ONE PARAGRPAH FOR EACH QUESTION Instructional Objectives for this activity: Describe the biographical context that influenced the work of American authors. Discuss the author's life as it relates to the novel. This week we start our exploration of  The House on Mango Street . In Week Six, with Eliot, Williams, and Cummings, we discussed how to use critical approaches to analyzing works of literature. This week, with The House on Mango Street,  we will focus on one approach, the biographical approach.  As our American Literature Study Guide says, the biographical approach is a tool for using elements of the author's own life to deepen our understanding of a piece of literature, in this case to examine how Cisneros’s fascinating, eventful life influenced or shaped the characters, plot, setting, theme, or tone of The House on Mango Street .  Part 1:  Select one of the topics in the bullet points below and write at least one complete paragraph in which you reflect on how the topic impacted or influenced the novel's characters, plot, setting, or theme. Use information from at least one reliable source to support your discussion of this topic.  Childhood Parentage/ancestry E ducation Working life Roots in Chicago Family's relative poverty Here are some possible sources you may want to use to gather information about Sandra Cisneros, in addition to the novel's introduction or the online library:  http://sandracisneros.com http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/a_f/cisneros/cisneros.htm http://dwwproject2012.weebly.com/index.html Part 2:  The second paragraph will also be focused on the biographical approach, but instead of reflecting on Cisneros's life, you will reflect on your own.  While reading the novel, consider your own life, looking out for any quotes that resonate especially with your own life story.  In your second paragraph, write out the quote and explain why it seems relevant to your own experiences. .

1. ONE PARAGRPAH FOR EACH QUESTION
Instructional Objectives for this activity:
Describe the biographical context that influenced the work of
American authors.
Discuss the author's life as it relates to the novel.
This week we start our exploration of
The House on Mango Street
. In Week Six, with Eliot, Williams, and Cummings, we
discussed how to use critical approaches to analyzing works of
literature. This week, with
The House on Mango Street,
we will focus on one approach, the biographical approach.
As our American Literature Study Guide says, the biographical
approach is a tool for using elements of the author's own life to
deepen our understanding of a piece of literature, in this case to
examine how Cisneros’s fascinating, eventful life influenced or
shaped the characters, plot, setting, theme, or tone of
The House on Mango Street
.
Part 1:
Select one of the topics in the bullet points below and write at
least one complete paragraph in which you reflect on how the
topic impacted or influenced the novel's characters, plot,
setting, or theme. Use information from at least one reliable
source to support your discussion of this topic.
Childhood
Parentage/ancestry
E
ducation
Working life
Roots in Chicago
Family's relative poverty
Here are some possible sources you may want to use to gather
information about Sandra Cisneros, in addition to the novel's

2. introduction or the online library:
http://sandracisneros.com
http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/a_f/cisneros/cisnero
s.htm
http://dwwproject2012.weebly.com/index.html
Part 2:
The second paragraph will also be focused on the biographical
approach, but instead of reflecting on Cisneros's life, you will
reflect on your own. While reading the novel, consider your
own life, looking out for any quotes that resonate especially
with your own life story. In your second paragraph, write out
the quote and explain why it seems relevant to your own
experiences.