Objectives: TSWBAT:

• increase knowledge of and respect for Indian culture (especially marriage customs)
• connect/compare own experiences with experiences of character from another country
• understand loving and losing a pet as a universal experience
• feel empathy/sympathy for a character who lives in another country
• rework a scene from another point of view

Resources/Materials: short story Diamond Dust: A Tragedy by Anita Desai (13 pgs.)

Time Frame: 2 class periods (approximately 80 minutes)

Procedures/Activities:

• Pre-reading: What do you know about Indian culture? If you have an Indian student, have him/her act as an expert; otherwise, the teacher needs to do research to answer questions that may come up. If teacher can't answer some of the questions, assign the questions to students to research and present to class the next day.
• Pre-reading: Using the title of the story, predict what the story will be about. What do you think of when I say "diamond"? What do you associate with "dust"? Is the title a paradox? Create a T-chart on the board or easel paper and record student responses.
• Pre-reading: Have you ever had a pet? If so, how did you discipline him/her? If you haven't had a pet, how have you observed others disciplining their pets? What types of bad behaviors required discipline? What types of discipline seem appropriate/too severe?
• Pre-reading: Research Indian marriage customs and do a presentation. (Mr. and Mrs. Das, the main characters, were married when she was 14 and he was 19)
• Pre-reading: Journal entry: How would you feel if someone told you that you had to get married right now? What would your reaction be?
• Assign story to be read (either in class or as a homework assignment)
• Discussion questions: (1) What types of pet names do you think Mr. Das made up for Diamond? (p. 51) (2) Mrs. Das called Diamond "…Satan, a shaitan, a devil." (p. 50) What do you think? Was the dog a "diamond", a treasure, or a devil? Defend your answer with textual evidence. What might be the symbolic interpretation of the name "Diamond"? (Possibly write a paragraph?) (3) How do you interpret the ending? Why did the author end the story with the death of Mr. Das? (4) Why is it ironic that the tragedy struck "during broad daylight, in the bright sunshine on a winter Sunday, and there were so many witnesses…"? (5) If you were Mrs. Das, how would you react to your husband's behavior? Do you think you would understand his obsession with the dog?
• Discuss Desai's style of writing. Write, in Desai's style, an extension to the story- what you think happens to Diamond- is he killed? Does he escape from the dogcatcher?
• Discuss possible themes. Why do you think Desai wrote this story? What message or theme does Desai attempt to impart?

Vocabulary:
shaitan (50) maidan (52, 56) Bharti Nagar (52)
ayah (53) homeopath (53) yogi (55)
Jubbulpore (55) badmash (56) sari (59)
lethargy (62)
Use following web site to define Indian words: http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/readers_guides/desai_fasting_feasting.shtml

Assessment:

• Vocabulary quiz on terms.
• Choose a scene from the story and rewrite it from Mrs. Das's point of view. (character development and point of view assessed)
• Write a one-page essay about a time you lost a pet, or when you observed someone else losing a pet. How did you/the other person feel and act? How were those feelings similar to/different from Mr. Das's?
• Compare answers from pre-reading activity #2 with knowledge gained from reading the story. Did the story follow the prediction we made based on the title?

Lesson Extensions:

VISUAL:

1. Create a "lost dog" poster for Diamond.
2. Make a map of significant story locations.
3. Design a new cover for the book. Include blurb on back.
4. Make an advertisement (print) for the story.
5. Create a poster for the movie version of the story.

1. Find a song/poem that deals with loss. Bring in a copy of the lyrics/poem and the song. Play the song for the class and explain the connection between the feelings about loss expressed in the song/poem and the short story.
2. Write your own song/rap/poem that deals with loss and perform it for the class.

1. Have Mr. Das write a Dear Abby letter detailing his problems with Diamond and write Dear Abby's response.
2. Compare and contrast this story with other short stories/novels we have read this year that deal with loss as a theme.
3. Write a final scene to the story in which witnesses go to inform Mrs. Das about her husband's death.
4. Create a "found poem" from the text. Read aloud and discuss choices.

1. Act out a talk show, in which Mr. and Mrs. Das go on Oprah to talk about their marital problems and his obsession with their dog.
2. Put Diamond on trial- did he get what he deserved for his bad behavior? Assign a judge, prosecuting attorney, defense attorney, witnesses, and a jury.
3. Write and perform a radio ad or TV commercial for the story.

RESEARCH:

• Research and give a presentation on marriage customs of India. The following web sites will be helpful:
  • http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/j/c/jcw194/inidan_marriage.htm
  • http://www.marriageindia.com/
• Research and give a presentation on the author's life and how it relates to the story.
• Listen to a talk show about Indian fiction and authors, including Anita Desai.
  • http://www.theconnection.org/archive/2001/03/0326b.shtml

RELATED INTERNET SITES:

• http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF14/1422.html
  After reading the information contained on this site, what could be another meaning of the title Diamond Dust? Why is it appropriate that the story is about a dog?
• http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/readers_guides/desai_fasting_feasting.shtml
  Contains bibliographical information about the author, additional discussion questions for the other short stories in Diamond Dust, a vocabulary section of Indian words, and an India timeline.
• http://www.compulsivereader.com/article1012.html
  Contains reviews of the novel.

NEW JERSEY CORE CONTENT STANDARDS:
3.3 All students will write in clear, concise, organized language that varies in content and form for different audiences and purposes.
3.3.15 Students will understand that written communication can affect the behavior of others.
3.4 All students will read a variety of materials and texts with comprehension and critical analysis.
3.4.18 Students will begin to identify common aspects of human existence.
3.4.22 Students will analyze text for purpose, ideas, and style of the author.
3.4.23 Students will understand the role of characters, setting, and events in a given literary work.
3.4.24 Students will understand the concepts of figurative language, symbolism, allusion, connotation, and denotation.
3.4.27 Students will understand that our heritage is marked by distinct literary movements and is part of a global literary tradition.
3.4.28 Students will analyze how works of a given period reflect historical events and social traditions.

Global Citizen 2000 Modules-- Core Questions Addressed

Global Literature Module:
What are universal experiences?
How do they relate to the concerns of the adolescent reader/writer?
How does geography shape/influence/impact human experience?
How does the need for story cross cultural boundaries?
How does personal experience reflect cultural experience?
How does the study of global literature foster empathy with others?
Stereotypes, Ethics, and Universal Values Module