness of men’s “absolute power,” many have championed Abigail Adams as an early advocate of women’s rights. However, although her thinking was clearly advanced for her time—she also favored the abolition of slavery—she held quite conventional views about a woman’s subordinate role in society.

Writers of the Revolution

Abigail Adams 1744–1818

atley

o John Adamsms

don in 1773 toPhillis Wheatley c. 1753–1784

258

Go to thinkcentral.com. KEYWORD: HML11-258

Author Online

READING 8 Analyze how the style, tone, and diction of a text advance the author’s purpose and perspective or stance. RC–11(A) Reflect on understanding to monitor comprehension.

TX_L11PE-u01s44-brLetters.indd 258 9/9/09 9:21:29 AM

Focus and Motivate

Selection Resources

READING 8 Analyze how the style, tone, and diction of a text advance the author’s purpose and perspective or stance. RC-11(A) Reflect on understanding to monitor comprehension.

about the authorsPhillis Wheatley Ask students to identify the details of Wheatley’s life they find most sur-prising and notable. Explain that Wheatley’s letter demonstrates her education and biblical knowledge, as well as her interest in moral and religious issues.Abigail Adams Have students restate Adams’s beliefs about women. Explain that her letter reflects Adams’s acceptance of her husband’s political role and her belief that men should not have “absolute power” over their wives.

notable quote“Some view our sable race with scornful eye. . .Remember, Christians, Negroes, black as Cain,May be refin’d, and join th’ angelic train.”—Phillis Wheatley“Remember all Men would be tyrants if they could.” —Abigail Adams

TEKS Focus

RESOURCE MANAGER UNIT 1Plan and Teach, pp. 327–334Summary, pp. 335–336 † ‡Literary Analysis and Reading

Skill, pp. 337–340 †*

DIAGNOSTIC AND SELECTION TESTSSelection Tests, pp. 93–96

BEST PRACTICES TOOLKITNew Word Analysis, p. E8

TECHNOLOGY

Teacher One Stop DVD-ROMStudent One Stop DVD-ROM

Audio Anthology CDGrammarNotes DVD-ROM

ExamView Test Generator on the Teacher One Stop

Print resources are on the Teacher One Stop DVD-ROM and on thinkcentral.com.

* Resources for Differentiation † Also in Spanish ‡ Also in Haitian Creole and Vietnamese

L11TE-u01s24-revoccum_TX.indd 258L11TE-u01s24-revoccum_TX.indd 258 9/28/09 12:40:40 PM9/28/09 12:40:40 PM

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differentiated instruction

for struggling readersVocabulary Support To support instruction,

clarify the meaning of these words:

• abstract, “expressing something that can

only be understood intellectually”

• concrete, “able to be seen or touched;

existing in reality, not just an idea”

• primary, “something that is first in order;

thus, the first person to see or experience

an event”

Concept Support: Reading Primary Sources

To help students evaluate primary source

letters, ask them to recall a letter they have

written and identify its audience. Have

them note information they would have

omitted if the audience were different. As

they read the selection letters, urge stu-

dents to identify information each author

might have omitted had she known the

letter would be made public.

Who gets to make the RULES?

As students complete the DISCUSS activity,

have them identify the type of authority that

made the rules under discussion. Encourage

students to share their ideas for ways to change

these rules.

TEKS Focus

Model the Skill: diction

Tell students they can determine many

things about writers and their purpose by

studying diction. Write this excerpt from a

letter on the board:

I believe that you made the correct

decision to acquire another company.

Mr. Elvin, your decisions are always

thoughtful, and I know that my project

will benefit from this one.

Point out that choosing words like believe

and acquire instead of think and get and

syntax like “my project will benefit” give

the letter formal diction.

GUIDED PRACTICE Ask students to identify

the writer’s attitude or tone regarding

Mr. Elvin’s decision.

L I T E R A R Y

A N A L Y S I STEKS 2, RC-11(A)

Model the Skill: reading

primary sources

Point out that that formal diction, com-

plimentary tone, and reference to “my

project” make the writer likely to be an

employee, writing to his or her boss.

GUIDED PRACTICE Ask students to identify

the letter’s intended audience and purpose.

Remind them to use a chart like the one on

this page to keep track of their information.

RESOURCE MANAGER—Copy Master

Reading Primary Sources p. 339

(for student use while reading the

selections)

R E A D I N G

S T R A T E G YTEKS 2, RC-11(A)

letter to . . . occom / . . . adams 259

L11TE-u01s24-revoccum_TX.i 259 2/27/09 1:02:32 PM

Reverend Samson Occom

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Reverend and honored sir,I have this day received your obliging kind epistle, and am greatly satisfied with your reasons respecting the negroes, and think highly reasonable what you offer in vindication of their natural rights: Those that invade them cannot be insensible that the divine light is chasing away the thick darkness which broods over the land of Africa;1 and the chaos which has reigned so long, is converting into beautiful order, and reveals more and more clearly the glorious dispensation of civil and religious liberty, which are so inseparably united, that there is little or no enjoyment of one without the other: Otherwise, perhaps, the Israelites had been less solicitous for their freedom from Egyptian slavery;2 I do not say they would have been contented without it, by no means; for in every human breast God has implanted a principle, which we call love of freedom; it is impatient Aof oppression, and pants for deliverance; and by the leave of our modern Egyptians3 I will assert, that the same principle lives in us. God grant deliverance in his own way and time, and get him honor upon all those whose avarice impels them to countenance and help forward the calamities of their fellow creatures. This I desire not for their hurt, but to convince them of the strange absurdity of their conduct, whose words and actions are so diametrically opposite. How well the cry for liberty, and the reverse disposition for the exercise of oppressive power over others agree—I humbly think it does not require the penetration4 of a philosopher to determine.—

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Targeted Passage1


Practice and Apply

for english language learners

Language Coach

Word Definitions Possible answer: Wheatley is saying it’s absurd for colonial slaveholders to be clamoring for freedom from British rule while at the same time denying freedom to their slaves. Tell stu-dents that absurdity is a noun; absurd is the adjective that describes something as unreasonable, illogical, or stupid.

for struggling readersIn combination with the Audio Anthology CD, use one or more Targeted Passages (pp. 260, 262, 264) to ensure that students focus on key concepts in the selections. Targeted Pas-sages are also good for English learners.

1 Targeted Passage [Lines 1–13] This passage clarifies Wheatley’s view of the rights of African Americans and her acknowl-edgement of what they desire.

summaryWheatley’s letter applauds Occom’s defense of the natural rights of African Americans and points out that people cannot claim to love freedom yet oppress others.

read with a purposeHelp students set a purpose for reading. As they read the two letters, ask them to find what Wheatley and Adams have in common.

a DICTION

Possible answer: Phrases such as “obliging kind epistle” (line 1) and “glorious dispensa-tion” (line 6) give the letter a formal tone. White readers were probably surprised to encounter such writing from a black woman in a time when most black men and women were enslaved and illiterate. Wheatley’s language might have caused white people to think differently about black people.

L I T E R A R Y A N A L Y S I S TEKS 2, RC-11(A)

260 unit 1: early american writing

TEKS 1C

swer


• How does Wheatley feel about Reverend

Occom’s opinions about African Americans?

(lines 1–3)

• What two rights does Wheatley believe

cannot be separated? (line 7)

• Who does Wheatley compare enslaved

African Americans to? Why? (lines 8–13)


Vocabulary Use New Word Analysis to teach

these words: convince (line 16), require (line

19); philosophy (line 45).

BEST PRACTICES TOOLKIT—Transparency

New Word Analysis p. E8

Analyze Visuals

Possible answer: This image shows that slavery

was a popular trade in colonial America. A

white man is apparently attempting to sell a

slave to one of the colonists. There are many

colonists in the audience, which suggests that

this was a common practice and that many

colonists were interested in buying slaves.

revisit the big

Who gets to make the RULES?

Discuss In lines 10–19, whom does Wheatley

think has the ultimate authority over people?

What does she hope that authority will do?

Possible answer: Wheatley thinks that God has

the ultimate authority over people. She believes

God put the desire for freedom in every human

heart and will deliver that freedom when ready

(lines 13–14). She hopes that God will make

those who support freedom while oppressing

slaves realize the error of their thinking (line

14–15).

letter to . . . occom 261

TEKS 12

L11TE-u01s24-revoccum_TX.indd 261 2/16/09 2:08:17 PM


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Braintree, 7, May, 1776

How many are the solitary hours I spend, ruminating upon the past, and anticipating the future, whilst you, overwhelmed with the cares of state, have but a few moments you can devote to any individual. All domestic pleasures and enjoyments are absorbed in the great and important duty you owe your country, “for our country is, as it were, a secondary god, and the first and greatest parent. It is to be preferred to parents, wives, children, friends, and all things, the gods only excepted; for, if our country perishes, it is as impossible to save an individual, as to preserve one of the fingers of a mortified hand.” Thus do I suppress every wish, and silence every murmur, acquiescing in a painful separation from the companion of my youth, and the friend of my heart. B

I believe ’t is near ten days since I wrote you a line. I have not felt in a humor to entertain you if I had taken up my pen. Perhaps some unbecoming invective1 might have fallen from it. The eyes of our rulers have been closed, and a lethargy has seized almost every member. I fear a fatal security has taken possession of them. Whilst the building is in flames, they tremble at the expense of water to quench it. In short, two months have elapsed since the evacuation of Boston,2 and very little has been done in that time to secure it, or the harbor, from future

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Targeted Passage1


summary

Abigail Adams begins her letter by express-

ing the value of her husband’s work to found

the nation over his family’s needs. She then

describes the chaos and lack of leadership in

Boston. Adams urges the new government to

declare sovereignty and points out that men’s

power over women contradicts their goal to

liberate the nation.

revisit the big

Who gets to make theRULES?

Discuss In lines 13–18, does Adams character-

ize the people who have authority over Boston

and its colonists? Possible answer: Adams

does not think the rulers are doing a good job.

She believes that they are lazy and that they

feel secure, when they should not (lines 13–15).

She thinks they worry and focus on the wrong

things (lines 15–16).

for struggling readers

1 Targeted Passage [Lines 3–14]

This passage shows Adams’s view of the

newly forming country and reveals aspects

of her character and relationship with John.

• To what does Adams compare the new

country? Why? (line 5)

• What thoughts or feelings does Adams

suppress? (lines 8–10)

• Why does Adams say that she hasn’t

written her husband for nearly ten days?

(lines 11–13)

for english language learnersDevelop Reading Fluency Give students prac-

tice identifying fluent reading. Read the first

sentence of Adams’s letter aloud, emphasiz-

ing both the pauses signified by the commas

that set off clauses and the word you. Then

read the sentence aloud again, this time

without pausing for commas or emphasizing

you. Ask students which reading was clearer

to understand. Then have students read the

sentence chorally. Have them continue their

choral reading for more practice.

b Model the Skill: primary

sources

Read aloud lines 1–10. Have student discuss

whether they feel Adams is addressing

private or public concerns. Point out that

in lines 8–10, she tells her husband that

she misses him. Ask students to look for

remarks that are about public issues and

their relationship with those that focus on

personal concerns. Possible answer: Ad-

ams says her husband’s duties take prece-

dence over their personal lives.

R E A D I N G




letter to john adams ��


Concept Support: Reading Primary Sources

As students read the letter, help them fill out

the reading chart introduced on page 259.

Direct their attention to the boldface date

and location of writing. Have them read the

BACKGROUND for help in identifying purpose

and audience.

Writer: Abigail Adams

Form: personal letter

When and Where Written: at Adams’s home in Braintree, on May 7, 1776

Intended Purpose/Audience: letter to her husband, John, to inform him about colonial affairs and to remind him about being fair to women with the new laws

Analyze Visuals

Possible answer: These portraits are more

formal than the portraits that most young

couples would have done today. Most contem-

porary portraits would be photographs and

would show the couple together. They might be

posed informally in a familiar home or outdoor

setting. They would probably be smiling and

showing affection. The dress and hairstyles

would also be more natural.

tiered discussion prompts

Use these prompts to have students consider

Adams’s evaluation of her nation’s rulers in

lines 8–18:

Connect Have you or someone you know

ever worried about small details at the

expense of larger, more important issues?

Explain. Accept all thoughtful responses.

Interpret Consider the time period in which

Adams’s letter is written, then reread lines

15–16. What does the “building in flames”

represent? What does Adams mean when

she writes, “they tremble . . . to quench it”?

Possible answer: The “building in flames” is

the lingering fear in Boston of future inva-

sion by the British. Though British troops

evacuated the city nearly two months before,

nothing since has been done to secure it,

because the “rulers” or Continental Congress

in Philadelphia (to which her husband is a

delegate) “tremble” and won’t spend the

money for troops and supplies.

Evaluate What does Adams seem to think

of the response of the citizens of Boston to

the crisis? Possible answer: Adams seems

impressed by the sense of personal responsi-

bility the citizens have taken to secure their

city, an action that is in sharp contrast to the

“lethargy” of Congress.

letter to john adams 263

TEKS 12



invasion. The people are all in a flame, and no one among us, that I have heardof, even mentions expense. They think, universally, that there has been an amazing neglect somewhere. Many have turned out as volunteers to work upon Noddle’s Island, and many more would go upon Nantasket,3 if the business was once set on foot. “’T is a maxim of state, that power and liberty are like heat and moisture. Where they are well mixed, every thing prospers; where they are single, they are destructive.”

A government of more stability is much wanted in this colony, and they are ready to receive it from the hands of the Congress. And since I have begun with maxims of state,4 I will add another, namely, that a people may let a king fall, yet still remain a people; but, if a king let his people slip from him, he is no longer a king.5 And as this is most certainly our case, why not proclaim to the world, in decisive terms, your own importance? C

Shall we not be despised by foreign powers, for hesitating so long at a word?I cannot say that I think you are very generous to the ladies; for, whilst you

are proclaiming peace and good-will to men, emancipating all nations, you insist upon retaining an absolute power over wives. But you must remember, that arbitrary power is like most other things which are very hard, very liable to be broken; and, notwithstanding all your wise laws and maxims, we have it in our power, not only to free ourselves, but to subdue our masters, and, without violence, throw both your natural and legal authority at our feet;—

“Charm by accepting, by submitting sway,Yet have our humor most when we obey.”6

D

I thank you for several letters which I have received since I wrote last; they alleviate a tedious absence, and I long earnestly for a Saturday evening, and experience a similar pleasure to that which I used to find in the return of my friend upon that day after a week’s absence. The idea of a year dissolves all my philosophy.

Our little ones, whom you so often recommend to my care and instruction, shall not be deficient in virtue or probity,7 if the precepts of a mother have their desired effect; but they would be doubly enforced, could they be indulged with the example of a father alternately before them. I often point them to their sire, “engaged in a corrupted state,

Wrestling with vice and faction.”8E

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Language Coach

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Targeted Passage2


selection wrap–up

READ WITH A PURPOSE Now that students

have read the letters, they may note that both

writers address the shortcomings of men who

seek freedom for the colonies. Ask students

what each writer wants. Possible answers:

Wheatley wants the men to realize that slaves,

too, want and deserve freedom. Adams wants

them to relinquish the power they hold over

their wives, which is contradictory to their pro-

fessed desire for people of all nations to be free.

CRITIQUE

Have students evaluate whether both

writers express their points clearly.


2 Targeted Passage [Lines 32–51]

This passage reflects Adams’s view of

women’s rights and duties.

• Why does Adams say that her husband

and his colleagues aren’t “very generous

to the ladies”? (lines 33–34)

• Why does Adams appreciate her

husband’s letters? (lines 41–42)

• What qualities does Adams want to instill

in her children? (line 47)


Language CoachSimiles Possible answer: Power is com-

pared to heat, and liberty is compared to

moisture. Adams uses the comparison to

say that power and liberty, like heat and

moisture, are best expressed together, not

alone, where they can be destructive.

c diction

Possible answer: The words that suggest

a concern with political issues include

“government,” “stability,” and “colony” (line

25); “Congress” (line 26); “maxims of state”

(line 27); and “king” and “people” (line 28).

Adams’s diction shows that she uses sophis-

ticated thinking and is comfortable discuss-

ing issues of public policy.

e diction

Possible answer: Relationships between

husbands and wives were rather formal

during colonial times. Even when talking

about her children to her husband, Adams

uses formal language and little emotion.

L I T E R A R Y

A N A L Y S I S

L I T E R A R Y

A N A L Y S I S

TEKS 2, RC-11(A)

TEKS 2, RC-11(A)

d primary sources

Possible answer: Adams points out that

colonial men are interested in freeing them-

selves from Great Britain, but they continue

to keep their wives and daughters enslaved

(lines 32–34).

R E A D I N G




letter to the reverend samson occom / letter to john adams 265

After Reading

Comprehension 1. Recall What does Phillis Wheatley praise the Reverend Occom for doing?

2. Clarify In Wheatley’s opinion, what is the cause of slavery?

3. Recall Why does Abigail Adams put her country before personal happiness?

4. Clarify What is the situation in Massachusetts that Adams complains to her husband about?

Literary Analysis 5. Compare and Contrast In both letters, Wheatley and Adams reveal their

powerlessness to change what they clearly see as wrong. How do they personally deal with this lack of authority? Discuss how they cope with the following situations:

• slavery• lack of security due to inaction

• absolute power of men

6. Analyze Diction For each letter, look for examples of diction that reveal the writer’s tone. Then compare and contrast the tone of each, explaining possible reasons for any differences you find.

7. Analyze Primary Sources How are these personal letters letters useful or limited in their historical value? What insights do they provide that more formal documents, such as the Declaration of Independence, do not? How does the identity of the writer influence the content? Draw upon your chart to cite examples from the letters to prove your points.

8. Evaluate Argument Each woman makes an argument in her letter: Wheatley against slavery, and Adams against the “arbitrary power” of men. Who presents the stronger case? Cite evidence to support your opinion.

Literary Criticism 9. Historical Context Personal letters, such as Wheatley’s, offer a rare

opportunity to hear women’s voices from the past. What distinguishes Wheatley’s and Adams’s writing from the rhetoric of Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, and Tom Paine? What do their letters reveal about how women were expected to behave in early America?

Who gets to make the rules?Rules are everywhere—from the laws in government down to the rules at your school or at home. Why are rules and people who are given authority to enforce rules important?

READING 8 Analyze how the style, tone, and diction of a text advance the author’s purpose and perspective or stance. RC–11(A) Reflect on understanding to monitor comprehension.

TX_L11PE-u01s44-arLetters.indd 265 8/31/09 11:35:56 AM

Practice and Apply

lines 13–24, 32–38). Disadvantages: limited perspective: Adams’s view is limited by per-sonal vulnerability and fear. She expresses views atypical of women. Each writer is influenced by her specific situation as a former slave or the wife of a statesman.

8. Students might say that Wheatley’s argu-ment is stronger. Her facts are clear and she is unemotional. The personal details of Adams’s letter can cloud her points. All answers should include support.

9. Henry, Jefferson, and Paine use forceful rhetoric. The women’s writing is more accepting. The letters show that women were expected to accept their subordina-tion with humility and contentment.

Who gets to make the RULES? Students should recognize that rules help ensure an orderly society and that those responsible for enforcing them are entrusted with the responsibility to do so in a just and fair way.

For preliminary support of post-reading questions, use these copy masters:

RESOURCE MANAGER—Copy MastersReading Check p. 341Diction p. 337 Question Support p. 342 Additional selection questions are provided for teachers on page 331.

answers 1. supporting the natural rights of African

Americans 2. greed 3. because if her country perishes, then saving

individuals or their happiness won’t matter 4. The colony lacks security. Volunteers will

help, but they need Congress’s authority. Possible answers: 5. Wheatley points out the hypocrisy of

slave-holding ministers and trusts in God to stop slavery and its absolute power. Adams trusts in her husband for help with the colony’s lack of security. She appears skepti-cal about men’s absolute power changing. Both seem ultimately powerless.

6. teks focus Diction Lines 3–6 and 17–20 show Wheatley’s formal, polite, controlled and impersonal tone. Lines 8–13, 25–30, 32–34, and 41–45 show Adams’s informal, spontaneous, emotional, and personal tone. Adams’s tone is more personally forceful than Wheatley’s.

7. teks focus Reading Primary Sources Advantages: The letters give useful personal details and insights about life of the times (Wheatley: lines 13–20; Adams:

Assess and ReteachAssessDIAGNOSTIC AND SELECTION TESTS

Selection Tests A, B/C pp. 93-96Interactive Selection Test on thinkcentral.com

ReteachLevel Up Online Tutorials on thinkcentral.com

letter to the reverend samson occom / letter to john adams 265

TEKS 2, RC-II(A)

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