Making Claims

Making Claims for TEWWG

Multiple Choice

Step 1: Identify a character who has sacrificed something in a way that reveals their values (what they believe is important).

• Nanny

• Logan

• Janie

• Joe

Multiple Select

Step 2: Identify what the character sacrificed or surrendered?

• Her dream of experiencing love

• Her money

• Her voice

• Her friends

• Her freedom to be herself

Multiple Select

Step 3: Identify what these sacrifices reveal about the character's values?

• she valued money more than anything

• She valued the opinions of others

• She didn't value anything at all

• She valued keeping the peace and avoiding confrontation

• She valued doing the right thing

Open Ended

Step 4: Locate some evidence from the text that supports what we said about the character valuing: (at least 1)

*the opinions of others, especially those she loves

*keeping the peace and avoiding confrontation

*doing the right thing

Multiple Select

Step 5: Identify what this evidence reveals about the meaning of the work as a whole

• Listening to the opinions of others is the wise thing to do

• You have to have the courage to speak up for yourself and say what you mean

• You have to have the courage to value your own opinions

• Giving away your freedom is the best way to love and keep the peace

• No one else can live your life, so you must live it for yourself

So now we have some claims -

Janie is the character who sacrificed or surrendered her:

• Dream of experiencing love

• Her voice

• Her freedom to be herself

Those sacrifices reveal that she values:

• The opinions of others, especially those she loves

• Peace and promoting kindness

• Doing the right thing and being a good person

This contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole by showing us that in life, sometimes:

• You have to have the courage to speak up for yourself and say what you mean

• You have to have the courage to value your own opinions

• No one else can live your life, so you must live it for yourself

Open Ended

Write write a claim that puts all these pieces together - that would begin the process of responding to the prompt:

Select a character that has deliberately sacrificed, surrendered, or forfeited something in a way that highlights that character’s values. Then write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how the particular sacrifice illuminates the character’s values and provides a deeper understanding of the meaning of the work as a whole.

Possible response

In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Janie sacrifices her dreams, freedom and her voice. Her sacrifices reveal that she values the opinions of others, likes to keep the peace, and ultimately wants to do the right thing. When she marries Logan to satisfy Nanny, Janie sacrifices her dream of experiencing love and living a satisfying life. This reveals to us that she truly valued Nanny's opinion that this would help her life a good life. When she keeps quiet throughout the majority of her marriage to Joe, even when he mistreats her, this reveals that she has sacrificed her voice and values keeping the peace. When she wears the scarf and serves in the store each day, Janie sacrifices her freedom to be herself. This reveals that she wanted to do the right thing and be a good wife. All of this contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole and shares that wisdom that at some point in life, you have to learn to value your own opinion and live life for yourself.