Use these links to supplement and complement students’ reading of the work and to increase their overall enjoyment of literature. Challenge them to discern parallel themes, engage through visual and aural stimuli, and delve deeper into the thematic possibilities presented by the title.

Recommended Texts for Pairing

“Harlem” by Langston Hughes

• published in 1951 as part of a longer work; inspired the title of Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun
• connects to the theme of Reclaiming the American Dream
• Consider what “Harlem” implies about the effects of racial inequality and lack of opportunity: Do similar concerns inform “Thank You, M’am”?

“The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara

• 1972 short story
• connects to themes of Reclaiming the American Dream and The Transformative Effects of Empathy
• Compare and contrast the story’s critical view of consumerism with Roger’s desire for a pair of shoes, as well as the teacher’s patronizing approach to her students with Mrs. Jones’s interactions with Roger.

“Blue Suede Shoes” by Elvis Presley (lyrics by Carl Perkins)

• song released by Perkins in 1956 and covered by Elvis later the same year; this version is a re-recording from 1960
• Consider Elvis and other white musicians’ relationship to Black music in connection with Reclaiming the American Dream