Becoming Naomi León Chapters 1 and 2

A Rabble of Yesterdays


Chapter One: A Paddling of Ducks, pp. 3-15

1. On p. 5, Naomi says that she had “…mulled over…” her sorry condition at school.
a. What does “mulled over” mean in this sentence?
b. Look up mulled in the dictionary. What other meaning does it have when it is used to describe wine? How are the two meanings alike?

2. Gram says that you can make things happen through positive thinking (p. 6).
a. Ask the members of your book club if they believe this is true, and why.
b. Determine how many say “yes” and how many say “no.”
c. Create a ratio of the number of “yes” responses to “no” response.
d. What does this tell you about self-fulfilling prophecies?

3. Why is this chapter called “A Paddling of Ducks?”

Chapter Two: A Skulk of Foxes, pp. 16-25

1. Who is the “fox” referred to in the chapter title? Be ready to support your answer with quotes and page numbers.

2. On p. 20, we find that Owen uses tape on his shirt to comfort himself and to prevent anxiety.
a. Give an example of what people you know do to reduce their anxiety. Be specific:
b. Who is the person?
c. What do they do – or use?
d. How does it help them?
e. Do you think this would work for you, and why or why not?

3. On p. 25, Naomi says “My thoughts dived into a jumble in the middle of my mind, wrestled around until they were wadded into a fisted know, and attached themselves to my brain like a burr matted in a long-haired dog.”
a. Paraphrase this description. What were Naomi's thoughts?
b. Have you ever felt this way? When? Why?

Many thanks to NEIU YA Lit Conference (Boran & Ibarra)