Champion of the world maya angelou questions and answers

This essay will explore the method of narration, which is discussed in chapter 5 of the Bedford Reader. The two prompts below ask you to analyze elements of “Fish Cheeks” by Amy Tan and “Champion of the World” by Maya Angelou. Use references to the text with proper documentation to support your responses.

Choose ONE of the prompts listed below.

(“Fish Cheeks” pg. 77) Take a perspective like that of the minister’s son, Robert. Write a narrative essay about the time when you had to adjust to participating in a culture different from your own. It could be a meal, a wedding or other rite of passage, a religious ceremony, a trip to another country. What did you learn from the experience, about yourself and others?

(“Fish Cheeks”) From Tan’s essay, one can infer two very different sets of assumptions about the extent to which immigrants should seek to integrate themselves into the culture of their adopted country. Take either of these positions in favor of or against assimilation (cultural integration) and make an argument for your case.

(“Champion of the World”) Angelou does not directly describe relations between African Americans and whites, yet her essay implies quite a lot. Write a brief essay about what you can infer from the exaggeration of paragraphs 16-17and the obliqueness of paragraph 28. Focus on Angelou’s details and the language she uses to present them.

Both “Champion of the World” and “Fish Cheeks” tell stories of feeling like outsiders in a predominantly White America. Compare and Contrast the two writers’ perceptions of what sets them apart from the dominant culture. How does the event each writer discusses affect that sense of difference? Use specific examples from both essays as your evidence.