The Terror by Junot Diaz

Context:  Junot Díaz is a Dominican American writer, creative writing professor, and editor. Díaz’s work often focuses on the experience of immigrants. In this text, Díaz recounts a time he faced a challenge with a teenage group of bullies.

Purpose for Reading: To understand how authors develop theme and to build our understanding about making courageous choices in difficult times.

Based on the context provided, what will the author of this text tell readers about?

Context:  Junot Díaz is a Dominican American writer, creative writing professor, and editor. Díaz’s work often focuses on the experience of immigrants. In this text, Díaz recounts a time he faced a challenge with a teenage group of bullies.

Purpose for Reading: To understand how authors develop theme and to build our understanding about making courageous choices in difficult times.

According to the context, this reading will help readers identify theme. What is theme?

Context:  Junot Díaz is a Dominican American writer, creative writing professor, and editor. Díaz’s work often focuses on the experience of immigrants. In this text, Díaz recounts a time he faced a challenge with a teenage group of bullies.

Purpose for Reading: To understand how authors develop theme and to build our understanding about making courageous choices in difficult times.

Because the context states the author will help readers understand to make courageous choices, what can we predict about the author's experience?

In this text, Díaz recounts a time he faced a challenge with a teenage group of bullies.

If the author is "recounting" on his experience from when he was a teenager,  what does the word "recount" mean?

IMPORTANT VOCABULARY

vulnerability matrix: 2. An environment full of vulnerability or a state of feeling open to or susceptible to being attacked or hurt.

bigotry: (noun) : extreme hatred or prejudice; the unwillingness to accept views, beliefs, and behavior that differs from others

 I got jumped at a pretty bad time in my life. Not that there’s ever a good time. 

What I mean is that I was already deep in the vulnerability matrix. I had just entered seventh grade, was at peak adolescent craziness and, to make matters worse, was dealing with a new middle school whose dreary white middle-­class bigotry was cutting the heart out of me. I wasn’t two periods into my first day before a classmate called me a ‘‘------,’’ as if it were no big deal. Someone else asked me if my family ate dogs every day or only once in a while. By my third month, that school had me feeling like the poorest, ugliest immigrant freak in the universe. 

Based on the author's account, what did he experience?

IMPORTANT VOCABULARY

vulnerability matrix: An environment full of vulnerability or a state of feeling open to or susceptible to being attacked or hurt.

bigotry: (noun) : extreme hatred or prejudice; the unwillingness to accept views, beliefs, and behavior that differs from others

I got jumped at a pretty bad time in my life. Not that there’s ever a good time. 

What I mean is that I was already deep in the vulnerability matrix. I had just entered seventh grade, was at peak adolescent craziness and, to make matters worse, was dealing with a new middle school whose dreary white middle-­class bigotry was cutting the heart out of me. I wasn’t two periods into my first day before a classmate called me a ‘‘------,’’ as if it were no big deal. Someone else asked me if my family ate dogs every day or only once in a while. By my third month, that school had me feeling like the poorest, ugliest immigrant freak in the universe. 

What type of conflict is described in the first paragraph?

IMPORTANT VOCABULARY

vulnerability matrix: An environment full of vulnerability or a state of feeling open to or susceptible to being attacked or hurt.

bigotry: (noun) : extreme hatred or prejudice; the unwillingness to accept views, beliefs, and behavior that differs from others

I got jumped at a pretty bad time in my life. Not that there’s ever a good time. 

What I mean is that I was already deep in the vulnerability matrix. I had just entered seventh grade, was at peak adolescent craziness and, to make matters worse, was dealing with a new middle school whose dreary white middle-­class bigotry was cutting the heart out of me. I wasn’t two periods into my first day before a classmate called me a ‘‘------,’’ as if it were no big deal. Someone else asked me if my family ate dogs every day or only once in a while. By my third month, that school had me feeling like the poorest, ugliest immigrant freak in the universe. 

At the time of this occurrence, what grade was the author in?

IMPORTANT VOCABULARY

vulnerability matrix: An environment full of vulnerability or a state of feeling open to or susceptible to being attacked or hurt.

bigotry: (noun) : extreme hatred or prejudice; the unwillingness to accept views, beliefs, and behavior that differs from others

I got jumped at a pretty bad time in my life. Not that there’s ever a good time. 

What I mean is that I was already deep in the vulnerability matrix. I had just entered seventh grade, was at peak adolescent craziness and, to make matters worse, was dealing with a new middle school whose dreary white middle-­class bigotry was cutting the heart out of me. I wasn’t two periods into my first day before a classmate called me a ‘‘------,’’ as if it were no big deal. Someone else asked me if my family ate dogs every day or only once in a while. By my third month, that school had me feeling like the poorest, ugliest immigrant freak in the universe. 

How long had the author been experiencing bullying from his peers?

IMPORTANT VOCABULARY

vulnerability matrix: An environment full of vulnerability or a state of feeling open to or susceptible to being attacked or hurt.

bigotry: (noun) : extreme hatred or prejudice; the unwillingness to accept views, beliefs, and behavior that differs from others

I got jumped at a pretty bad time in my life. Not that there’s ever a good time. 

What I mean is that I was already deep in the vulnerability matrix. I had just entered seventh grade, was at peak adolescent craziness and, to make matters worse, was dealing with a new middle school whose dreary white middle-­class bigotry was cutting the heart out of me. I wasn’t two periods into my first day before a classmate called me a ‘‘------,’’ as if it were no big deal. Someone else asked me if my family ate dogs every day or only once in a while. By my third month, that school had me feeling like the poorest, ugliest immigrant freak in the universe. 

In the last line of paragraph two, what type of figurative language is used?

" IMPORTANT VOCABULARY

vulnerability matrix: An environment full of vulnerability or a state of feeling open to or susceptible to being attacked or hurt.

bigotry: (noun) : extreme hatred or prejudice; the unwillingness to accept views, beliefs, and behavior that differs from others

I got jumped at a pretty bad time in my life. Not that there’s ever a good time. 

What I mean is that I was already deep in the vulnerability matrix. I had just entered seventh grade, was at peak adolescent craziness and, to make matters worse, was dealing with a new middle school whose dreary white middle-­class bigotry was cutting the heart out of me. I wasn’t two periods into my first day before a classmate called me a ‘‘------,’’ as if it were no big deal. Someone else asked me if my family ate dogs every day or only once in a while. By my third month, that school had me feeling like the poorest, ugliest immigrant freak in the universe. 

"By my third month, that school had me feeling like the poorest, ugliest immigrant freak in the universe." What does this simile mean?

IMPORTANT VOCABULARY

Trying: having a bad or difficult time

 Leukemia (noun) : cancer of the bone marrow in which white blood cells grow uncontrollably

 My home life was equally trying. My father abandoned the family the year before, plunging our household into poverty. No sooner than that happened, my brother, who was one year older and my best friend and protector, was found to have leukemia, the kind that in those days had a real nasty habit of killing you. One day he was sprawled on our front stoop in London Terrace holding court, and the next he was up in Newark, 40 pounds lighter and barely able to relieve himself under his own power, looking as if he were one bad cold away from the grave.

 I didn’t know what to do with myself. I tried to be agreeable, to make friends, but that didn’t work so hot; mostly I just slouched in my seat, hating my clothes and my glasses and my face. Sometimes I wrote my brother letters. Made it sound as though I were having a great time at school — a ball.

How can readers describe the author's home life?

IMPORTANT VOCABULARY

Trying: having a bad or difficult time

 Leukemia (noun) : cancer of the bone marrow in which white blood cells grow uncontrollably

 My home life was equally trying. My father abandoned the family the year before, plunging our household into poverty. No sooner than that happened, my brother, who was one year older and my best friend and protector, was found to have leukemia, the kind that in those days had a real nasty habit of killing you. One day he was sprawled on our front stoop in London Terrace holding court, and the next he was up in Newark, 40 pounds lighter and barely able to relieve himself under his own power, looking as if he were one bad cold away from the grave.

 I didn’t know what to do with myself. I tried to be agreeable, to make friends, but that didn’t work so hot; mostly I just slouched in my seat, hating my clothes and my glasses and my face. Sometimes I wrote my brother letters. Made it sound as though I were having a great time at school — a ball.

Which of the following pieces of evidence demonstrate the author's troubled home life?

IMPORTANT VOCABULARY

Trying: having a bad or difficult time

 Leukemia (noun) : cancer of the bone marrow in which white blood cells grow uncontrollably

 My home life was equally trying. My father abandoned the family the year before, plunging our household into poverty. No sooner than that happened, my brother, who was one year older and my best friend and protector, was found to have leukemia, the kind that in those days had a real nasty habit of killing you. One day he was sprawled on our front stoop in London Terrace holding court, and the next he was up in Newark, 40 pounds lighter and barely able to relieve himself under his own power, looking as if he were one bad cold away from the grave.

 I didn’t know what to do with myself. I tried to be agreeable, to make friends, but that didn’t work so hot; mostly I just slouched in my seat, hating my clothes and my glasses and my face. Sometimes I wrote my brother letters. Made it sound as though I were having a great time at school — a ball.

Do you think if his bullies knew the hardship Diaz was facing at home, they would have treated him better?

IMPORTANT VOCABULARY

Trying: having a bad or difficult time

 Leukemia (noun) : cancer of the bone marrow in which white blood cells grow uncontrollably

 My home life was equally trying. My father abandoned the family the year before, plunging our household into poverty. No sooner than that happened, my brother, who was one year older and my best friend and protector, was found to have leukemia, the kind that in those days had a real nasty habit of killing you. One day he was sprawled on our front stoop in London Terrace holding court, and the next he was up in Newark, 40 pounds lighter and barely able to relieve himself under his own power, looking as if he were one bad cold away from the grave.

 I didn’t know what to do with myself. I tried to be agreeable, to make friends, but that didn’t work so hot; mostly I just slouched in my seat, hating my clothes and my glasses and my face. Sometimes I wrote my brother letters. Made it sound as though I were having a great time at school — a ball.

In Diaz's letters to his sickly brother, he write of a great time at school.  This is Diaz's actual school experience.

IMPORTANT VOCABULARY

Trying: having a bad or difficult time

 Leukemia (noun) : cancer of the bone marrow in which white blood cells grow uncontrollably

 My home life was equally trying. My father abandoned the family the year before, plunging our household into poverty. No sooner than that happened, my brother, who was one year older and my best friend and protector, was found to have leukemia, the kind that in those days had a real nasty habit of killing you. One day he was sprawled on our front stoop in London Terrace holding court, and the next he was up in Newark, 40 pounds lighter and barely able to relieve himself under his own power, looking as if he were one bad cold away from the grave.

 I didn’t know what to do with myself. I tried to be agreeable, to make friends, but that didn’t work so hot; mostly I just slouched in my seat, hating my clothes and my glasses and my face. Sometimes I wrote my brother letters. Made it sound as though I were having a great time at school — a ball.

Why did Diaz lie to his brother in his letters?