The Homecoming
1. Added information for the writer’s purpose
2. Foreshadowing
3. Summarizing
4. So we can know who Ishi is.
5. Autobiography (story about oneself)
6. Researching a personal, family history: a story about his ancestors
What is the main idea of the first paragraph?
To introduce Ishi or a mini-bio of Ishi.
What did you learn about the relationship between Ishi and the surrounding people?
Ishi was fascinated by the people whom he saw. He was interested in how they interacted.
How would Ishi’s account of his life differ from the accounts of other people at that time?
Ishi’s life was more hard working; everything had to be done by hand. Depending on the season, Ishi didn’t always have enough to eat.
What point about the American Indian culture does the writer make with his description of current times in lines 61 – 69?
The Indian tribes now have casinos, a white man’s invention, to make money. The Indian tribes have adopted the white man’s ways, but the white man has not adopted the Indian way very much. There are exceptions with environmentalism and the reverence for the earth and for living things.
What is the purpose of the author in writing this piece?
Wouldn’t be as believable if written by a white man. He could observe it but not experience it. To inform the reader about Ishi. To get us thinking about Ishi and other “Ishi’s” in the world.
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Synthesizing Sources
Main Idea Supporting Evidence
“Homecoming” Personalize Ishi
To present Ishi as a human
To make us feel closer to Ishi
Richard Rodriguez’ Main Idea in “Homecoming”
To personalize Ishi
Evidence: When white Californians first encountered Ishi, he was about forty years old, naked, close to starvation and friendless and without family.
His remains were defiled (disrespected) by an autopsy; his brains were put in a jar and shipped to the Smithsonian for further investigation. His ashes were scattered.
Marina:
His body and not his spirit was defenseless against modern infection.
Rodriguez wanted to show the humanity of the man and to honor his memory.
Home: welcome; comfortable; comfort, warmth; open arms; relaxation; safe; sanctuary; love; hope;
Anthropology: the study of different cultures
What did the scientists learn from Ishi?
Medical uses of more than 200 plants.
“Wild as It Ever Was”:
Main Point:
Document about
Evidence:
