What’s the Wall?
This poem features a literal wall that symbolizes emotional and social division.
"Mending Wall" by Robert Frost
This character judges girls in bathing suits based on how they dress.
Sammy in "A&P"
"Good fences make good neighbors” comes from this poem.
"Mending Wall"
Why did Frost include a literal wall in “Mending Wall”?
To symbolize emotional and social barriers between people.
This poem contains no physical wall but shows a psychological divide between people of different races.
"On the Subway" by Sharon Olds
What does the old lady assume about the young man?
That he is impolite and rude.
This poem was written by Sharon Olds and explores racial tension in a subway setting.
"On the Subway"
Sharon Olds uses this literary technique to highlight the speaker’s internalized racism.
Imagery or internal monologue
The Sneetches divide themselves based on this visual trait.
The stars on their bellies
These Sneetches believed they were superior because of their looks.
Star-Bellied Sneetches
This short story takes place in a grocery store and was written by John Updike.
"A&P"
What lesson do the Sneetches learn by the end of the story?
That no one is better than anyone else because of appearance.
In "A&P," the girls’ clothing creates this kind of social barrier between them and the workers.
The judgment or objectification based on appearance.
This character insists on rebuilding the wall in Frost’s poem despite the speaker’s questioning.
The neighbor
Which satirical story uses animals to explore discrimination?
"The Sneetches" by Dr. Seuss
What might Updike be criticizing in “A&P”?
Superficial judgments, male gaze, or conformity to social norms.
In the short film Snack Attack, what is the “wall” that prevents the elderly woman and the boy from connecting at first?
His appearance- The music he was listening to and his young age.
In "On the Subway," the speaker initially assumes this about the Black man sitting across from her.
That he is dangerous and inferior
Which two works share a message about outdated social divisions, one literal and one figurative?
"Mending Wall" and "The Sneetches"
What is one way all works of literature explore the idea of “division” in society?
They all use different settings (train, store, neighborhood, beach) to show how people judge based on appearance, which prevents connection.