What+is+the+What


 * Discussion Time:**
 * Friday****, January 20,** **12:55-2:25 (5B)**

Megan Decker Sydney Pellerin Sam Landry Kate Myers Olivia Conrad Wendy Sullivan Christine van Alstine Molly Montgomery Debbie Landry
 * Group Members:**

What is the What Group Discussion Agenda:

Pre-Discussion Information
The purpose of this section is to sort out the basic fiction elements in the novel. This is a good way to check your understanding of the novel, and the group can use this information as a reference during the discussion. You can use your collective knowledge to answer these questions and build a foundation for your discussion so the conversation can focus on higher level issues.


 * Characters (list at least three significant details about each character):

• Valentino Achak Deng - protagonist, • Dut Majok - leader of the lost boys, role model of Valentino, in part organized the refugee camp in Ethopia • William K - friend of Achak and Moses, dies on the way to Ethiopia, over exaggerates to the point of an extreme lie • Moses - friend of Achak and William K, thought to have died at Marial Bai, returns • Achor Achor - friend of Achak • Tabitha- Achak likes her, she is trying to recover from an abusive relationship in America, and she is eventually killed by her ex who is a psycho. • Maria- the girl who found Achak sleeping on the ground. She called him sleeper. • Michael- TV boy, he is in Achak’s and Achor Achor’s apartment. He never talked to Achak. The son of Tonya •Deng - One of the Lost Boys. Achak meets him on the walk to Ethiopia. Deng dies after eating the elephant meat. • Gop Chol Kolong- man who takes Achak in when he arrives in Kakuma. • Noriyaki- Japanese man who works with Achak in the education at Kakuma.  • Tonya- One of the robbers who robbed Achak’s apartment, mother of Michael  • Mr. Kondit- The teacher of Achak in Pinyudo


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Setting(s) Describe details including time and place, economic, cultural, geographic, seasonal elements. What are all of the details of the backdrop against which the novel is set that help to create its tone and ideas?:

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> • Atlanta, U.S. - In the beginning of the story, it takes place in Atlanta, when he got attacked. All through out the book, there are some scenes that take place in Atlanta. Achor Achor and Achak’s apartment are in Atlanta. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> • Marial Bai/Sudan- Achak’s home. Moses and William K’s home is there too. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> • Kakuma, Kenya <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> • Pinyudo, Ethiopia


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Important plot events - Choose at least 3 significant plot elements and explain their importance.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> • Murhaleen attack Marial Bai - Achak is forced to flee from his home. This is the event that ultimately separates him from his family. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> • Walk to Ethopia - Achak sees much death as he takes the treacherous journey through the desert. But there is also a sense of hope and optimism that Achak has as he escapes his war-ridden home of southern Sudan. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> • Ethiopian government kicks out refugees by force (many die) - this event symbolizes the beginning of Achak’s journey towards a better life. Although this event was traumatic for Achak, who never saw Dut again, it was also an event that pushed him to the refugee camp at Kakuma where, for the first time in a long time, he found some stability.


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Conflicts - Identify and elaborate on the conflicts that drive the plot.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> •What is the what? - the undying friction between Arabs and Blacks in Sudan (North v. South)
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Narration (point of view) - Describe how the telling impacts the story - the flashbacks provide a powerful point of view. As Valentino tells his story, you become more and more amazed as to how he got through it all.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Qualities of the journey - Each group member should make a statement about the journey (metaphorical, literal, etc.) and how the character changes (or not...).

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Throughout the journey in What is the What, you can see how Achak’s life was terrible in Sudan, and it is continuing in Atlanta.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">__Agenda:__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">We recognize that a good discussion is a mix of planned and spontaneous conversation. Therefore, this section is designed to help you to plan the discussion without prescribing too rigidly. Your agenda should have a good mix of the following:

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">• Discussion Questions:

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">__Personal Response Questions:__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">• Did you like how the story was written? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">• Did you find any scenes disturbing? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">• What was your favorite part in the book? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">• Do you believe that Achak was smart or lucky, in his ability to live through the Civil War in Sudan? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">• Was the refugee camp in Kenya a good place for Achak to be? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">• Do you think that in Achak’s place you would have joined the SPLA? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">• Why do you think Achak didn’t join the army? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">• How did you like the ending?

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">__Open- Ended Questions:__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">• Why was the writing style effective? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">• How did this book showcase America? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">• Does this book accurately portray America’s response to Sudanese immigrants? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">• Why does this book give Americans better understanding of the what happened in Sudan?

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">__Significant Passage Questions:__ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">• Why are the descriptions of the traumatic events affective in this novel? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">• INCLUDE any passages that were important here and ask questions about the passage. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">• What are some significant passages in the novel? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">• What are some passages that describe the relationship between Achak, and his father? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">• What are some significant passages that relate to the title of “What is the What” and the meaning behind it?

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Whip questions for the beginning of the discussion: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">• Did you like the book? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">• Who is your favorite character? <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Whip questions for the middle of the discussion:
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Protocall **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">How did you respond to a plot event?
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What passage(s) made an impact on you?


 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Whip questions for the end of the discussion: **
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What comment made today most affected your thinking?
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What have you learned most about the book/the issues raised by the book today?
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What questions still linger for you?
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">How has this book changed your perspective on your life/the world/Yarmouth/etc?

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ten Words or Less

 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">On your own or with one partner, summarize the book in ten words or less. Give everyone three minutes.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Channel the Author
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This works well to discuss the craft of the book.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Divide the group into two.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Each mini group composes a question directed to the author.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Examples: What do you want a reader to learn from your book?, Why did you write this?, Why did you divide the book into these chapters?
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">One mini group goes first and asks the other group their question. The other group gets a minute to confer and then a minute to respond to the question in the voice of author.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The whole group can openly discuss the response and ideas it generates.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Repeat the steps with the other mini group’s question.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 24px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Passage Path
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Try this if you’ve talked with your books closed for a while. It is helpful to use the language of the book as a way to open a discussion.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Everyone should refresh their memory of passages they've marked as important in the text.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">One person starts by bringing the group to a passage that felt significant. He or she briefly explains why the passage feels important.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The rest of the group should be thinking about other passages that compares or contrasts (for any reason) to the original. When a participant feels she has one, direct the rest of the group members to the page number and read the passage aloud. The participant explains the connection to the first passage; others can contribute.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Repeat #2 until as many passages have been brought up as there are participants in the group, or for a small group, go around twice. Feel free to make connections to passages discussed earlier.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Be aware not to but undue pressure on individuals with this protocol, but work together to find and explain the connections between the passages.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Other: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Discussion with Valentino Achak Deng: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|__http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V7MeewG_MU__] <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Critical Essay: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|__http://go.galegroup.com.ursus-proxy-10.ursus.maine.edu/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=RELEVANCE&inPS=true&prodId=LitRC&userGroupName=maine&tabID=T001&searchId=R7&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=BasicSearchForm&currentPosition=3&contentSet=GALE|A221417275&&docId=GALE|A221417275&docType=GALE&role=LitRC__]

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|__http://www.valentinoachakdeng.org/comments_from_authors.php__]

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Interview with Valentino Achak Deng and Dave Eggers: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">[|__http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6412768__]