THE ROUND HOUSE

How can terrible acts change a person for the better or the worse? Using themes of good and evil can help students form analysis of texts and give textual examples to support claims. There is an abundance of lesson to frame around the text. Whether is be teaching to dive deeper within the text or learning basic literary elements.

Following a thirteen-year-old facing the most unspeakable can bring great topics for discussion into the classroom. The author does an amazing job of giving a platform to an adolescent and following how adolescents deal with bad circumstances. As a teacher, I would use the controversial topics to prompt students to think about their own lives and how they would handle certain situations. One of the most blatant themes within the text is family. With how caring the boy and father are about the mother to the father and son working together to help the mother. Geraldine is the “glue” of the family and everything that happens within the family is motivated by the mother.

 The Round House brings light to a Native American narrative and helps students understand a culture different from their own. Or giving those with the same culture/heritage a platform to be represented through text. The only problems I can foresee with using this novel is the graphic content of the novel and the references to rape and murder. The solution to the controversial topics is to preface the class and have discussions about what is appropriate within the classroom. Administration WILL have problems with the text but as a teacher- I would highlight the fact that the story is being told from the eyes of  a thirteen year old and it can be beneficial for students to be able to see a relatable character and talk about their own lives and hardships in a safe space.