Karlo Mila. ‘On Joining Pasifika ’

1. Karlo Mila. ‘On Joining Pasifika’ Identity unit, Year 10.

2. 6 question quiz. What is one main idea/theme in Amy Tan’s ‘Fish Cheeks’? What is one main idea/theme in Glenn Colquhoun’s ‘Bred in South Auckland’? What is one similarity on the use of language between ‘Fish Cheeks’ and ‘On joining Pasifika’? What is one similarity between all three texts we have studied so far? Can you give an example? What is a discordant image? Give an example. What is irony? Which text uses it? Extra questions: What is satire?

3. What is the significance of the last line? • She is using the dance to search for her own identity ‘searching for a rhythm/we’d never quite/been able to find/within ourselves’ and but she embraces it at the end ‘our truest selves.’

4. What is an extended metaphor? • An extended metaphor is a metaphor extended through multiple lines of a poem (or prose). • A metaphor is a figure of speech that uses two very different or two concepts that are not connected in any way, to draw a comparison between the two (e.g the fog is an old man). This helps us understand a main idea. • Metaphor Example: My life is a river (metaphor) • Extended metaphor example: My life is a river. It sometimes flows along with ease, but other times it is dark. My life is a river. It has many twists and turns. From Shakespeare: All the world's a stage (metaphor)and men and women merely players. (As You Like It) Effect: Helps us understand a theme clearly (for example the link between dance and identity). It also creates strong images in our minds through the repetition of words and ideas.

5. Extended metaphor. The poet compares movement/rhythm to identity. She has traditional rhythms (siva) and her new rhythms ‘power-walk’. When she is ‘searching for a rhythm’ she is searching for identity. This metaphor is extended through the poem.

6. Extended metaphor of movement.. • The poet uses different rhythms to show us the different identities the poet has. She is trying to RECLAIM her traditional identity ‘reclaim/a new dance from old memories.’ She is joiningPasifika- so there is the sense that she has let that part of her identity lapse abit. • Her traditional rhythms are slow, graceful e.g ‘grace/and ease of movement/ our grandmothers held.’ We get the impression that she is not there yet with the line about the sports socks!

7. Question. • What do you think ‘On Joining Pasifika’ is saying about identity? Consider the main ideas that the author might want us to think about. Write a paragraph on this, giving at least 4 examples from your text. Refer to the extended metaphor in the text, but also to other examples of language that you can find (e.g the feeling created by the text, or the use and repetition of certain words). This is how you link THEME to LANGUAGE. Extension: Can you link ‘On joining Pasifika’ to either ‘Fish Cheeks’ or ‘Born in South Auckland?’

8. Main idea/theme notes. • Mila wants us to think about the search for identity. • She also wants us to consider the reality of having two separate identities/cultures. The young narrator has more pride in her culture and traditions than Amy Tan does in ‘Fish Cheeks’ but still points out the reality of having different rhythms and different ways of moving through life. • She wants us to have pride in our culture. It is important that we find out who we are and where we come from, and embrace it. Our traditions are our ‘truest selves’! • As we all move through life, we all change identities sometimes and adapt new rhythms. We mustn’t forget the old ones!

9. What I will SuheirHammad.

10. Background information. Palestine-Israel conflict.

11. Focus Groups. Find out about and report back to the class on: • Key issues in Palestine/Israel conflict • Palestinian freedom of movement • Palestinian refugees and diasporas • Gaza Strip • Jerusalem and its control • Def poetry • US involvement in Palestine