Book title
Drafts, Slippers and Mother in Law
(Chasing a Croatian girl )

 

Author
Cody McClain Brown

 ​

 

Bibliographic information

 

Publisher: Algoritam

Translation to Croatian: Vladimir Cvetković Sever

06/2014.

186 str., oft cover

ISBN 9789533167749

 

Links (adaptations, reviews, full texts etc.)

http://www.ziher.hr/recenzija-propuh-papuce-i-punica-sarmantni-zapisi-o-slatkom-hrvatskom-zivotu/

http://www.najboljeknjige.com/content/knjiga.aspx?BookID=2290&tab=2

http://citajme.com/propuh-papuce-punica/

http://www.algoritam.hr/download/poglavlja/164657.pdf

https://blog.hrt.hr/248968/cody-brown/moj-propuh-papuce-i-punica

http://www.ziher.hr/intervju-cody-mcclain-brown-kako-je-od-propuha-papuca-i-punice-nastala-knjiga/

https://net.hr/danas/hrvatska/oni-to-jednostavno-ne-razumiju-ovih-5-hrvatskih-obicaja-ameri-nikako-ne-mogu-shvatiti/

http://www.gkm.hr/propuh_papuce_i_punica.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Wq222l1ku

 

Theme
The book is a result of blogger texts about the cultural differences between The United States and Croatia that follow the author (evolution from stranger to son in law) together with judgements, stereotypes, traditions and beliefs.

 

Short summary

Meeting his future wife, a Croatian who he met in a town in Oklahoma, the author because of love decides to move to Croatia, first to Split and then to Zagreb. Arriving in new surroundings, so different to the one in America, the author goes through a cultural shock. He doesn’t understand the traditions, doesn’t know the culture and mentality of the people he meets. He fights against the judgments and stereotypes and compared the Croatian and American lifestyle. Although he will never understand why Croatians are so afraid of the fresh air they call draft, why drinking coffee takes hours and what is its social role, the importance of the relationship with your neighbors, why you aren’t allowed to walk bear feet, who’s the mother in law and what is her role and other life circumstances, a Croatian son In law will still get drunk wishing his daughter the American dream.

 

Why is the story appropriate for the targeted groups of RSP readers?

• Was created as a result blogs talking about the everyday lives of foreign people living in Croatia, written in a simple conversational language.
• In a funny and interesting way it talks about how the two cultures clash and meet.
• It raises general human questions such as, language misunderstanding, feeling of exclusion, (not) acceptance in a new surroundings, and not knowing the culture and how to fit in it.

 

What are the distinguished readers interests reflected by this book/story?
The readers and see and analyze the Croatian society and put themselves in the prospective of a foreigner. With the ability to compare the two different cultures they can distinguish their values and disadvantages, but also learn and accept what is different to what the know.

 

Why is this story motivational for the pupils?
The readers can identify with the author, narrator and main character. Considering that young people today, in the time of globalization are always in contact with people from different surrounding, cultures and orientations. From everyday examples they are able to recognize and acknowledge the importance of understanding others. Also, the students can perceive their society and everything else from a foreigner’s point of view. The simple writing style and humor make for a readable and fun book.

 

Is there a historical, political, multi/inter cultural, migrant or similar context recognized in this book/story? 
 

In the book, we can recognize the intercultural context - with a personal example from the author, he explains that conventions do not function the same way towards the two societies. Stereotypes can be an obstacle in communication, and cause intercultural misunderstandings which bring positive and negative emotions, (humor, surprise, discomforts etc.). In the same way the author does not understand Croatian traditions (ex. Invite to lunch and paying the bill or having good neighbor relationships, which he considers being nosy and intrusion of privacy), which raises the previously mentioned emotions – firstly disbelieve and discomfort, then surprise and relief and ultimately pleasure.

 

Is there a principle of inclusion reflected in this book/story and does it promotes understanding of cultural diversities and heritage? 
Yes, and American is trying to fit in the Croatian society and is doing a pretty good job at it, but he had preconditions, the preconditions were to meet, understand and accept the cultural differences and heritage. The book brings awareness to the reader that stereotypes and judgment do exist about Croatians too, just as Croatians do the same for other nations.

Title of Activity
Prejudice and stereotypes

Description of educational activity
 

Duration: 2 x 45 minutes

Student age: 17 – 18 (Junior year)

Student class organization: group work

Lecture goal:

To encourage the development of cultural understanding and breaking stereotypes and prejudices

Developing empathy

 

Supporting materials

• Internet
• Teaching leaflets
• Croatian phraseological dictionary

 

Highlights:

• 3 texts
• sticky notes

 

Activity:

reading, interpreting, and discussing the text

 

I. Activity before reading

Allows for motivation, sharing of personal impressions, and group cohesion

Students are divided into groups of four. Every group get one task

 

a) Prejudices

Examine photographs of famous people that are somehow attached to specific prejudice and individually answer question related to their unknown side of life

 

Example:

What does the owner of Amazon ride, the richest man on the world?

What is the IQ of once the most beautiful blond Sharon Stone?

What is the profession of Zvonimir Boban, captain of the bronze soccer team in 1998?

(Honda accord, built in 1999., member of Mense, IQ 154, history teacher)

 

Discuss the answers together and compare them with the correct information provided. Explain why certain prejudice emerged when mentioning these famous people.

 

b) Ethnic stereotypes

Together explain the following ethnic stereotypes: act like an English man, correct as a Swiss watch, every gipsy praises his horse, there are as much as the Chinese, valuable as Japanese.

Individually suggest examples from everyday life about ethnic negative stereotypes and together try to break them.

 

c) How do I feel

Look at the pictures and individually describe a similar personal experience and the emotions that came with it.

 

Presentation of group results and short discussion.

 

II. Activities during and after reading in groups.

 

Groups receive parts of the text and class leaflets (every group reads their given part)

 

1. 1^st chapter – Croatia: Where Russia is not, str. 10 - 11

The underlying task:

What does the sentence mean: We are situated between two huge oceans and we are just prone to placing everything on the other side somewhere over there.

 

What are the author’s opinions about spaces and people ‘somewhere over there’? What are the Croatian views about Americans? Explore the meaning of the terms Cold War, Bipolar Political World, Iron Curtain and explain them in the context of fragmentation.

 

Analysis: stereotypes and Prejudices; attitude towards the unknown

 

2. 12^th Chapter  - Neighbors, pg. 82 – 86

The underlying task :

Compare the American phrase: ‘good fences make good neighbors’, with the Croatian version ‘thin walls, hallways full of echo and open windows make good neighbors.’ Explain the sentence ‘It sounds crays, and annoying, but comforting to know that people know who you are, what’s happening in your life and if any help is needed.’ What are the differences between life in a community and life on a separate small island?

 

Analysis: cultural differences; community and individuality; alienation

 

c)   23^rd chapter – Sharing a bill, pg. 144 – 145

 

The underlying task:

What stops the author not to enjoy lunch? Why does he come with such beliefs? Examine the sentence ‘The board in me just flipped, everything just went blank, the music stopped and I am in shock.’

Analysis: beliefs; cultural differences; prejudices and stereotypes

 

 

 

III.  Common activities after reading

 

 Presenting group work results.

 

        Dramatic methods

 

1. The Hot Stool: the group is examining a participants life, behavior, and motivation (Possible questions: How do you feel in the new environment? What people's actions make you feel uncomfortable in your environment? What behavior do you not understand?)

 

2. The Rashomon effect – a hot stool variant – every character tells the story based on his/her experience (possible questions: fitting in a new environment; social events; interpersonal relationships etc. - talks from the writers perspective, wife’s, neighbors and acquaintances ...)

 

 

Evaluation and Assessment Method:

 

Professors Role - Prepare Materials and Act as a Moderator

 

Evaluation of group work - questionnaire: evaluation and self-evaluation

 

Students are assessed on the basis of their abilities:

• Reading with understanding and recognition of cultural differences, stereotypes and prejudices
• Participation in a argumented discussion
• presentation of group work - systematic and structured presentation

 

The Impact of Activity on Reading RSP:

The activaties encourage the development of empathy and tolerance of the student, understanding differences and accepting different cultural concepts and thus breaking stereotypes and prejudice.

 

Connection to curriculum

Grade: 3^rd (junior year)

Curriculum:

Linguistic Expression - Formation of Expression

Ethics

English language

Geography

Sociology

 

Knowledge:

• better understanding of yourself and the world
• recognition and acceptance of others and their cultural characteristics
• critical thinking about the world, family, values, customs, cultural differences, stereotypes, and prejudices
• enjoying the experience of reading world literature

 

Skills:

- collection, selection and evaluation of information

- reading, interpreting and evaluating literary texts

 

Competence:

- communication competences

- ability to work in a team, and acceptance of someone different 

 

Knowledge:

- better understanding of yourself and the world around you

- Critical thinking about the world, society, religion

- Enjoyable reading experience

 

Skills:

- collection, selection and evaluation of information

- reading, interpreting and evaluating literary texts

 

Competence:

- communication competences

- intercultural competences

- ability to work in a team, and acceptance of someone different

 

 

Bibliographic reference to be used during the activity

Cody McClain Brown, Draft, Slipper and mother in Law

Publisher: Algoritam

Translation to Croatian: Vladimir Cvetković Sever

06/2014.

186 pg., soft cover

ISBN 9789533167749

 

 

Results

Expected outcomes:

Students will be able to:

- express opinions clearly and reasonably as well as actively listen to others

- recognize and understand cultural differences

 

Recommendations

The work is appropriate for students because it speaks about topics close to them and enables them to have a better cultural understanding and insight into different perceptions of social norms, customs and values. The theme and simple writing style makes it easy to understand and encourage them to read the continuation of the book (Croatia hits back) or similar works.

Title of Activity - Lord of The Flies

Description of educational activity

Duration: 2 x 45 minutes

Pupils’ age: 15-17

Organization of the class of pupils: frontal, individual, text-based, focused conversation, writing, group work

 

The aim of the lesson:

• to acquire knowledge about the allegorical novel

• analyze the work (characters, themes, fables, novel features)

• explain the idea of ​​a novel

• enrich understanding of life, man and society

 • explain the personal attitude towards the destiny of the characters: the issue of leadership in the community, murders, relationships with others

• rich dictionary and knowledge of general culture

• develop the ability of critical thinking, explanation and conclusion, perception, and perception

• explain attitude towards the main issues that the novel poses

• observe the positive and negative side of behavior and actions of characters

• develop the ability to apply the theory of literature in a particular literary work

 

Support materials:

• Internet
• Art
• Movie

Handouts :

• PPpresentation
• photos
• youtube clips

 

Activities

• reading, working on text, oral presentation, writing

 

1. Pre-reading activities

Provide motivation and background information to facilitate reading and enabling students to put the novel in a broader, non-literary and literary context. Also, before reading, students get directions and provocative questions and thus encourage active reading, making notes during reading, making arguments and paraphrases, comparing literary and film-based essays.

Some guidelines, research topics, provocative questions: 

• explore the phenomenon of night terror 

• choose the favorite character and explain your choice 

• list at least 5 characteristics of a good leader and state one general example of a good leader; is there an example of such a leader in the novel and explain the answer 

• see the organization of the life and work of the boys on the desolate island; is it well designed and is it sustainable 

• Why the community described in the novel didn’t survive? 

• explain the notion of democracy and what it implies 

• how much the novel's work would differentiate between girls and mixed sex groups on the island.

 

As a experience-cognitive motivation, use the paintings of Theodore Gericault Splav Meduze. Students talk about their experience of the atmosphere transmitted by the image and whether the motif of the image can be linked to the theme of the novel. Can they be placed in the position of people on the rafters, like boys in the novel - on a desolate island. How would they feel in such conditions?

 

In school library we organise an exhibition of similar novels with similar theme as Lord of the flies.

 

 

 

 

Short description of digital sources 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_of_the_Flies

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100054/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tXpA3dIEtI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puglTctwozM

 

Results/ What we learned – Outcomes

The expected outcomes of the lesson:

Students will be able to demonstrate:

• clearly critical / analytical understanding of author's intent and deeper implications for texts and attitudes

• notice the allegory of the text

• apply knowledge of text in everyday life, especially in the field of moral-ethical behavior of individuals and the impact of such behavior on the development of the community

 

Reccomendations

Lord of the of Flies opens up a whole range of social issues so it is easily linked to civic education. The text also opens up a series of questions concerning personal attitudes about morality, ethics, and psychology of man in inhumane conditions. That is why the text is appropriate for RSP readers. Well-read reading before, during and after training allows each teacher to enter an individual approach to issues by knowing the affinities and interests of their students.

Book title

Lord of the flies

 

Author

William Golding

 

Bibliographic information

Lord of the Flies is a 1954 novel by Nobel Prize–winning British author William Golding.

Author           :           William Golding

Country:        United Kingdom

Language:    English

Genre:           Allegorical novel

Publisher:     Faber and Faber

Publication date: 1954.

Media type:   Print (Paperback)

ISBN  0-571-05686-5 (first edition, paperback)

 

Links (adaptations, reviews, full texts etc.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_of_the_Flies

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100054/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tXpA3dIEtI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puglTctwozM

 

Theme

The book focuses on a group of British boys stranded on an uninhabited island and their disastrous attempt to govern themselves.

At an allegorical level, the central theme is the conflicting human impulses toward civilisation and social organisation—living by rules, peacefully and in harmony—and toward the will to power. Themes include the tension between groupthink and individuality, between rational and emotional reactions, and between morality and immorality. How these play out, and how different people feel the influences of these form a major subtext of Lord of the Flies. The name "Lord of the Flies" is a literal translation of Beelzebub.

 

Short summary

In the midst of a wartime evacuation, a British aeroplane crashes on or near an isolated island in a remote region of the Pacific Ocean. The only survivors are boys in their middle childhood or preadolescence. Two boys Ralph and Jack organize two different groups of boys-Ralph is trying to be democratic and compassionate, but Jack is a hunter and he provides the food for his own tribe by killing wild pigs . Although at first boy were with Ralph, by the end majority of the boys goes in Jack’s tribe.

Soon a few of the boys begin to develop paranoias about the island. The central paranoia refers to a supposed monster they call the "beast", which they all slowly begin to believe exists on the island. Ralph insists that no such beast exists, but Jack gains a level of control over the group by boldly promising to kill the creature.

 

Why is the story appropriate for the targeted groups of RSP readers (in accordance to Content development criteria)?

1. Reflects political/historical moment.                                                                         
2. Promotes understanding of  civilizational man versus human impulses.
3. Refers to morality and imorality.

 

How are the distinguished readers' interests reflected in this book/story?

Although published in 1954, Golding's novel is current in the real world today. As the novelty of the novel is not lost, there are always new film adaptations of the novel. Indeed, the novel opens up a series of general, sociological, and philosophical problems that are encouraging to talk to students. Let the novel impersonate: What is the character of a good leader? Is it possible to achieve democracy? How much is man fighting culture and urge? What is morality? Is it possible to achieve a complete moral society?

  

Why is this story motivational for the pupils?

Given that this is an allegorical novel, the story can be interpreted at several levels and students can learn that reading can never be completed. They will be motivated to read the text again or to look at the movie adaptation to re-discover the novel subtext.

 

Is there a historical, political, multi/inter cultural, migrant or similar context recognised in this book/story? If yes, indicate it briefly.

Golding depicts a truly scary picture of the decline of a small society. Novel can be seen in the context of multiculturalism and how to achieve consensus and coexistence between individuals in these circumstances.

 

Is there a principle of inclusion reflected in this book/story and does it promote understanding of cultural diversities and heritage? Briefly indicate.

In the desert island there are boys (interesting, no girls)! of different ages, education, physical and other differences, the novel can be interpreted in that context as well.