going home pete hamill culture background about the text & author sing the song about florida...

Going Home Pete Hamill

• Culture Backgroundabout the text & author

sing the song

about Florida & New Jersey & Howard Johnson’s

in-class discussion

Text appreciationstructure analysischaracters & writing skills

• Language understandingsentence paraphraseword study

Going Home about the text

The text is based on “Yellow Ribbon”, a story written in the 1960’s by Pete Hamill, a successful American journalist and author.

Going Homeabout the author

In 1960, he went to work as a reporter

for the New York Post. He has won

many journalistic awards.

Pete Hamill was born in Brooklyn, N. Y. in 1935.

The background of the story

• The time period: 1960s—70s

• The Vietnam War (see the photos)

• Traditional values were losing out.

The Yellow Handkerchief the movie

Yellow ribbon as a symbol

What does the yellow ribbon symbolize?

• those waiting for the return of a loved one or of military troops who are temporarily unable to come home

TIE A YELLOW RIBBON ROUND THE OLD OAK TREE (a popular American

song)

I'm coming home I've done my time

Now I've got to know what is and isn't mine

If you received my letter telling you I'd soon be free

Then you'll know just what to do if you still want me

If you still want me

Oh tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree

It's been three long years do you still want me

If I don't see a ribbon round the old oak tree

I'll stay on the bus forget about us put the blame on me

If I don't see a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree

Bus driver please look for me

'Cause I couldn't bear to see what I might see

I'm really still in prison and my love she holds the key

A simple yellow ribbon's what I need to set me free

I wrote and told her please

Oh tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree

It's been three long years do you still want me

If I don't see a ribbon round the old oak tree

I'll stay on the bus forget about us put the blame on me

If I don't see a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree

Now the whole damn bus is cheering

And I can't believe I see

A hundred yellow ribbons’ round the old oak tree

I'm coming home

State seal

State flag

Floridathe "Sunshine State"

Abbreviation: FL

Florida is one of the leading tourist states in the United States. Great stretches of sandy beaches and a warm, sunny climate make Florida a yearround vacationland. People enjoy swimming, fishing and water skiing in the inland and coastal waters. Major attractions include Disney World, Miami Beach.

Florida beach

New Jerseythe "Garden State"Abbreviation: NJ

Howard Johnson’s

The world of 28 flavors... Someone you know wherever you go... Landmark for hungry Americans

The Howard Johnson StoryCome join us on a walk

down memory lane. How did this American Institution, Howard Johnson's, get started. It's a fascinating story...

In-class Discussion1. What do you think Vingo had done that go

t him in prison?2. How do you think Vingo behaved in priso

n? What do you think he wanted to do after his release?

3. What kind of person do you think his wife was? Why didn’t she write to Vingo?

4. Do you think the ability to forgive and forget is important in human relationships?

Text Appreciation• Structure of the text

Part 1 (para. 1- ) :

Part 2 (para. ):

Part 3 (para. ):

4

5-9

10-12

The introduction of the setting and the characters.

Where Vingo was going and what for, and how the young people got interested in what was going to happen.

Vingo was forgiven and welcomed home.

Main Characters

• ①the young people:

• ②Vingo:

• ③Vingo’s wife:

active, talkative, happy, considerate

sad, worried, nervous, silent

wonderful, strong-willed, kind-hearted, capable

Text Appreciation

Writing Skills • 1. detailed and vivid description of the

appearance of Vingo

• 2. keeping the reader in suspense until the very end

• 3. happy ending

• 4. in rhetoric

Text Appreciation

Writing Skills • the young people, quite a lot of present participles, to

indicate liveliness and joyfulness. -dreaming of golden beaches and sea tides-waiting for the approach of the great oak tree-screaming and shouting and crying, doing … ...

• Vingo, past participles, to indicate his sadness, nervousness, and his control of feelings. -dressed in a plain, ill-fitting suit-frozen into complete silence-He sat rooted in his seat-Vingo sat there stunned, looking at the oak tree

Text Appreciation

Language Understanding—— sentence paraphrase

• They were dreaming of golden beaches and tides of the sea as the grey, cold spring of New York vanished behind them.

It was a grey, cold day in spring. As the bus left New York City, these young people were thinking about what they would enjoy in Florida-- the golden beaches and tides of the sea.


• He sat in front of the young people, his dusty face masking his age, dressed in a plain brown suit that did not fit him.

He sat in front of the young people. You could hardly tell how old he was because his face was covered with dust.


• He kept chewing the inside of his lip a lot, frozen into complete silence: He kept biting the inside part of his lip, sat there completely speechless as if frozen up.


• She’s a wonderful woman, really something: She is a wonderful woman, a really good, remarkable woman.

• Something: a thing or a person of some value or importance -He considers himself to be something, but actually he is nothing. _He thinks he is something, since he was elected chairman of the committee.


• When I was sure the parole was coming through:

When I was certain that the conditional release from prison was to be approved by the authorities


• She told the others, and soon all of them were in it, caught up in the approach of Brunswick:

She told other boys and girls, and soon they all learnt Vingo’s experience, they were all interested in the coming of Brunswick.


• Now they were 20 miles from Brunswick, and the young people took the windows seats on the right side, waiting for the approach of the great oak tree: Now they were only 20 miles away from the town, and the young people all sat by the window, waiting for the coming of the big oak tree.


• Vingo stopped looking, tightening his face, as if fortifying himself against still another disappointment: Vingo moved his eyes away from the window, and his face again became expressionless as if he was trying to find the courage to face another possible blow, another disappointment in his life.


the ex-con’s mask: the expression of a former prisoner trying to hide his true feelings

to fortify oneself (against sb./sth.): to make oneself feel stronger or braver


• Then suddenly all of the young people were up out of their seats, screaming and shouting and crying, doing small dances, shaking clenched fists in triumph and exaltation. All except Vingo.

Then all of a sudden, all the young people left their seats and began doing all sorts of things they could think of to express their happiness and excitement. Vingo alone remained still.

Language Understanding—— word study

• freeze: become unfriendly in manner

-After their quarrel, they sat in frozen silence.

-She gave me a freezing look.


pull into: (of a vehicle) arrive at (a station); move in towards

• -The train pulled into the station on the stroke of 12.

• -Let’s pull into the parking lot and have a rest.


• to engage sb. in sth.: to make sb. take part in sth., eg.She tried to engage her roommate in a philosophical discussion.engagementengagedengaging


• ①wonder about: feel curious about; be doubtful about

John says he didn’t do it, but I am still wondering about that.

• ②rooted: fixed

The boy stood rooted to the spot.

He had a deeply rooted belief in free trade.


• retreat into/to: yield; move back to

-The soldiers were ordered to retreat to safer positions.

-At last we forced the enemy to retreat into the mountains from the town.


The preposition “in” is often used to show a state or condition.

• Vingo nodded in ...• He sat in complete …• … shaking clenched fists in …• but then some boys began to glance at me in …• Good God! I was in …

Compare: • He thanked her and retreated into his silence.• Vingo stopped looking, tightening his face into

the ex-con’s mask.


come through

i. arrive as expected

-Has the train come through?

ii. appear; show clearly

-We are waiting for the results of the entrance exam to come through.


be caught up in: be completely absorbed in • I was caught up in conversation with a

friend when someone knocked at the door. • He was caught up in the story he was

reading that he forgot it was time for supper.


fortify against: strengthen (sth. or oneself) so as to be able to deal with (sth. such as an attack)

• Have some hot ginger soup to fortify yourself against cold.


make one’s way to/through/across/along:

go forward with difficulty

They made their way through the crowd.

I made my way to the center of the town.

Homework

• Finish the exercises after the text.

• Recite the required paragraphs.

• Written work: choose five phrases from the text to make up a story.

going home pete hamill culture background about the text & author sing the song about florida...

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