Going Home Pete Hamill Culture Background about the author Florida, New Jersey, New York, Georgia Howard Johnson’s Sing the song Text appreciation structure analysis topic discussion Language understanding sentence paraphrase word study

Going Home about the author Pete Hamill was born in Brooklyn, N. Y. in 1935. He is the oldest of seven children of Irish immigrants from Belfast, Northern Ireland and attended Catholic schools as a child. He left school at 16 to work in the Brooklyn Navy Yard as a worker, and then went on to the United States Navy. While serving in the Navy, he completed his high school education. Then, using the educational benefits of the G.I. Bill of Rights, he attended Mexico City College in 1956-1957, studying painting and writing.

Going Home about the author For several years, he worked as a graphic designer, while studying at Pratt Institute. Then in 1960, he went to work as a reporter for the New York Post. A long career in journalism followed. He has been a columnist for the New York Post, the Daily News, and New York Newsday, and has won many journalistic awards. As a journalist, he has covered wars in Vietnam, Nicaragua, Lebanon and Northern Ireland. He has also covered murders, crime, the police, along with the great domestic disturbances of the 1960s. His work has also been published in all the major magazines, including Esquire, New York, the New York Times Magazine; he is currently on the staff of the New Yorker.

Going Home about the author Since the 1950s, he has had a continuing interest in Mexico, living there for extended periods, visiting every year. For six months in 1986, he served as editor of the Mexico City News. He has one additional distinction: he has been editor-in-chief of both the New York Post and the New York Daily News.

Going Home about the author At the same time, Hamill has pursued a career as a fiction writer, producing 8 novels and 2 collections of short stories. His 1997 novel, Snow in August, was on the New York Times bestseller list for four months, and has been published in more than a dozen foreign editions. His memoir, A Drinking Life, was on the same New York Times list for 13 weeks. He has published 2 collections of his journalism, a book about the relationship of tools to art, and a book about New York City, along with Why Sinatra Matters, an extended essay on the music of the late singer and the social forces that made his work possible.

Going Home about the author Hamill is married to the Japanese journalist, Fukiko Aoki. He has two grown daughters, one a poet, the other a photographer for the Arizona Republic in Phoenix. He and his wife divide their time between New York and Cuernavaca, Mexico.

Going Home Pete Hamill

Howard Johnson’s

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TIE A YELLOW RIBBON ROUND THE OLD OAK TREE Sing the song TIE A YELLOW RIBBON ROUND THE OLD OAK TREE I'm coming home I've done my time Now I've got to know what is and isn't mine If you received my letter telling you I'd soon be free Then you'll know just what to do if you still want me If you still want me

TIE A YELLOW RIBBON ROUND THE OLD OAK TREE Oh tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree It's been three long years do you still want me If I don't see a ribbon round the old oak tree I'll stay on the bus forget about us put the blame on me If I don't see a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree

TIE A YELLOW RIBBON ROUND THE OLD OAK TREE Bus driver please look for me 'Cause I couldn't bear to see what I might see I'm really still in prison and my love she holds the key A simple yellow ribbon's what I need to set me free I wrote and told her please

TIE A YELLOW RIBBON ROUND THE OLD OAK TREE Oh tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree It's been three long years do you still want me If I don't see a ribbon round the old oak tree I'll stay on the bus forget about us put the blame on me If I don't see a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree

TIE A YELLOW RIBBON ROUND THE OLD OAK TREE Now the whole damn bus is cheering And I can't believe I see A hundred yellow ribbons’ round the old oak tree I'm coming home

Draw a line to follow their route.

Text Appreciation Structure of the text Part 1 (para. 1- ) : 4 The introduction of the setting and the characters. 4 Where Vingo was going and what for, and how the young people got interested in what was going to happen. 5-9 10-12 Vingo was forgiven and welcomed home.

Text Appreciation for group discussion in class Plot of the story: Setting of the story: Protagonist v.s. Antagonists: Drama of the story lies in: Theme of the story:

Text Appreciation for group discussion after class 1. What do you think Vingo had done that got him in prison? 2. How do you think Mingo behaved in prison? What do you think he wanted to do after his release? 3. What kind of person do you think his wife was? Why didn’t she write to Vingo?

Text Appreciation for group discussion after class 4. Do you agree the yellow ribbon is a symbol? What does it symbolize? What did it mean to Vingo? 5. What lesson do you think the young people can learn from Vingo’s story? 6. Do you think the ability to forgive and forget is important in human relationships?

Analyze the Main Characters in the Story ①the young people: ②Vingo: ③Vingo’s wife: active, talkative, happy, considerate sad, worried, nervous, silent wonderful, strong-willed, kind-hearted, capable

Analyze the Writing Skills 1. detailed and vivid description of the appearance of Vingo 2. keeping the reader in suspense until the very end 3. happy ending 4. in rhetoric

Analyze the Writing Skills the young people, quite a lot of present participles, to indicate liveliness and joyfulness. -dreaming of golden beaches and sea tides -waiting for the approach of the great oak tree -screaming and shouting and crying, doing … ... Vingo, past participles, to indicate his sadness, nervousness, and his control of feelings. -dressed in a plain, ill-fitting suit -frozen into complete silence -He sat rooted in his seat -Vingo sat there stunned, looking at the oak tree

The Yellow Handkerchief

Yellow ribbon as a symbol

Language Understanding —— sentence paraphrase They were dreaming of golden beaches and tides of the sea as the grey, cold spring of New York vanished behind them. It was a grey, cold day in spring. As the bus left New York City, these young people were thinking about what they would enjoy in Florida-- the golden beaches and tides of the sea.

Language Understanding —— sentence paraphrase He sat in front of the young people, his dusty face masking his age, dressed in a plain brown suit that did not fit him. He sat in front of the young people. You could hardly tell how old he was because his face was covered with dust.

Language Understanding —— sentence paraphrase He kept chewing the inside of his lip a lot, frozen into complete silence: He kept biting the inside part of his lip, sat there completely speechless as if frozen up.

Language Understanding —— sentence paraphrase She’s a wonderful woman, really something: She is a wonderful woman, a really good, remarkable woman. Something: a thing or a person of some value or importance -He considers himself to be something, but actually he is nothing. _He thinks he is something, since he was elected chairman of the committee.

Language Understanding —— sentence paraphrase When I was sure the parole was coming through: When I was certain that the conditional release from prison was to be approved by the authorities

Language Understanding —— sentence paraphrase She told the others, and soon all of them were in it, caught up in the approach of Brunswick: She told other boys and girls, and soon they all learnt Vingo’s experience, they were all interested in the coming of Brunswick.

Language Understanding —— sentence paraphrase Now they were 20 miles from Brunswick, and the young people took the windows seats on the right side, waiting for the approach of the great oak tree: Now they were only 20 miles away from the town, and the young people all sat by the window, waiting for the coming of the big oak tree.

Language Understanding —— sentence paraphrase Vingo stopped looking, tightening his face, as if fortifying himself against still another disappointment: Vingo moved his eyes away from the window, and his face again became expressionless as if he was trying to find the courage to face another possible blow, another disappointment in his life. the ex-con’s mask: the expression of a former prisoner trying to hide his true feelings to fortify oneself (against sb./sth.): to make oneself feel stronger or braver

Language Understanding —— sentence paraphrase Then suddenly all of the young people were up out of their seats, screaming and shouting and crying, doing small dances, shaking clenched fists in triumph and exaltation. All except Vingo. Then all of a sudden, all the young people left their seats and began doing all sorts of things they could think of to express their happiness and excitement. Vingo alone remained still.

Language Understanding —— word study Freeze: become unfriendly in manner -After their quarrel, they sat in frozen silence. -She gave me a freezing look.

Language Understanding —— word study Pull into: (of a vehicle) arrive at (a station); move in towards -The train pulled into the station on the stroke of 12. -Let’s pull into the parking lot and have a rest.

Language Understanding —— word study to engage sb. in sth.: to make sb. take part in sth., eg. She tried to engage her roommate in a philosophical discussion. engagement engaged engaging

Language Understanding —— word study ①Wonder about: feel curious about; be doubtful about -John says he didn’t do it, but I am still wondering about that. ②rooted: fixed -The boy stood rooted to the spot. -He had a deeply rooted belief in free trade.

Language Understanding —— word study Retreat into/to: yield; move back to -The soldiers were ordered to retreat to safer positions. -At last we forced the enemy to retreat into the mountains from the town.

Language Understanding —— word study The preposition “in” is often used to show a state or condition. Vingo nodded in ... He sat in complete … … shaking clenched fists in … but then some boys began to glance at me in … Good God! I was in … Compare: He thanked her and retreated … his silence. Vingo stopped looking, tightening his face … the ex-con’s mask.

Language Understanding —— word study come through i. arrive as expected -Has the train come through? ii. appear; show clearly -We are waiting for the results of the entrance exam to come through.

Language Understanding —— word study Be caught up in: be completely absorbed in -I was caught up in conversation with a friend when someone knocked at the door. -He was caught up in the story he was reading that he forgot it was time for supper.

Language Understanding —— word study Fortify against: strenthen (sth. or oneself) so as to be able to deal with (sth. such as an attack) -Have some hot ginger soup to fortify yourself against cold.

Language Understanding —— word study Make one’s way to/through/across/along: go forward with difficulty -They made their way through the crowd. -I made my way to the center of the town.

Language Understanding —— word study ex = fully (exchange, exalt) He felt very humble in such ______ company. The two teams _______ presents before the game. ex = former (ex-con, ex-wife, ex-president) ex = out of (exceed, except, expose, exit) Your advice would be valuable to him, who is at present at his wit’s end. Too much to X-rays can cause skin burns, cancer or other damage to the body. exalted exchanged exceedingly exposure

Language Understanding —— word study a./n. + -en  v. 1. She’s lost her job so she had to … her belt. 2. He … his pencil with a knife. 3. Their opposition only … her resolve. 4. … your seat belts. 5. The terrorists … to blow up the plane if their demands were not met. (dark, fast, height, length, sharp, strength, threat, weak, worse, tight, broad, wide…)

Going Home Pete Hamill The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them.