Anna In The Tropics

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. The state of Florida has the largest Cuban community in the US. Consider the history of Cuban immigration to the US. What were some of the motivations for migration? How has migration from Cuba shaped the culture of the cities within the US? How did Florida become a major destination for those leaving Cuba?

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Answer question invites students to consider their prior knowledge regarding Cuban migration and Cuban communities in the US. Cuban migration to the US can be broadly separated into two waves: first, economic migrants in the late-19th and early 20th centuries; and second, refugees during the mid-to-late 20th century. Cruz’s play takes place during the former wave, in which many Cubans settled in Florida. (Please see the first and fourth Paired Resources for more information). These communities would grow over the next decades as many Cubans migrated to Florida to find work in the growing cigar manufacturing industry. (Students should understand that 30 years after the play’s setting, the next wave of Cuban immigrants to Florida would include many refugees who sought political asylum after the introduction of Communism in 1959.)

• The US Library of Congress shares a brief summary of Cuban migration to the US in “Crossing the Straits.”
• The National Park Service offers information on the history of Ybor City, the play’s setting.

2. Consider the ways in which mass production and consumerism shape communities. How has technology shaped the transformation of production and commodification?

Teaching Suggestion: This question invites students to consider the theme of Lost Traditions within the context of industrialization and the mass commodification of products during the late 19th century and early 20th century in the US. As a result of rapid industrialization and technological expansion in the late 19th century combined with the introduction of credit in the early 20th century, many individuals living in the US had increased purchasing power, which ultimately led to rapid consumerism for middle-class households. This increase in demand led to the desire to produce even more goods through increased technological means. In the play, Cruz uses the character of Cheché to represent the drive for mass production in the cigar industry, even at the expense of the workers’ access to literature and education.

• This article summarizes the effect of technological development on societies in the 20th and 21st centuries.
• The New York Times’s 1974 article “Hand‐Rolled Cigar Industry Is Flourishing” explores the pervasive demand for traditionally-produced Cuban cigars 35 years after the time of the play.

Short Activity

Many of the world’s well-known pieces of literature can be considered love stories. Working in small groups, select a love story with long-lasting appeal and analyze the impact of this piece of literature on readers, students who study the work, or society in general. Consider the following questions as you prepare your presentation: Why is this story particularly famous? Was it popular during its time of publication? How and why is this piece of literature a love story? Share your findings with the class.

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Activity invites students to apply the play’s themes of Love and Heartache and The Power of Literature and Language in a group activity. Using these or similar resources as a starting point, students might analyze the meaning as well as the role, of love stories in world literature. Please note that while the sources below focus on love stories portrayed in Western literature, students might explore pieces that are famous in non-European/North American continents.

• The New York Times’s “What Makes for a Great Literary Romance?” explores the patterns among literature’s greatest love stories. (Subscription may be needed to view.)
• Rutgers University offers a list of “Faculty Picks for Best Relationships in Literature.” (Content Warning: Book descriptions include mature content.)

Differentiation Suggestion: For an approach that focuses attention on dramatic arts, this Short Activity may be amended so students focus on a play that falls under the theme Love and Heartache; in this vein, students should present a summary and analysis of the play, and might act out a scene as a part of their presentation.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the play.

How is literature a powerful tool? Consider the ways in which it empowers people using examples from your life, literature, or history to support your response. Is there a specific piece of literature that has reshaped the way you think about a particular subject? If so, provide a brief summary and explain how and why this specific piece impacted you.

Teaching Suggestion: This Personal Connection Prompt invites students to apply the theme of The Power of Literature and Language to their own understanding. In his play, Cruz touches on the importance of access to literature, particularly for laborers who may not have access to these stories otherwise. This Personal Connection Prompt may be completed as either an in-class discussion or as a take-home assignment and segues directly to the Discussion/Analysis prompt.