Slake's+Limbo

__**Slake's Limbo**__

Author: Felice Holman Novel Assessment: Michael Bartlett

__**Synopsis and Introduction:**__

Originally published in 1974, **Slake's Limbo** introduces the reader to thirteen-year-old Aremis Slake, a boy who, despite his young age, has known a life of fear, abuse, and misfortune at school and on the streets of New York City. “Anyone could beat him for any reason or non-reason, and did, when they could catch him” is how this young teen is described. Slake has no family save for an abusive Aunt and his only friend in life was a mentally challenged boy named Joseph who is tragically run down by a delivery truck early in the novel. Now left alone and without knowing any kind of compassion or love, Slake chooses to live, work, dream, and hide underneath the city and moves into a small abandoned room adjacent to the tracks of the dark subway tunnels. Above ground “when not shunned entirely, he was hunted and hounded for sport”, but below in the subway tunnels of New York, Slake's solitary existence proves him to be a clever, resourceful, and hard-working individual with a creative soul. He quickly learns to adapt and flourish for four months in his subterranean world. When he is discovered to be gravely ill and his home is destroyed, the reader then realizes that Slake is ready for life above ground. This is a unique inner-city survival story which serves as a contrast to the more typical wilderness survival stories. Unique because it takes a look at the issues of abuse and teen homelessness. It is for these reasons that I believe that Holman's novel would be an interesting choice for students at the Intermediate levels. More specifically, I think in either a grade eight 8 Language or grade 9 Applied English courses. I feel that **Slake's Limbo** and the issues contained within the novel would make this an appropriate fit for Social Studies courses as well as English classes. Perhaps some sort of crossover unit plan could be worked out? The following is how I would teach this novel.

__**Topic Issues:**__

When discussing this novel, I think that I would emphasize this issue first because it is presented in the novel as being one of the chief reasons for the character, Slake, to take the actions that he does by choosing to live permanently in the safety and solitude of the subway system. It is widely regarded that bullying and physical and verbal abuse is at the forefront of school issues and is certainly on the minds of students, parents, and educators alike. **Slake's Limbo** was originally published long before the advent of the internet, but I feel that Slake's story is all too familiar to today's youth. It would be a good starting point when discussing cyber-bullying, sexting, child neglect and the other forms of bullying and abuse. Questions one could pose to the classroom would be: What forms of bullying and/or abuse can you describe? Can you think of other ways that might not be as obvious in which bullying and/or abuse of another takes place? Is peer pressure a form of this? I think that many questions along these lines could be formed but they seem to me to be more in line with a social studies class. These could be a good starting point, but keeping the focus on a Language Arts or English class, some questions might be: What was your first reaction to the text? What would you do in Slake's position? How would you help Slake? Would you?
 * **Bullying and Abuse**

This topic would be emphasized because it is the central theme of Felice Holman's novel. Since I am a student teacher at what is described as an inner-city school and where homelessness and poverty in the neighbourhood surrounding the school is evident, I certainly have to wonder about this topic and would like to know how students understand it. How do they feel about the homeless crisis within their city? Do they even see it as a crisis? Would students opinion about this subject change in a school outside of the city, say, in the suburbs? What do they think when they encounter a street person? Would their feelings and/or opinion change if they encountered a street person who was roughly their age? Again, what would you do in Slake's position? How would you go about helping Slake if you could? Would you want to?
 * **Teen Homelessness**

__**Issues and Challenges**__

The central themes of bullying and teen homelessness found in **Slake's Limbo** certainly speak to some students more than others. Early in the novel, Slake often started his day without food in his stomach and remained hungry throughout his day. Perhaps there may be students in the classroom who know what this is like because they themselves are living below the poverty line; with one or both parents working two or three and may not be home as often with their children as others. Some may have known bullying and others and others may have known what it is like to live in a shelter or foster care or like our character Slake, they may know what it is like not to have a home of their own in the past. As a teacher, one may have any number of students who may be currently experiencing any or all of these issues. Any responsible educator, I believe, must be mindful of these issues and therefore be respectful to them by trying to present this material in a sensitive way. That being said, a responsible teacher should remember “The Ethical Standards for the Teaching Profession” to ensure that they are respecting the students and caring for the class while instilling a sense of trust and integrity.

__**Reading Assignment**__

For this novel I think I would assign a reading response assignment in two parts. The first part would consist of the students writing a response at approximately the half-way part of the book. It is a chance for the students to reflect on what they have been reading and how it affects them. The response should be one page, double spaced (typed) or two pages double spaced (hand written). Possible topics for reflection would include: Describe your first reactions to the text. What emotions you feel as you read the text? Where do they come from? Would you like to have the main character as a friend? Why or why not? What do you think will happen in the second half of the book?

The second part would consist of a post-reading response much like the first part but with these possible questions: Are you satisfied with the way the story ended? Why or why not? What do you think that the author is trying to say about life in this book? What do you think happens to the characters in the future? Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not? Do you want to read a similar book next? Why or why not?

Part two of this assignment would include a visual project as a companion. As a way to build the students' vocabulary, I would ask that the students find a word within the text that they find confusing or do not understand. On a standard 8.5 x 11 paper they would draw a 1.5 inch border and divide it into four sections at the corners – much like a frame. The top section would contain the word that they have chosen; the bottom section they would write a definition of that word; on the left side section they would write out the sentence in the text which contains the word; the remaining section they would write a different sentence of their own which contains the word. In the centre of the page, the students would make a full-colour drawing which illustrates the definition of the word.

This assignment would cover the expectations under the reading and writing strands for the grade 8 Language curriculum. Students are required to “use knowledge of words and cueing systems to read fluently” as well students “use knowledge of form and style in writing” (The Ontario Curriculum Grades 1-8: Language 141, 145). Additionally this assignment aligns with the curriculum for grade 9 Applied English in the same areas (The Ontario Curriculum Grades 9 and 10: English 61, 63).