65 pages • 2 hours read
Lynn JosephThe Color of My Words
Fiction | Novel/Book in Verse | Middle Grade | Published in 2000A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Summary
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Character Analysis
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
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BetaEssay Topics
As the novel’s title suggest, colors and words are connected for Ana Rosa. Analyze this connection as it appears in the text; draw conclusions about the symbolic use of colors and language. Use evidence from the book to support your arguments.
An important underlying element of The Color of My Words is Ana Rosa’s cultural heritage as a young person growing up in the Dominican Republic. Explore how and why Lynn Joseph chooses to integrate this into the novel using specific evidence.
The novel ends before Ana Rosa can truly pursue her path as a writer. Analyze the rest of the plot with this climactic ending in mind: what purpose does the ending have? How is it foreshadowed in previous interactions?
Family relationships are a central part of Ana Rosa’s life. Which family member is most important to her development? Analyze the relationship that person has with Ana Rose using specific evidence and interactions found in the text.
Several natural elements reappear in The Color of My Words: the gri gri tree, the beach and ocean, among others. Choose one aspect of nature and analyze the relationship Ana Rosa has with it. Why is it significant to Ana Rosa? To the plot as a whole?
The novel is narrated in the first person, with one shift to second person in the final paragraph. In what ways does the point of view impact the emotional resonance of the plot? In what ways does Ana Rosa as a character shape the plot through her narration? Explain your analysis using precise evidence.
Although their stories aren’t centered in the novel, both Papi and Mami are complex characters who seem to have histories beyond what Ana Rosa knows about them. Trace either Papi or Mami’s development as a character over the course of the novel, drawing conclusions about how they are characterized and why this is the case.
As a bildungsroman, or coming of age novel, The Color of My Words relies on several key moments when Ana Rosa has big revelations about herself and the world around her. Choose one of these instances and analyze why Lynn Joseph crafts the plot in this way. Why does Ana Rosa need to realize this? What effect does it have on the larger conflicts and resolutions in the novel?
Ana Rosa’s village is an important place to her. Analyze how the village plays a role in the overall plot and feeling of the novel, paying attention to specific characters or locations.
