Summer Reading 2011

First Steps in Becoming a Wooster Student: The Summer Reading Program

The College of Wooster’s liberal arts education – in all its components – aims to develop in its graduates the capacities “to become educated leaders in a complex society.” The many dimensions of this education may be summarized in the phrase you have already seen many times: “Independent Minds, Working Together.” What does this mean, and how will Wooster’s mission challenge you as you enter the College and progress toward graduation? Much can be said about this, but for now, the focus will be on the core skills of critical inquiry: critical reading, critical thinking, and the capacity to communicate well with others, in writing, in speech, and in listening. By providing a challenging common reading for all new students, the Summer Reading program is designed to provide some first steps in the Wooster experience of “Independent Minds, Working Together.”

During Orientation, on Friday, August 26, you will participate in a session titled “Becoming a Wooster Student: Summer Reading Discussion.” In that session, by discussing the summer reading, Brother, I’m Dying, we will introduce what we mean by critical inquiry at Wooster and the kind of intellectual community you will be joining. That session will be led by a faculty-student panel, each of whom will comment on the book, from the perspectives of their areas of study and research, and will lead a discussion among the First Year students.

In preparation for this session, please read the book, and use the ideas and questions offered here to facilitate your reading and thinking about the book. In August, please bring the book, your notes, and thoughts on the questions below to the summer reading discussion session. Be prepared to contribute to a stimulating discussion. Beyond this session, you will also have the opportunity to submit an essay on the book prior to the author’s visit to campus on October 4 (see below). In addition, your FYS professor may incorporate the book in some form into a part of your FYS course.

We hope that your excitement about becoming a Wooster student will be present as you read and reflect on this book, in preparation for Orientation in August and for Fall Semester 2011. We look forward to meeting you and to hearing your reactions to the book, the presentations, and each other’s viewpoints.

Henry B. Kreuzman
Dean for Curriculum & Academic Engagement

First-Year Students Summer Reading 2011
Edwidge Danticat, Brother, I’m Dying

Edwidge Danticat’s narrative reflects her perspective as a member of an immigrant community who belongs to two distinct cultural and linguistic traditions. How do the experiences of Danticat and her family fit into the longer history of the United States as a nation of immigrants?
Danticat’s memoir draws on a variety of sources, from family stories to Haitian folk tradition to U.S. government documents. Why do you think she made the choice to combine fiction and nonfiction to relate this family story?
Consider Danticat’s father’s quote on page 251: “If our country (Haiti) were ever given a chance and allowed to be a country like any other, none of us would live or die here (United States)”? How do you relate this quotation to the history of colonialism and asymmetrical power relations within the Americas?
Danticat titles the book Brother, I’m Dying. This quote is drawn from an incident on page 41 when Joseph calls Mira as the tumor in his throat constricts his breathing. While this is a significant moment in the book, it is not the only clear choice for a title. Reflect on why you think Danticat chose this for the title of the book.
Danticat frames the memoir with a quote from Genesis: “This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, ‘He is my brother’.” Clearly, this quote can be applied to the relationship between the siblings, but what other significance might this have?

Optional Writing Assignment

An Opportunity for Dinner and Discussion with Edwidge Danticat.

If you wish to be considered for a small group dinner and discussion with Edwidge Danticat during her visit to campus on October 4, please consider the following assignment. Write a brief (two-page) essay on any one of the preceding topics. To be considered for participation in the First-Year Student dinner and discussion with Ms. Danticat, have your essay prepared to submit, no later than Friday, September 23. All submitted essays will be read by a faculty and staff committee; the top ten essays from the First-Year class will be selected and the authors of those essays will be invited to a dinner and discussion with Ms. Danticat on October 4, the day of her Forum presentation.

Submit your essay to Karen Parthemore.