Day of Tears

Review your Before Reading activities and discuss any or all of the following:

• According to Lester’s novel, what were some of the effects of slave auctions? How do these align with or differ from what you found in your prereading research?
• Did Lester’s novel effectively convey the novel’s central themes (The Vulnerability of Black People and Black Enslaved People, The Significance of Location in the United States Prior to the 13th Amendment, Slavery as an Inhumane Practice Against Nature) to its audience? If you believe the themes were not well explored or conveyed, what would you have done differently?
• Why do you think Lester chose to tell this novel in dialogue, with less focus on imagery, setting, and other typical literary elements?

What ways of keeping in touch with distant family were not afforded to enslaved African Americans? Why do you think they were prevented from building strong family ties? How did people’s behavior in the context of enslavement violate or uphold your personal definition of family?

Teaching Suggestion: These questions offer students multiple points of entry for post reading analysis, discussion, evaluation, and synthesis. The topics and points of entry vary to allow readers of all levels to make text connections.