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Watch City Readers
September, 2022

Watch City Readers is brought to you through a grant from the Waltham Cultural Council and the Mass Cultural Council.

This month explored the literary form of the short story.  We read "Desiree's Baby" by Kate Chopin.
Before reading, we learned about the word "antebellum" and its modern connotations in American mythos.  We were made aware that this story deals with serious issues of bigotry and racism.
We were mindful of foreshadowing, particularly in Desiree's exclamation, "I'm so happy it frightens me," and Madame Valmondes's description of L'Abri, the Abiginys plantation.
We discussed the characters and their motives within their relationships.
Irony was also a major point in this story.
 
Set in pre-Civil War Louisiana, "Desiree's Baby" offers modern readers a glimpse into the past, as written in 1892.  Comparing the past to the present demonstrated that the United States still battles with bigotry and racism.  

Next month we will celebrate the spooky side of literature, including excerpts from Edgar A. Poe and H.P. Lovecraft. 
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