Lesson 4
How do photographic, nonfictional, and fictional representations of a historical event like 9/11 compare? We will read a fictional portrayal of the events of 9/11 and make comparisons about how those events have been depicted photographically, journalistically, and fictionally.
Lesson Goals
Can I express an accurate understanding of a central idea expressed by an author about the “veracity” of photographs?
Can I recognize and interpret important relationships among key details and ideas within a fictional text?
Can I recognize points of connection among texts and perspectives to make logical, objective comparisons?
Texts
Core
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- Falling Man, Richard Drew, Tom Junod, Esquire, 2016
Optional
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- “‘Falling Man’ Maps Emotional Aftermath of Sept. 11,” NPR Books Staff, National Public Radio, Inc., 2007
Materials
Reference Guides
Question Sets
Editable Google Docs
Activity 1: Discuss
We will again consider the final thoughts from Tom Junod about how “Photographs Lie.”
In a class discussion, respond to the following question:
What does Tom Junod mean in Paragraph 18 of the Esquire article when he says, “Photographs lie. Even great photographs. Especially great photographs”?
Consider also what John Morris has said about ”great photographers” and their ability “to get pictures which are not only truthful but beautiful.”
Activity 2: Read
We will read an npr article that discusses and carries an excerpt from Falling Man, a fictional account of a 9/11 world trade Center survivor.
Access, read, and annotate the NPR article “'Falling Man' Maps Emotional Aftermath Of Sept. 11.”
Activity 3: Read
We will read the excerpt from chapter 1 of Falling Man and determine the tone of the work.
Read the excerpt from Chapter 1 of Falling Man, which is included in the NPR article “‘Falling Man' Maps Emotional Aftermath Of Sept. 11." Look for striking images and words and phrases that contribute to the tone of the work. Remember that the tone of a fictional work is the author’s attitude, often expressed through the connotative quality of his or her diction. As you read, note some of those word choices in your Learning Log, as well as any potential tones they might indicate.
Activity 4: Discuss
We will discuss the words and phrases we noted while reading the excerpt from chapter 1 of Falling Man and work to reach a class consensus on the tone of the work.
Select at least five images, words, or phrases that seem most significant in contributing to the overall tone of the excerpt, and discuss with the class the tone they help establish.
Activity 5: Discuss
We will discuss the connection between a fictional rendering of an actual event and an informational version (either an article or a photo, as we have been studying in this unit).
Step 1
As a class, reread a key sentence from the excerpt:
There was something else then, outside all this, not belonging to this, aloft. He watched it coming down. A shirt came down out of the high smoke, a shirt lifted and drifting in the scant light and then falling again, down toward the river.
Discuss what you think Delilo might be describing, and how it might relate to Drew’s photograph, Junod’s article, and the title of the novel.
Step 2
Considering what you have noticed about the tone of the novel’s description, think about how the Falling Man chronicles a tragic, defining moment in American history, yet in this novel, the news reporting, which is so often dominant and authoritative when it comes to documenting history, is left out. We see the event through the eyes of the characters who witnessed it. Discuss the following questions:
How might a fictional account of the Falling Man connect to but also differ from the photo itself and an informational account like Junod’s article?
How does the author’s choice to render the events from a character’s point of view change the way we perceive things, versus how we might see them as a reader of an article or a viewer of a journalistic photograph?
During class discussion, write down your responses and ideas from other students in your Learning Log.