UNIT 8
Slay and the Codes of Identity
Slay and the Codes of Identity
OVERVIEW.
Seventeen-year-old Kiera fields unwanted questions about black culture from her white classmates and deals with unchecked racism in online multiplayer games. In response, she develops SLAY, a secret Afrocentric multiplayer online role-playing game celebrating black excellence across the diaspora. Through social media and word-of-mouth, hundreds of thousands of black people around the world join this safe space for a chance to be their unapologetic selves. Full of intricate details about the SLAY universe and introspective anecdotes about gaming while black, the novel makes it easy to understand why Kiera will do whatever it takes to protect her game—even if it means mourning in silence after learning a teen is murdered because of an argument over SLAY in-game currency. Kiera chooses not to reveal her identity as the game developer despite media pressure and an anonymous troll threatening to sue her for “anti-white discrimination.” Her point of view is interspersed with perspectives from other gamers, giving insights into what SLAY means to each of them. It’s time for Kiera to realize the community she’s brought together is ready to fight alongside her, but is their collective power enough to save their world? |
In Slay, Morris finds a way to merge difficult racial conversations with the world of online video games, inviting readers to consider multiple and conflicting perspectives about complex social issues that are not only incredibly timely, but allow students to engage with strong critical thinking skills during oral discussions, Socratic seminars, research assignments, or writing. In this unit, students apply the knowledge of storytelling elements and literary devices explored in previous units to Slay. Characterization and point of view are highlighted, with particular attention paid to the question of how these elements develop themes around cultural, ethnic, and individual identity. Informational texts and media will be used to illuminate social issues such as safe spaces and cultural appropriation. The unit will culminate in a timed writing assessment in which students analyze how the protagonist as a round and dynamic character changes over the course of the novel, interacts with other characters, and develops a key theme through these processes.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
PERSONAL ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES
- Recognize the importance of historical context to the appreciation of setting and character.
- Identify major and minor characters.
- Analyze and explain characterization techniques for the main character, emphasizing methods of indirect characterization.
- Recognize the importance of point of view in a novel and why it wouldn't be the same story if told from someone else's point of view.
- Analyze how a complex character (e.g., one with multiple or conflicting motivations) develops over the course of the novel, interacts with other characters, and develops a key theme through these processes.
PERSONAL ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES
- Reflect on the value of diversity in a complex world.
- Consider the importance of safe spaces for people of all backgrounds and experiences.
- Learn in particular about the African-American experience as it relates to the thematic concerns of this novel.
- Arouse interest in the unique contributions and experiences of other American groups and communities by way of this unit’s focus on African-American culture and identity.
- Stimulate curiosity about cultural and ethnic identity issues.
CORE TEXT
INFORMATION SOURCES
- Slay by Brittney Morris, Simon Pulse, 2019.
INFORMATION SOURCES
- Weststar, Johanna, Eva Kwan, and Shruti Kumar. Developer Satisfaction Survey 2019 Summary Report, International Game Developers Association, 20 November 2019.
VIDEO GALLERY.
Slay Book Trailer
by Leah Holst
by Leah Holst
IMAGE GALLERY.
Click on images to enlarge.
Click on images to enlarge.