86 pages 2 hours read

Andrea Elliott

Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival, and Hope in an American City

Nonfiction | Biography | Adult | Published in 2021

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Essay Topics

1.

“Jane Crow” is described in Invisible Child as a possible explanation for the various policies that often separate poor Black parents and their children. Are Chanel and Supreme subject to policies that can fairly be characterized as Jane Crow? Why or why not? Support your analysis with evidence from the text.

2.

“Code-switching” comes up throughout Invisible Child, especially during Dasani’s time at Hershey. How does Dasani’s attitude toward code-switching change as her education progresses? How does the need to code-switch challenge her sense of identity and belonging?

3.

Elliott mentions that during Dasani’s time at Hershey, “grit” is a popular concept in education, largely due to the influence of “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance,” a 2013 Ted Talk by psychology professor Angela Lee Duckworth. Does learning “grit” ultimately help Dasani in pursuing her goals? Is it a concept that could help Dasani’s siblings and parents in their own pursuits? Support your analysis with evidence from the text.