Chapter 10: "A Test of Courage"

Read silently to the top of page 188.

• Question: What is his goal?
  
• Answer: To kiss a girl.
  
• Question: How have his goals changed since the beginning of the novel?
  
• Answer: Used to want a glove, now he is interested in the opposite sex, growing up.

Finish the chapter silently.

Chart:

• It was because I was too chicken to ever say anything to a girl." (184): Interior Monologue: Sensitive, afraid of the opposite sex. Lacking self-confidence.
  
• Goal now is to kiss a girl: Action: Growing up.
  
• Willing to get beat up to kiss a girl: Action: Brave. Determined. Passionate about achieving goal.

Chapter 11: "Going Home"

Literary terms:

• symbol: something that stands for something else
  
• coming of age: maturing, growing up

Students read aloud.

Discuss: Direct students’ attention to first complete paragraph, top of page 198. How has the glove become a symbol of Manny's coming of age? Has he lost some of his innocence? Is he still a "parrot in the oven"?

Discuss: Direct students to quote about Eddie liking to hit white boys to watch them turn red, and to the fact that he himself is European American. (206) What do you think about people preferring another race to their own?

• Question: What realization does Manny have about Eddie's identity on page 210?
  
• Answer: He must be the one who got her pregnant.
  
• Question: At the bottom of page 210 Manny has an epiphany. What is it?
  
• Answer: Realizes he is not like Eddie. He cares about people and believes in fair and respectful treatment for all.
  
• Question: What epiphany does Manny have at the end of the novel?
  
• Answer: Reread aloud his description of his newfound appreciation for his home and family.

Chart:

• "It was like I'd finally seen my own face and recognized myself: recognized who I really should be.” Interior Monologue: Rejects criminal activity. Realizes he wants people to treat each other well. Sorting out his values.
  
• Realizes how "wondrous" are his family and his home: Interior Monologue: Clarifying his values. Recognizing the importance of home and family.