Hemingway's Privilege and Social Position
Hemingway's Privilege and Social Position
In this set of activities, students will have the opportunity to examine the connection between Hemingway’s art and his life with respect to his socio-economic privilege and social position. Watch the documentary clips and use the graphic organizer to identify elements of privilege that were specific to his social position. Then, analyze and discuss the ways Hemingway’s social status aided him in creating, publishing, and in gaining notoriety/fame.
The lesson includes resources for an analysis and discussion of the word “privilege” as it is used today in order to examine systems of oppression in modern society that may or may not have existed in the same form during Hemingway’s time. The provided journal prompts are meant to support building connections to the concept of privilege after watching the documentary and while reading any of the works listed. Select from Hemingway’s works before beginning any of the activities so that students can read them after watching assigned clips and asynchronously while engaging in activities.
Essential questions:
- What elements of privilege might have benefited Hemingway during his career as a writer?
- How does this compare to what you know about writers today?
- How does this compare to observations about privilege from your own life?
- How did Hemingway’s social status aid him in creating, publishing, and in gaining notoriety/fame?
Note to Educators: The clips in this resource depict sensitive topics and themes, including alcohol abuse and suicide. Consider collaborating with your students to create classroom guidelines for discussing these topics. These tips from the Office for Intellectual Freedom of the American Library Association may be included in letters to parents sharing the sensitive conversation topics included.
Additional Resources for Trauma-Informed Teaching:
About the Author:
Julia E. Torres is a veteran language arts teacher and librarian in Denver Public schools. As a teacher/activist committed to education as a practice of freedom, her practice is grounded in the work of empowering students to use Language Arts to fuel resistance and positive social transformation. Julia has been awarded the 2020 NCTE Colorado Affiliate Teacher of Excellence award chosen as a 2020 Library Journal Mover and Shaker, and serves educators as a member of the ALAN (Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of NCTE) Board of Directors. Julia facilitates workshops and professional conversations about anti-bias/anti-racist education, social justice, and culturally sustaining pedagogies in Language Arts, as well as digital literacy and librarianship. Her work has been featured in several publications including NCTE’s Council Chronicle, NPR, AlJazeera’s The Stream, PBS Education, KQED’s MindShift, NY Times Learning Network, The Chicago Tribune, ASCD’s Education Update, Rethinking Schools, School Library Journal, and many more.