King of the Bingo Game

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. During the early 20th century, waves of people moved internally through the US in a period known as “The Great Migration.” What were some of the causes of The Great Migration and its effects on US demographics? Where did people migrate to, and which groups of people were the main ones who migrated?

Teaching Suggestion: This question orients students within the historical context of the story. Historians have determined that between the years 1910 and 1970, approximately six million individuals from Black communities moved from Southern states to Northern, Midwestern, and Western states to find work. Although slavery had ended almost 50 years before the start of the migration, many Black communities stayed in the South and continued to work as farmers on plantations. However, with the entrance of the US in World War I, along with the decrease in immigration from outside the US, the growing need for labor in the North attracted many Black individuals in the South to emigrate from the region. The waves of movement sometimes resulted in hostile tensions between racial communities in larger Northern cities; in the story, Ellison touches on the theme of The Great Migration and Dislocation Between North and South with subtle references to the perceived differences between the regions, such as the protagonist’s hesitancy to ask his peers for some peanuts and the man with the microphone’s comment that North Carolina is not in the US. Ultimately, The Great Migration was a major catalyst for many race-based, anti-discrimination movements during the 20th century, including the Harlem Renaissance and the Civil Rights Movement.

• This article from the National Archives discusses the phases of The Great Migration within the US.
• History.com’s “The Great Migration” discusses the causes and effects of the migration on life in the US.

2. Alluding to the French word for “rebirth,” the Harlem Renaissance was a formative period for arts and culture in the Manhattan neighborhood of Harlem. When was the Harlem Renaissance? What type of “rebirth” occurred for culture and arts? How did the Harlem Renaissance influence later artistic movements in the US?

Teaching Suggestion: This question supports students’ understanding of the Harlem Renaissance as a pivotal movement in US history. In particular, the Harlem Renaissance is an example of a movement that was both influenced by previous sociological changes and an influencer of future arts movements. In regard to the former, the Harlem Renaissance was a result of the emigration from the South to New York City during WWI. During the 1920s, Harlem became a haven for the arts, including jazz music, poetry, and artistic performances. Although historians believe that the Stock Market Crash of 1929 brought the Harlem Renaissance to a close, the legacy of works produced during this time were deeply influential to future generations of Black artists, such as Ellison, who migrated to New York City in 1936. Furthermore, the Harlem Renaissance inspired the Black Arts Movement in the 1960s, a pivotal moment for arts in the mid-20th century that worked in tandem with the Civil Rights Movement. This Short Answer Question segues directly to the Short Activity.

• This article by the National Museum of African American History and Culture connects The Great Migration to the Harlem Renaissance.
• This article by History.com shares a compilation of photos from the Harlem Renaissance.

Short Activity

As a period of artistic growth, the Harlem Renaissance was a deeply influential era in the fields of art, literature, and music. Working in small groups, research and select a notable figure from the Harlem Renaissance. Prepare a presentation in which you and your group share this person’s background and contribution to the Harlem Renaissance. Provide any relevant primary sources in your presentation, including photos, music clips, and/or works of literature. Finally, consider the differences among the various figures that your classmates present, including how different Harlem Renaissance artists were influenced by The Great Migration and Dislocation Between North and South.

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Activity immerses students in the literary context of Ellison’s writings. Depending on the level of the class, many students may already be aware of some of the more notable authors and artists during this era; if this is the case, support students with the resources to select an artist who may not be as well known to share in their presentations. Finally, encourage students to share photos, music, and art from the period (for a more artistic version of this Short Activity, please see the following Differentiation Suggestion).

• This article by the Oklahoma Historical Society discusses Ellison’s background, including his name as an allusion to the transcendentalist author Ralph Waldo Emerson.
• The New York Public Library shares information about several notable contributors to the Harlem Renaissance in “Hurston & Hughes: Two Major Figures of The Harlem Renaissance.”

Differentiation Suggestion: For a more presentation and performance-style focus, this Short Activity may be reframed to be a presentation of short works and poetry in an in-class poetry reading, where students have the opportunity to read out loud a specific artist’s work, followed by a short analysis.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the story.

Do you believe in fate or luck? Share your point of view, using examples in order to substantiate your point.

Teaching Suggestion: This question orients students to the theme of Dostoevsky’s Underground Man and the Rejection of Social Norms. As an African American man living in a highly racist and discriminatory society, the protagonist becomes freed and powerful in the brief moment that he is able to control his fate; however, his immediate surroundings attempt to disillusion him, calling him off the stage and finally arresting him. This question directly segues to the Discussion/Analysis Prompt.

Differentiation Suggestion: For classes that are focused on comparative literature, as well as for students who have recently read another text focused on the theme of fate, this Personal Connection Prompt may be amended to the following question: How has the motif of fate and luck manifested in literature? Select one piece of literature that touches on this motif and analyze the commentary on it.