62 pages • 2 hours read
Southland
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Essay Topics
A news event featuring a group of trafficked Thai sweatshop workers places Jackie and Laura on opposing sides. Explain the event. What stance does each take on this drama, and why?
Explain and detail the events leading up to the murder of Curtis and his friends. Include the who, when, what, where, and why.
Why do most believe Lawson is Curtis’s killer? Provide examples that suggest why the community viewed Lawson as culpable.
Describe the potential witnesses that Jackie and Lanier have against Thomas. Who are these witnesses, and what did they see?
Lawson represents one type of racism in the narrative, while Thomas represents another. Explain and compare each man’s racism.
It’s revealed that Alma and Frank were once lovers. Trace their trajectory from first to last meeting. How did they fall in love and hide their relationship? What prevented them from being together?
Lanier initially thinks of Jackie as naïve and unlike Frank. Explain why he thinks this, using textual references.
Trace Jackie’s growth from the beginning of the narrative with Laura to the end of the book with Rebecca. How has she matured? What caused her personal growth?
Describe some of the events of the Watts Uprising that took place in the narrative. How is the uprising described? How does it affect people in the book?
Most of the Japanese American characters in the narrative suffered greatly at the hands of someone else, especially in the concentration camps. List these struggles, and show how these characters persevered, if applicable.
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