Eight Plus One: Stories Lesson Plan

How might the author’s personal experience/privilege influence the content and scope of the social commentary he tries to tackle in these stories?

Examine the role of whiteness and masculinity within the stories in this collection. Note that while some of the narrators are economically disprivileged, all are white and male. Cormier admits in the introduction to “My First Negro” that he has spent barely any time around black people. With that in mind, why do you think he wrote the story—what point was he trying to make? Encourage students to explore the difference between Cormier’s perspective and a black author's perspective when writing about race. You may want to...