Lucky Broken Girl

These prompts can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before or after reading the novel.

Pre-Reading “Icebreaker”

Have you ever broken a bone and had to wear a cast? What challenges and conflicts did you experience while wearing the cast? Did the injury and/or the cast require you to miss out on events or opportunities? To what extent did the cast require you to rely on assistance from others?

If you’ve been lucky enough to have never required a cast to heal an injury, use your imagination in considering these questions, or reflect on the experiences you’ve witnessed in others. What do you think would be the most challenging part of wearing a cast?

Teaching Suggestion: With sensitivity to particular students in mind (those who use a wheelchair, crutches, or braces, or those with other needs or injuries), you can lead discussion of the challenges of casts with regard to immobility, bathing, itching skin, writing/schoolwork, the weight of the cast, necessity of slings/crutches, etc. Use the question regarding assistance from others to connect to the novel’s theme of Acceptance and Generosity.

Post-Reading Analysis

An allusion is a reference to history, religion, literature, mythology, or culture in a story. The allusion might be just a brief reference, or it might carry deeper meaning. The author of Lucky Broken Girl, Ruth Behar, sprinkles allusions throughout the novel, such as Joy’s lesson that references Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. What are 3 or 4 other allusions in the novel? In what way or ways does each serve to contribute to the plot, to show indirect characterization, or to support a theme in Ruthie’s story?

Teaching Suggestion: Your discussion might center on how historical and other realistic allusions help to “ground” a story in the real world. Historical allusions in the book include those to Castro, the Cuban Revolution, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s work for equality and tolerance. Allusions to other religions or beliefs include Ramu’s mention of the Hindu deity Shiva. Allusions to culture and mythology include Chicho’s references to Frida Kahlo and Ruthie’s retelling of Daphne and Apollo’s story. Literary allusions in Lucky Broken Girl include references to the stories of Hans Christian Andersen, the Nancy Drew series, Jose Marti’s poetry, and American poet Emily Dickinson. Students can learn more about each of these references as time allows, then connect many of them to the themes of the novel: Controlling and Overcoming Fear, Loss of Freedom and Independence, and Acceptance and Generosity.

For your own investigatory purposes, here are links to information regarding some of the allusions in the book:

• This brief article with images on History.com shares information about Frida Kahlo and the bus accident to which Chicho refers.
• This Britannica article provides an overview of Hinduism; scroll down to “Gods of Modern Hinduism” for mentions of Shiva, the deity Ramu mentions to Ruthie and to whom Ruthie then prays.
• “‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers- (314)” is the poem Ruthie references when she experiences the rehabilitation clinic. Here is Emily Dickinson’s biography on the Emily Dickinson Museum site.