Emako Blue

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Emako’s Perspective”

In this activity, students will write a creative narrative from the perspective of protagonist Emako.

Although Emako is the titular character of the novel, no chapter is written from her perspective. Add an Epilogue to Woods’s novel from the perspective of Emako prior to her death. Write your Epilogue in first-person perspective; craft Emako’s voice and ideas based on what you learned about her from Monterey, Jamal, Eddie, and Savannah. Consider the following questions before writing:

• How does Emako feel about Monterey, Jamal, Eddie, and Savannah, and how might she show her feelings?
• How does Emako feel about her home situation? What is she most worried about, and how might she try to contend with her worries?
• What are her future plans and dreams? How will she accomplish them?

After drafting your Epilogue, share an excerpt from your narrative in a brief presentation.

Teaching Suggestion: For additional scaffolding, students might complete timed brainstorming activities with the bulleted questions to generate, then narrow down ideas for their written piece. In presenting an excerpt from the Epilogue, students might also determine which central theme is most apparent in their writing and explain their rationale for that choice to peers.

Differentiation Suggestion: For an alternative approach, students’ Epilogues might focus on a changed ending to the novel: Imagine that Emako did not die at the end of the novel and that her friends’ narratives were written during the time she recovered from the gunshot. How would Emako respond to her friends’ accounts? How would her experience shape her future decisions?

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Woods’s novel follows four different narrators as they grapple with the death of their friend Emako Blue. Select one narrator on whom to focus for this question.

• Summarize the way in which Emako’s life and death shapes this character.
• What facets of this character’s traits or personality grow or change as a result of knowing and losing Emako? Choose 3 strong events or reactions from a variety of locations in the novel to analyze in support of your topic sentence. (topic sentence)
• In your concluding sentences, explain how the impact on this character represents the impact on the larger community within the text and how this impact demonstrates The Effects of Gang Violence on Individuals and Communities.

2. Monterey’s feelings about her parents are complex.

• How do Monterey’s goals conflict with her parents’ goals regarding her actions and future? (topic sentence)
• Using at least 3 scenes or plot events as examples, trace the development of Monterey’s character arc over the course of the novel. How do her feelings about her own maturity and her parents’ involvement in her life change?
• In your concluding sentences, summarize the way in which Monterey’s relationship with her parents helps to develop the theme What It Means to Be Grown Up.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Consider the element of music in the novel. For which characters is music meaningful and important? How does music impact various scenes of significance? In a 3- or 5-paragraph essay, explain what music comes to symbolize in the text overall. Does its significance differ for each character?  

2. Emako’s death affects each character differently, but the event has common implications and lessons for the community as well. In a structured paragraph, discuss the ways in which at least one aspect of her death unites the characters overall. Offer details and examples from the text as support for your thoughts and explain your rationale.           

3. Consider the representation of gender in the novel and the ways in which the central teen characters view gender roles. To what extent does gender link to their roles in society, as well as their understanding of social mobility in their community? In a structured paragraph, explore the messages conveyed by character relationships and reactions regarding gender roles. What does the novel’s representation of gender roles signify about its time setting, and how might the plot or character actions be different in current times?

Multiple Choice and Long Answer Questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, exams, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Which of the following phrases best describes the relationship between Emako and Monterey?

A) Close friends

B) Ardent rivals

C) Loving siblings

D) Distant acquaintances

2. Which of the following words best describes Emako at school?

A) Dismissed

B) Revered

C) Disliked

D) Unknown

3. With regard to which of the following attributes do Emako and Monterey differ?

A) Ethnic background

B) Native language

C) Socioeconomic circumstances

D) Gender identity

4. What does Emako tease Monterey about?

A) For caring too much about clothes

B) For listening to too much rap music

C) For wearing the wrong type of make-up

D) For acting like a child

5. Which of the following combination of words best describes Savannah’s personality?

A) Studious and thrifty

B) Rebellious and jealous

C) Clever and sincere

D) Generous and humble

6. Which of the following phrases best describes how Emako responds to boys’ advances?

A) Ashamed

B) Indifferent

C) Confused

D) Embarrassed

7. Which of the following sentences best describes one way in which Eddie and Emako are similar?

A) They both live with their fathers only.

B) They both have brothers who are incarcerated.

C) They both dream of attending university out of state.

D) They both work part-time jobs at a fast-food restaurant.

8. Which of the following phrases best describes how Jamal feels about gang violence in his city?

A) Determined to abolish it

B) Pleased to acknowledge it

C) Willing to participate in it

D) Resolved to stay out of it

9. Which of the following words best describes how Emako feels about her family?

A) Indifferent

B) Offended

C) Protective

D) Ashamed

10. Which of the following words best describes how Eddie, Jamal, and Savannah initially react to hearing the news of Emako’s death?

A) Disbelief

B) Understanding

C) Nonchalance

D) Fear

11. As Monterey describes the scene of Emako’s funeral, she says, “Daddy put his arm in mine. Mama took my hand and held it. I leaned into her and put my head on her shoulder. My mama, she was cool and sweet like ice cream.” (Chapter 20) Which of the following literary terms does Monterey use in this quote?

A) Allusion

B) Metaphor

C) Personification

D) Simile

12. Which of the following phrases best describes the general responses of the novel’s characters to the fact that the death was a drive-by shooting in South Central?

A) Devastated

B) Ashamed

C) Guilty

D) Concerned

13. Which of the following sentences would Woods most likely agree with?

A) Drive-by shootings are a product of only incarcerated individuals.

B) Violence as a result of gangs can be avoided with increased incarceration rates.

C) Gang violence is a problem for many communities that may be linked to socioeconomic circumstances.

D) Increased gun ownership is the only solution to reducing violence in lower-income communities.

14. Which of the following words best describes Emako’s death?

A) Intentional

B) Senseless

C) Premeditated

D) Expected

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. How does the narration style of the story compare to a traditional plotline structure? What is the overall impact of the narrative structure on readers?

2. What does Monterey’s bracelet symbolize and how is its significance made clear in the story?