Praxis: The Tattooed Soldier by Héctor Tobar

Background

Author Information

Héctor Tobar – Novelist, Writer about Town, Opinionator, Literary Journalist, University Professor

Foundational Concepts Slide Decks

The foundational concepts slide decks can help provide context for text-based discussions, transmediation practice, and multimodal projects. Suggested slide decks for The Tattooed Soldier include: (De)colonization, Culture, Diaspora, Economic Systems, Gender, and Narrative.

Engagement

Paratextual Engagement

“Paratext and Literary Value,” CanLit Guides

Possible paratextual reflection questions for The Tattooed Soldier could include:

Describe the imagery on the novel’s cover. What does it say to you? Does it remind you of imagery you’ve seen before? What might the imagery reveal about cultural considerations in the text?
Reflect on the title, how the title is positioned on the cover, and the font that is used. What do these elements communicate to you? What are some of your own associations with the words in the title? Where do these associations come from (consider your cultural perspective, lived experiences, etc.)?
Consider the review quote on the bottom of the cover. What might it tell us about how culture and power come in to play in this novel?
Choose one other paratextual element and create your own reflection question for the class.

Collaborative Engagement Digital Wall

Critical Intercultural Inquiry

Critical Lenses

Suggested critical lenses for facilitating critical intercultural inquiry into The Tattooed Solider include the diaspora lens, historical lens, culture and/or ethnicity lens, psychological lens, and socio-economic lens. The questions listed under each lens can be used as a starting point, and the class community can add more specificity to these questions based on the novel and inquiry process.

Reflection Prompts

Below are possible critical intercultural inquiry reflection prompts for The Tattooed Soldier. These could be used to guide/focus readings, class discussions, or smashbook entries.

What are the cultures (and subcultures) in the novel? Which characters belong to these cultural groups? How do these cultural affiliations inform the characters’ identities?
How does your cultural lens impact your reading of this text? Do you see your culture(s) (or elements of your cultures) reflected in the novel? What more do you need to know to understand the cultural backgrounds and perspectives of the characters?
Consider the language (register, dialect, etc.) used in the narrative. What do they reveal about cultural ways of communicating and knowing? How do these linguistic considerations relate to power structures in the novel?
How and where are power dynamics revealed in the novel (think about interpersonal, socio-economic, colonial, and national factors)? How do these power dynamics relate to race, ethnicity, culture, and/or history?
What are some elements related to culture and/or power in the novel that you would like to explore? Create a reflection question and pose it to the class.

Empowered Multimodal Scholarship

Transmediation Prompts

Transmediation prompts for student-led discussions on The Tattooed Soldier could include:

Locate a text/object that reminds you of one of the characters in The Tattooed Soldier. What is it about this text/object that connects to this particular character for you? How might identity and culture come into play here?
Locate a text/object that connects to one of the overarching themes of the book. What is the theme and how does the text/object connect to it? How does this theme relate to how culture and/or power is expressed in the novel?
Locate a text/object that connects to a specific passage in the book. Which passage did you choose and how does the text/object connect to it? How does this passage relate to culture and/or power?
The Tattooed Soldier deals with multiple levels of power (state, capitalist, military, interpersonal, etc.). How might you visually express one or more of these power structures through a collection of texts/objects? How do these texts/objects enter into conversation with one another and the novel?
Design your own transmediation prompt on some aspect of The Tattooed Soldier and suggest it to the class.

Multimodal Projects

The following prompts could be used to guide student inquiry and shape longer multimodal projects. In addition to (or instead of) the instructor providing prompts, students can develop their own prompts with support from the instructor.

How do the concepts of colonization and capitalism shape the conditions of diaspora that the characters experience in Los Angeles? How do the (sub)cultures in the novel respond to and/or move beyond these structural conditions?
Consider how gender is represented in the novel (through the characters of Antonio, Longoria, and Elena). How are expressions of gender informed by culture? How are gender and power interlinked in the narrative?
How is violence portrayed in the novel? What are the roots and impacts of this violence? How do the episodes of violence relate to overall power dynamics represented in the novel?
Consider the role of narrative and literature in the novel. What is the role of literature in the revolution (according to Antonio)? How does literature reflect and/or inform power dynamics throughout the novel?