Beginnings, Fall 2007
Assignment for Seminar Preparation Paper #9
Due: Wednesday, Nov. 14
Read: Sherman Alexie, Ten Little Indians, “Lawyer’s League,” “Flight Patterns,” “What
You Pawn I Will Redeem.”
Reading Directions
Read these stories twice. As you read, underline, highlight, note in the margin, or index in a
reading journal or on blank pages at end of the book passages, specific terms, sentences or
paragraphs that strike you as important, interesting, confusing or simply those you want to share
with others in the seminar. Make a list of new words, names, phrases that you looked up in a
dictionary. Get to know the whole book – front and back cover, table of contents, index.
Think about why the author might have written these stories, and what major questions,
problems, or ideas he’s concerned about. For seminar, be ready to point to specific passages and
explain in your own words what they mean and why they are important.
Seminar Preparation paper due Nov. 14
For this assignment, you’ll choose one story to work with, identify a theme in that story, and
develop three PIE paragraphs to explore it.
1. Choose one of the three stories to work with in depth.
2. Identify a theme of the story to work with. (See More on Themes, below.) State the
theme in a declarative sentence.
3. Find three passages that reflect this theme in the story. For each passage, write a PIE
paragraph.
 In the first sentence or two, make a Point. Say how this passage relates to the
theme you found. Use a key word or two from your theme statement so it’s
totally clear what the connection is.
 Illustrate your point by either quoting directly, carefully paraphrasing, or
summarizing a passage from the story. Try using a paraphrase that incorporates a
short quote, or a brief summary that sets up the quotation of a key sentence or
phrase. (In other words, try combining quotation with paraphrase or summary.)
Use MLA style.
 Explore your idea in detail by Explaining how the passage you chose relates to
the theme. Point out key words, main ideas, and implications of the passage.
Spell out, explicitly, what this passage reveals about the theme. You can ask
questions about the passage, or point out things that are ambiguous or unclear.
Your explanation should be the largest part of your paragraphs; a MINIMUM of
four full sentences.
4. Do this for each of your three passages.
5. Follow the format guidelines in the syllabus.
To Hand In:
 List of words you looked up
 Theme statement.
 PIE paragraph #1.
 PIE paragraph #2.
 PIE paragraph #3.
More on Themes
A theme is a truth that the story reveals, about life or society or humanity.
A theme is not a plot summary. (For example, “In this story a young Spokane woman goes to
Seattle to find a poet from her tribe.”) It’s not merely a broad generality about life (e.g. “racism
is bad,” “love makes the world go round”). It’s a specific truth that the story shows. It’s more
than a subject (e.g. “Native Americans” or “stereotypes”).
The theme is what the story says about the subject (e.g. “Even positive stereotypes about Native
Americans are dehumanizing.” “Internalized stereotypes can do a lot of damage.”) State it as a
declarative sentence – an assertion.
Good stories and novels may have many themes. A theme is usually not stated directly in the
story, but emerges from the setting, plot, and the internal and external lives of the characters.
Authors do think about the themes of their stories, and how to convey ideas without stating them
directly.