Another great way to engage your students is through the creation of storyboards that examine Tone, Word Choice, Imagery, Style, and Theme. This activity is referred to with the acronym “TWIST”. In a TWIST, students focus on a particular paragraph or a few pages, to look deeper at the author’s meaning.
Using an excerpt from the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, students can use storyboards to bring to life this close reading assignment. The sample TWIST storyboard above is based on the passage from Chapter 10 in which Douglass fights Edward Covey. Another suggested passage is one early in Chapter 7 in which Douglass learns to read and describes the effect this has on him.
All went well till Monday morning. On this morning, the virtue of the root was fully tested. Long before daylight, I was called to go and rub, curry, and feed, the horses. I obeyed, and was glad to obey. But whilst thus engaged, whilst in the act of throwing down some blades from the loft, Mr. Covey entered the stable with a long rope; and just as I was half out of the loft, he caught hold of my legs, and was about tying me. As soon as I found what he was up to, I gave a sudden spring, and as I did so, he holding to my legs, I was brought sprawling on the stable floor. Mr. Covey seemed now to think he had me, and could do what he pleased; but at this moment—from whence came the spirit I don't know—I resolved to fight; and, suiting my action to the resolution, I seized Covey hard by the throat; and as I did so, I rose. He held on to me, and I to him. My resistance was so entirely unexpected that Covey seemed taken all aback. He trembled like a leaf. This gave me assurance, and I held him uneasy, causing the blood to run where I touched him with the ends of my fingers. Mr. Covey soon called out to Hughes for help...
From this time I was never again what might be called fairly whipped, though I remained a slave four years afterwards. I had several fights, but was never whipped.
| T | TONE |
Triumphant: Douglass is filled with exultation and pride |
|---|---|---|
| W | WORD CHOICE |
resistance, determined, freedom, manhood, self-confidence, triumph, gratification, satisfaction, glorious resurrection, heaven, rose, defiance |
| I | IMAGERY |
rekindled the expiring embers of freedom, the tomb of slavery, the heaven of freedom |
| S | STYLE |
Douglass moves from a matter-of-fact description of the fight into an emotional reflection. The lofty diction and figurative language of his meditation reflect his soaring spirit. |
| T | THEME |
Through Douglass’s intense emotions, he conveys the message that freedom is as much a mental state as a physical one. Restoring self-confidence is the first step in achieving freedom. |
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Perform a TWIST analysis of a selection from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Remember that TWIST stands for Tone, Word Choice, Imagery, Style, Theme.