Consider the ways in which masculinity and femininity are explored in the novel. For Diaz’s characters, how are cultural expectations linked to gender norms, as well as The Power, Influence, and Construction of Hypermasculinity?

Teaching Suggestion: This Discussion/Analysis Prompt invites students to recontextualize their responses from the Personal Connection Prompt to this collection of narratives. Díaz interweaves the gender roles within each of the narratives in the story collection; in this vein, many of the characters struggle with the expectation of their families, their particular gender norm, and the community's expectation as a whole. Furthermore many of these expectations are contradictory; Díaz touches upon this in particular with his references to infidelity, which is accepted for men from the Dominican Republic, as long as the male continues to provide and support the initial family. In this vein, hypermasculinity is associated with breadwinning as opposed to fidelity and monogamy.

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

Essay: Choosing a Title

In this activity, students will write a brief essay justifying the title of one of the stories, “Drown,” for the entire collection.