Daddy Tucked the Blanket

and His Son’s Big Doll

Professor Peih-ying Lu

December 10, 2009

Pre-reading questions

Williams includes many details that illustrate the severity of his childhood poverty and the way it affected him.

A. List the details that demonstrate the condition of the houses in which Williams and his family lived.B. List the actions of Williams and his siblings that show they were ashamed of where they lived.C. List the details that show his parents were hard- working and loved their children. 

Why was Williams “ashamed” of where he lived?A. Why was it impossible to keep the house clean?B. Why was it impossible to fix up the house?C. Why was it harder on the girls than the boys to live in a dilapidated house?D. Why did Williams’ Parents frequently argue with each other?

Introduction

The author’s Background His High-School Life His Family Background/Family Life

1. Housing

2. His Mother / His Father

4. Social Status / Social Ladder General Concept of poverty

Making Connections: “Daddy Tucked the Blanket” vs. “His Son’s Big Doll”

Dignity and Poverty Identity and Poverty

Examples from three readings

How would you understand the issue of identity in “His Son’s Big Doll” and “Daddy Tucked the Blanket”?

How is Kunshu’s relationship with his son influenced by his job of being a Sandwich Man?

Making Connections with Other Texts: “Daddy Tucked the Blanket” vs. “His Son’s Big Doll”

How does poverty impact Kun-shu and Williams’s psyche?

What influence does poverty bring to the relationship between Kun-shu and A-zhu and that between Williams’s parents?

Making Connections with Your Own Life

Fundamental human condition

Telling your own experiences……