The Yellow House

Naming is significant in The Yellow House. Identify where there are changes in how the characters are identified and what role this plays in the text. Why does the author draw attention to names and naming?

Broom’s memoir weaves her family’s experiences into the history of New Orleans. She includes historical facts and contemporary political realities to explain how New Orleans East came to be. In doing so, she highlights the structural inequalities that Black families face in the city. Identify three moments where she brings in tangible evidence and links it to the experience of individuals in her family. What source material does she use and is it effective?

How is the history of New Orleans told in mainstream media outlets? How does Broom challenge this narrative?

Shame is a theme that surfaces throughout the book. What role does shame play in Broom’s experience of the Yellow House?

Explain how maps function as both tangible methods of place-making and a symbolic way of asserting order and deciding what is valuable. What role do maps and mapping play in the text?

Throughout the book, Broom weaves in vision as a metaphor. Identify three examples where Broom references vision and explain how this analysis functions.

Using one character as a case study, describe and analyze how the past shapes their present.

What role does absence play in Broom’s memoir?