Page 136 - The Language of Composition 4e Teacher Edition Sample.indd

e
e
o come lo
d t
gr
ash
S Sasha, agreed to come look after your grave. Do
, a
a
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. D
a
ok aft
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4
you hear me?
you hear me?
I am in Odessa, Father. It is 2018, 25 years
I am in Odessa, Father. It is 2018, 25 years
after we left this city. I come back here so that I
after we left this city. I come back here so that I
Identity
can turn off my hearing aids and stop time. I put
can turn off my hearing aids and stop time. I put
©Graywolf Press. Cover design by Kapo Ng. Cover art by Gail Schneider. I take my hands off the wall — nothing. Hands 75
my hands to the wall—and hear the sound of
my hands to the wall — and hear the sound of
taxis stopping at the lights, the whooshing of
taxis stopping at the lights, the whooshing of
trolleys, the women arguing on the street corner.
trolleys, the women arguing on the street corner.
I take my hands off the wall—nothing. Hands
Copyright (c) 2023 Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Uncorrected proofs have been used for this sample chapter.
to the wall — a dog barks, a siren rises in the
to the wall—a dog barks, a siren rises in the
avenue. Hands off the wall—nothing.
avenue. Hands off the wall — nothing.
It is 1993 again. Silence doesn’t subscribe to
It is 1993 again. Silence doesn’t subscribe to
the concept of time. . . .
the concept of time. . . .
•
Distributed by Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Strictly for use with its products. Not for redistribution.
ilence of an O
ain this s
des
a
s
I r
I refuse to explain this silence of an Odessa
efus
o expl
e t
street to anyone — it is too intimate. I come here
because my parents can never come back. I
because my parents can never come back. I
make it to this city so Mother can again march at
make it to this city so Mother can again march at
DIFFERENTIATION This is the cover of Kaminsky’s 2019 book street to anyone—it is too intimate. I come here
the end of the column of sailors, as my father
the end of the column of sailors, as my father
salutes.
Deaf Republic. The poems in the book take place salutes.
Connections to Text in an unnamed country under military occupation. Your ears aren’t empty, Mother used to say,
Your ears aren’t empty, Mother used to say,
they are open.
Kaminsky has used the statement “Silence At the beginning of the book, soldiers kill a they are open.
is the invention of the hearing” in several deaf boy and immediately after the citizens of I have no one to whom I can explain what
I have no one to whom I can explain what
the country become deaf in protest. They
contexts: here, in paragraph 71; in an communicate and plan their resistance in sign happens when I finally turn my hearing aids
happens when I finally turn my hearing aids
annotation within his poetry collection Deaf language. on—now the tremble of the inner ear is relent-
on — now the tremble of the inner ear is relent-
Republic (there’s a multimedia version of What themes does this cover image convey? less. The brain is taught: This is the shuffle of
less. The brain is taught: This is the shuffle of
some of the poems on the New Yorker’s What aspects of Kaminsky’s argument does it your own feet. This is the voice of your hotel
your own feet. This is the voice of your hotel
site); in an interview with the Guardian support? neighbor speaking in the other room as it
neighbor speaking in the other room as it
called “‘I will never hear my father’s voice’: vibrates through the walls. When I turn the
vibrates through the walls. When I turn the
Ilya Kaminsky on deafness and escaping hearing aids on in these streets, my parents are
hearing aids on in these streets, my parents are
not believe in silence. Silence is the invention of
the Soviet Union”; in a tweet about the not b elie v e in s ilence . S ilence is the in v en tion of dead again. So, I turn them off.
dead again. So, I turn them off.
the hearing.
Russian invasion of Ukraine on February the hearing. Here I see us: In the afternoon, we are walk- -
er
e I s
Here I see us: In the afternoon, we are walkalk
e w
Here I see us: In the afternoon, we are walk-
H
e us
erno
n the aft
: I
e
on, w
e ar
28, 2022. Students could examine the • ing down Pushkinskaya Street with our heavy
ing down Pushkinskaya Street with our heavy
statement in those four contexts and create suitcases, we are headed toward the train sta-
statement in those four contexts and cr
eate
suitcases, we are headed toward the train sta-
a
y
a Venn diagram that states their overlap- S Shura, goodbye, I am leaving. We were standing tion. It is the 14th of January, 1993. It’s snowing.
vin
h
e w
. W
e
, I am le
a
db
g
, g
e s
er
tandin
o
ur
g
o
tion. It is the 14th of January, 1993. It’s snowing.
ping and separate meanings. For another at the cemetery. I watch my father’s lips circle The trolleys and cabs aren’t functioning. We are
at the cemetery. I watch my father’s lips circle
The trolleys and cabs aren’t functioning. We are
view, you could have students read Sara the silence of his goodbye as he kneels before dragging our suitcases across the city to the
the silence of his goodbye as he kneels before
dragging our suitcases across the city to the
Novic’s reflection “Silence Brought Me a Shura’s grave. Goodbye, my dear. I am leaving. train, saying good morning to this city for one
Shura’s grave. Goodbye, my dear. I am leaving.
train, saying good morning to this city for one
Community and Escape” (July 19, 2022): I am going away to give my boy a future. last time, Victor and Ella Kaminsky and
I am going away to give my boy a future.
last time, Victor and Ella Kaminsky and
she comments on Kaminsky’s lines and her It is snowing. It is 1993. I watch my father’s their son.
It is snowing. It is 1993. I watch my father’s
their son.
experience of deafness. lips whisper to the gravestone: Our postman, 2018
lips whisper to the gravestone: Our postman,
242
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CLOSE READING
®
AP Teaching Tip. You might have students and stop time” and “Your ears aren’t empty,
examine the last two sections and consider Mother used to say, they are open” and ask
their function as a conclusion to the essay. them to discuss the connections between
The sections are layered and complex, but the two. Their conclusions here might not be
they synthesize many threads. You could definitive, but they will probably raise fruitful
ask students to reread the final two sections, questions for class discussion. You can also
starting at paragraph 72, and highlight in ask your students how the last two sections
different colors references to silence/deaf- respond to the question in paragraph 17,
ness, to the past, and to the present. Then, “What is it I am trying to recall?” This work
direct them to the statements “I come back will reinforce the Unit 4 CED focus on the
here so that I can turn off my hearing aids functions of conclusions (RHS-1.J).
242 chapter 4 / Identity
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