Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Chief Red Jacket's Lecture to a Missionary


Two major questions today:
What is satire?
How do I explain how central ideas are developed over the course of a text?

My students are fond of the phrase "you got told" as a way of expressing that someone was just put in their place or taught a lesson.  The speech we are going to look at today is the best historical example of that I have ever seen. You are about to see how Chief Red Jacket used logic, well reasoned argument and a very respectful tone to tell a group of white missionaries to buzz off.

Chief Red Jacket's Lecture to a Missionary (1805)
Write an entry in your English Journal about his speech. Answer the questions below.

  1. Briefly summarize his speech.
  2. What do you think is his strongest argument? Why?
  3. Do you think he is right?
  4. How does Red Jacket feel about white settlers?
  5. Do you think this is an example of satire? Why or why not? 

Quick Quiz:  You may copy and paste these answers from your English Journal. Remember that spelling, grammar and punctuation count. 


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