Shel Hershinow Testing Interpretive Statements

Potiki

Defend, Refute, Qualify, or Revise

1. Patricia Grace should have provided a glossary of Maori terms.

2. Potiki is an anti-Western book.

3. Potiki is a realistic/political/spiritual novel. (choose one)

4. The most important character in the book is Roimata.

5. The most important character in the book is Toko.

6. Toko's father is/is not the billy man (Joe-billy). (choose one)

7. The novel suggests that Maori identity is not compatible with Western values.

8. The prologue provides the key to understanding the novel.

9. The Maori concept of time is a central concern of the novel.

10. The eel is the novel's central symbol.

11. Evil in the novel is represented by The Dollarman.

In Class

1. Divide into groups of three, four or five.

2. Each group chooses or is assigned one of the above statements to work with.

3. Each person free-writes a response to the statement.

4. You share your response with your group and each group reports to the class what they talked about.

Your goal is not necessarily to arrive at a consensus, but rather to explore as many different viewpoints as seem pertinent.