Multicultural Novel

Reading Guide
For English IV

Name:_________________________________________________
Period:____________

MULTICULTURAL NOVEL READING GUIDE

This packet contains everything you will need to complete during the reading of your
multicultural novel. Since all of you are reading different novels, and since people read and complete work at
different pacesand since much of your reading and work in college will be independentthe reading of this
novel and completion of this guide will be mostly independent, with certain shared deadlines. These deadlines
are as follows:
Section
Due Date
Pre-reading and Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4 and Conclusion
Each section should be completed either on a separate piece of paper or typed, if that is stated in the directions.
Please note that these are individual assignments. I will be checking for plagiarism, so please give your own
answers in your own words. Questions and reading are due on the dates provided above. The tasks will be
completed in class!

Pre-Reading: This should be done before you begin reading your novel.
Please type your responses to these questions:
0.1. What culture is your book about, based on the cover, the brief summary on the back, or what youve heard?
How familiar are you with that culture? Explain what you know, or think you know.
0.2. Why did you choose to read about this culture? What about the book interests or intrigues you?
0.3. Do you think the culture in your novel will be similar to yours, or very different? Why do you think this?
0.4. What are your expectations for this book? Why?
Please complete the following survey in this packet:
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES

NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO

I am aware of cultures outside my own.

Novel Part 1:

This part covers the first quarter of your novel.

Answer the following questions. Please type your responses. You MUST provide textual evidence when
specified (that means quotes).
1.1. Describe the main character in your novel, using textual evidence to support your description. What does
the characters description tell you about his/her culture? Explain with textual evidence.
1.2. Describe the setting of your novel, using textual evidence to support your description. Explain how the
setting is important to the story so far using textual evidence.
1.3. What moments in your novel have surprised you so far? Give textual evidence for each moment (you
should have 3-5) and explain why it was surprising to you.
1.4. Would you like to live in the area in which your novel takes place? Explain your answer with textual
evidence.
1.5. How much like you are the people in your novel? Explain with several examples from the text.
1.6. What cultural differences do you see between the people in your novel and the people in Antioch, Illinois?
Give at least three to five differences, with textual evidence, and explain how each is different from here.
1.7. How much do you think the culture in your novel affects the characters? Explain how the culture in the
book seems to be driving the story, using textual evidence to support your claims.
TASK:
Now, fill in the T-Chart below for yourself and the main character in your novel. Write down all the traits you
have that you can think of, and all the traits your main character has. Then, highlight the ones that are similar.
Myself: ___________________
Character Name:________________

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Novel Part 2:

This part covers the second quarter of your novel.

Answer the following questions. Please type your responses. You MUST provide textual evidence when
specified (that means quotes).
2.1. What major changes has your main character gone through since the start of your novel? How has he/she
grown as a person? Explain thoroughly with examples from the text.
2.2. What hardships are faced by your character as a result of his/her culture? Explain with examples from the
text. How do these hardships compare to your own? To your familys? To your communitys? Explain witn
detailed examples.
2.3. Are there conflicts in culture in your novel? In other words, do characters feel they need to behave one
way to satisfy one side of a culture and then another for a different side? Give at least three examples, with
textual evidence. Are there similar cultural conflicts in our own culture? What are they?
2.4. Could a person in the culture you are reading about survive in Antioch? Explain why or why not with
examples from the text.
TASK: Briefly research the author of your novel and provide a short biography (a paragraph or so, no more
than one page), properly cited in MLA format with a works cited. Is this person from the culture the book is
about? If so, what things in the book probably come from first-hand information, and how do you know? If
not, how accurate do you think the cultural portrayal in the novel is, and why do you think that? Use textual
examples to support your responses.

Novel Part 3:

This part covers the third quarter of your novel.

Find three quotes that stand out to you in this section of the book. Type these quotes, in proper MLA format,
and write a brief explanation for each as to what it means and why you chose it.
Next, answer these questions. Please type your responses.
3.1. What major changes has your main character gone through since the last section of your novel? How has
he/she grown as a person? Explain thoroughly with examples from the text.
3.2. Could you survive in the culture of your novel? Why/why not? Back up your responses with specific
textual examples.
3.3. What part of this section could you most relate to, and why? What part could you least relate to, and why?
Use textual evidence to explain your responses.

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TASK: Do a search on YouTube for the culture of your novel (just type in the country or ethnicity and then the
word culture ex: Mexican culture). Watch some of the videos (at least five), and be sure to keep track of
them for an MLA works cited. Summarize what you learned from the videos in a paragraph, with MLA
citations and a works cited page. Now, compare the videos you watched to the culture as it is presented in your
novel. Use the chart below to show what is different between your book and the videos you watched:
Videos Only

Both Videos and Novel

Novel Only

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Novel Part 4:

This part covers the last quarter of your novel.

Find three quotes that stand out to you in this section of the book. Type these quotes, in proper MLA format,
and write a brief explanation for each as to what it means and why you chose it.
Next, answer these questions. Please type your responses.
4.1. How did your novel end? Did you think it ended as it should have? Explain your answers with textual
evidence.
4.2. What things did the main character of your novel learn through the course of the book? What experiences,
in particular, helped to shape this learning? Give textual evidence to support your answers.
4.3. What does your novel have to say about humanity in general? Does it show people in a positive or
negative view? Why do you believe this? Prove your answer with textual examples.
4.4. Are you satisfied with the novel you picked? Why/why not? Be specific in your answer. Would you
recommend this novel to others? Again, explain why or why not, and be specific.
TASK: Be prepared to share your answers to questions 4.2 - 4.4 with the class on Friday, April 4.

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