Respond to Breaking Night
Humanities
Prologue (3 paragraph essay required)
The photograph of Liz Murray (Links to an external site.)’s mother, Jean Murray—which Liz keeps throughout her teen years, even when she’s run away from home—is an important symbol throughout the memoir. In many ways, Liz despises her mother, and not without reason. And yet, when Liz chooses to leave her family behind and live with friends, she takes only a few souvenirs of her old life, one of which is a faded, black-and-white photograph of her mother as a teenager. The language of the prologue reveals the significance of this photo to Liz.
Why is this photo important to Liz? What do you think it means that Liz carries the photo with her and looks at it often? Why do you think she compares herself to her mother? In your life, is there an important relative that you often compare yourself to? In which moments of your life have you found yourself thinking about a family member in a way similar to what Liz does in this prologue?
Note 1: Try making an outline to structure and organize ideas before you begin writing paragraphs!
Note 2: Always edit carefully before submitting because your response will serve as an example to the rest of the class!
Note 3: You have the freedom of speech and expression in this course, and I encourage you to speak powerfully. I also urge you to choose your words carefully, be clear with your intended meaning, and be respectful of ideas, cultures, and experiences that may differ from your own.
| Chapter 1: University Avenue: “Most of my behavior toward my parents was deliberate.” Why does Liz think so carefully about how to respond to her parents? Note 1: Always edit carefully before submitting because your response will serve as an example to the rest of the class! Note 2: You have the freedom of speech and expression in this course, and I encourage you to speak powerfully. I also urge you to choose your words carefully, be clear with your intended meaning, and be respectful of ideas, cultures, and experiences that may differ from your own. |
