Praxis: There There by Tommy Orange

Background

Author Information

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 There There include: (De)colonization, Culture, Economic Systems.

Engagement

Paratextual Engagement

“Paratext and Literary Value,” CanLit Guides

Possible paratextual reflection questions for There There 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 NYT award seal. What does the choice to include this on the cover reveal about this book, power structures in the publishing industry, etc.?
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 There There include the (de)colonial lens, socio-economic lens, culture and/or ethnicity lens, psychological lens, and narrative 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 There There. 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, colonial, and financial factors)? How do these power dynamics relate to race, ethnicity, or culture?
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 There There could include:

There There is written from the perspectives of multiple characters. Locate a text/object that reminds you of one of the characters in the book. 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?
Consider the way There There is organized (multiple perspectives and episodes). How might you visually express this organization 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 about some aspect of There There 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.

Consider the relational and power dynamics between white people and Native Americans in the novel. How do these dynamics connect with (de)colonization?
Consider how art is represented in the novel. What role does art serve? How is art informed by culture? How does the production of art in the novel resist or reinforce power dynamics that exist in U.S. society?
How is storytelling portrayed in the novel? What are the roots and impacts of these practices? How does storytelling relate to culture and the way(s) the characters shape and claim their own identities? Consider the power dynamics related to storytelling and/or narrative construction.
Consider the role of spirituality throughout the novel. In what ways are these spiritual practices culturally informed? How to generational dynamics come into play here? How does spirituality relate to or inform power dynamics throughout the novel?