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2485 Redefining America QUESTIONS Analyzing Language, Style, and Structure 5. Vocabulary in Context. In paragraph 9, Ward writes, %u201cI carry every slur, every slight, every violent malign within me.%u201d %u201cMalign,%u201d which usually functions as a verb or an adjective, indicates evil treatment here. What effect does Ward achieve by coopting %u201cmalign%u201d as a noun? 6. Consider how the first sentences of paragraphs 5 and 6 each reference the sentences that precede them. How does this organization of ideas impact you as a reader? 7. How does Ward%u2019s tone shift between paragraphs 12 and 13? What role does Ward%u2019s incorporation of imagery and figurative language such as %u201cthe night enfolds like a hand%u201d (par. 13) play in creating this shift? 8. Ward bookends her essay with two different aspects of a single metaphor: a %u201ctoothless answer%u201d (par. 3) for why she moved home and an %u201canswer with teeth%u201d (par. 16). What is the difference between each answer, and why does she prefer the answer with teeth? How does framing her essay with these metaphors serve her purpose? QUESTIONS Topics for Composing 9. Argument. Is %u201cslight and interpersonal%u201d aggression (par. 6) or %u201cdeeper, systemic%u201d aggression (par. 8) the more destructive force on a personal and social level? Develop an argument that answers this question, using evidence from Ward%u2019s essay in your response. 10. Connections. Using Ward%u2019s essay as a model, write a narrative about the things you %u201cloathe%u201d and %u201clove%u201d about your hometown. Be sure to address both its history and your own experiences. 11. Speaking and Listening. At various points in her essay, Ward compares racism to an illness and a hurricane. Given that illnesses can be treated and communities can be rebuilt after natural disaster, do you find this perspective optimistic? Do you think these comparisons cover up human responsibility for racism, or do they remind us of how pervasive and powerful racism is in America even today? Prepare for and hold a discussion about these questions. QUESTIONS QUESTIONS Courtesy of Stefon WellsFriday Black Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (b. 1991) grew up in and around New York City, the son of immigrants from Ghana. He attended the State University of New York at Albany and received an MFA from Syracuse University, where he now teaches. Friday Black , his first collection of stories, was published in 2018. His first novel, Chain-Gang All-Stars , was nominated for the National Book Award for Fiction in 2023. KEY CONTEXT Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, has become a tradition of American consumerism. It is the unofficial start of the Christmas shopping season and often the busiest shopping day of the year. Many department stores and malls open at midnight or earlier with extreme discounts on products, and consumers line up waiting to grab goods before the deals sell out. Some years people are injured or even killed in stampedes or in fights. In Adjei-Brenyah%u2019s satirical story %u201cFriday Black,%u201d the frenzy of consumerism is a literal virus that infects shoppers. KEY CONTEXT Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, has become a tradition of American Copyright %u00a9 Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Distributed by Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. For review purposes only. Not for redistribution.