By Laila Lalami
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CTYL
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Have you read a book or seen a movie
where one of the characters went on a
journey that involved risk? Why did
they go? How did they feel before and
after?
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Background
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Background
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Background
The View from
Tarifa, Spain.
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Into Action
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Visualization chart: while we read,
create a visualization chart.
Setting
Location
Descriptive
Language
Information
from the text
Mood
Atmosphere
and Feeling
Setting
Descriptive
Language
Mood
Strait of Gibraltar
at night
The waves are inky
black…glistening white under
the moon…tombstones in a
dark cemetery.
Serene but
ominous
250 yards off the
shore of Tarifa
Clothes are instantly
wet…shock of cold
water…heart goes still…bobs,
gasps for air…limbs heavy
with the weight of clothes.
Panic and survival
On the shore at
the edge of a
sugar cane field
Will be alright now…comforts
himself…familiar
fantasy…going home…wife
greeting.
Police station
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Quick
Check
Literary
Analysis
Literary
Skills
1. Why does Murad want to leave Morocco? What does
he expect his live to be like in Spain?
2. Why do the passengers feel cheated by Rahal?
3. What is Murad planning at the end of the story?
6. Murad is not alone on his journey. How do his
actions compare to those of the other passengers?
8. Even if Murad were to make it to Spain, how
realistic do you think his dream is? Do you admire
him or think he is foolish for what he is trying to
do? Explain.
9. What theme, or insight about life, do you think
Lalami conveys with this story?
10. How does the setting contribute to the mood of
the story? How would the story change if it had a
different setting?
11. How does the setting of “The Trip” create conflict,
or struggle? What kinds of conflict does Murad
experience?