These prompts can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before or after reading the novel.

Pre-Reading “Icebreaker”

Create a self-portrait that captures your intersectional identities. You may draw and/or write within the self-portrait, using that space to symbolize the parts of your identity that matter to you the most. Parts of one’s identity may include but are not limited to race, religion, gender, sexuality, and nationality. As you work, reflect on the specific terms we tend to use to define identity.

Teaching Suggestion: This activity provides students with an opportunity to reconsider the terms they use when thinking of themselves. Connect to the novel by sharing that characters in Passing embrace or reject certain parts of their identities. Some students may struggle with the idea of defining identity; it may be helpful to explain that self-portraits can represent a snapshot moment, a “work in progress,” or a particular portion of identity, as one’s identity grows and changes over time. With optional sharing, self-portraits might serve as a visual reminder of diversity and inclusion; students can discuss the juxtaposition between our contemporary understandings of identity and the identities forced onto marginalized peoples in the past. Connect to the novel by posing the question: Can identity be faked? What factors make the attempt to fake identity difficult?