The Lowland (Mariem)

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 6

Welcome

Objectives

VWO -The student can:

• Explain events relevant to themes.
  
• Express their opinion.
  
• Apply different perspectives.
  
• Respond appropriately to peers' analysis.
  
• Explain connections between the intertwined themes of the novel.
  

Master's - The student can:

• Analyse and evaluate events  from different perspectives and angles.
  
• Critically evaluate and respond to  peers' analysis.
  
• Substantiate his/her analysis based on the novel read.
  
• Explain connections between themes and express understanding thereof.
  

The author and the book

Born in London 

Moved to Rhode Island

Regular visits to Calcutta 

The Lowland was published in 2013 

Shortlisted for the Man Booker prize

She explores Indian immigrants' experience in America

Introductory activities

1- Watch the author talk about the novel The Lowland and answer the questions. 

2- check your knowledge of the event in the book. 

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How it works

You will be split in two groups.

Experience both levels. 

You will remain in your room for the activities.

Presenters/instructors will switch after 30 minutes and you will have two new instructors.

We will mostly be using lessonup and Spiral.ac

Enjoy the activities

Who goes where?

Adjustment Stephanie goes to room 2

Sander, Jelle, and Miklos are unavailable

Tradition and Duty

VWO level

Goals

The student can:

link other forms of literature to the novel. 

analyse and evaluate events in novel from different perspectives or angles. 

critically evaluate and respond to the analysis of his/her peers while taking the novel into consideration. 

Traditions 

• Scan one the four extracts from online news articles. 
  
• Decide whether these beliefs or traditions are also applicable in the world of the novel.
  
• Explain how you encountered these beliefs or traditions in the novel you have read and give examples based on your reading. 
  
• The extracts can be found here.

Are those beliefs applicable to the world of the novel? Explain below

Duty 

- Loyalty and obedience to family in India. 

- Both loyalty to country and to family have been explored in the novel. 

- Which of the statements below do you agree with? Explain your opinion briefly in the next slide. 

1- "Udayan was loyal to his family more than to his country. He gave himself up to protect them knowing he will lose his life" 

2- "Udayan chose country over family by joining the political movement and endangered their lives"

1- "Udayan was loyal to his family more than to his country. He gave himself up to protect them knowing he will lose his life"
2- "Udayan chose country over family by joining the political movement and endangered their lives"

What is the theme?

Use only if time allows

Goals

The student can: 

explain the cultural beliefs relevant to the world of the novel. 

express his/her opinion on statements from the novel and substantiate this with examples from the novel. 

respond appropriately to their peers' analysis. 

Master's

Goals

The student can:

link other forms of literature to the novel. 

analyse and evaluate events in novel from different perspectives or angles. 

critically evaluate and respond to the analysis of his/her peers while taking the novel into consideration. 

Culture and tradition

• Family life is an important part of Indian culture. 
• Family can even be prioritised over the individual. 
• The individual is expected to be dutiful and loyal to his family. 

Duty or Desire? 

• In this part you will read excerpts from the book. 
  
• The first one is when Subhash asks Gauri to marry him and move to the United States with him. 
  
• The second excerpt is from when he first met Gauri and after being married to her. 
  
• Based on what you read, decide whether Subhash's offer to marry Gauri was out of a sense of duty for his brother or out of desire. 
  
• Some of you will be asked to expand on their responses.
• The excerpts can be found here. 

Was Subhash's decision to marry Gauri driven by duty or desire?

Duty

Desire

What if?

In this activity you will choose one of the scenarios below and write a short paragraph from your character's perspective. 

1-  You are Gauri. You considered leaving Bela and Subhash but your sense of duty made you stay with your daughter. Write a short paragraph explaining how your life turned out. 

2- You are Gauri. You met Subhash instead of Bela when you went to return the divorce papers. Describe the encounter from your point of view. 

3- You are Subhash. You were surprised that Gauri showed up to return the divorce papers. Describe the encounter and decide whether you should inform Bela or not of this encounter. 

*this should be recorded but is carried out in written form for the purpose of this lesson.

1- Gauri describing how her life turns out when she stays with Bela and Subhash. (Erlyn, Robert)
2- Gauri describing her encounter with Subhash. (Margot, Roy, Stephanie)
3- Subhash describing his encounter with Gauri. (Patricia, Cornel)

A different note...

It is I who laugh, it is I who make love

And then, feel shame, it is I who lie dying

With a rattle in my throat. I am sinner,

I am saint. I am the beloved and the

Betrayed. I have no joys that are not yours, no

Aches which are not yours. I too call myself I.

Use only if time allows for it. 

Who could it be? 

In your opinion, which character from the novel could best be described through this part of the poem or could have written this poem? 

Share your answers through the poll. 

Note: some of you will be asked to expand on their answer. 

In your opinion, which character from the novel could best be described through this part of the poem or could have written this poem?

Subhash

Gauri

Bela

Udayan