The Bronx Masquerade is a young adult novel written by Nikki Grimes and published in 2002. The novel tells the story of a high school English teacher named Mr. Ward, who introduces his students to the concept of "masquerade" – a type of poetry performance where the poet speaks in the voice of someone else. The students are initially skeptical, but as they begin to explore their own identities and experiences through the form of masquerade, they find that it helps them to express themselves in a way that they have never been able to before.
One of the central themes of The Bronx Masquerade is the importance of identity and self-expression. The students in Mr. Ward's class come from a variety of backgrounds and have a range of experiences, and many of them struggle to find their place in the world. Through the masquerade, they are able to explore different aspects of their identity and to express themselves in a way that feels authentic and true to who they are.
Another important theme in the novel is the power of community and connection. As the students in Mr. Ward's class perform their masquerades, they begin to form deeper bonds with one another. They support and encourage each other, and they learn to value their differences and appreciate the diversity of their classmates.
The Bronx Masquerade is a moving and thought-provoking novel that speaks to the importance of self-expression and the power of community. It is a powerful reminder that everyone has a unique voice and that it is important to embrace and celebrate our differences.
Bronx Masquerade Summary
One day Wesley Boone, a classmate of Tyrone Bittings, shares a poem with his high school class. Devon Hopeappears in Devon Devon is a good basketball player. See eNotes Ad-Free Start your 48-hour free trial to get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts. Both of these notable titles for her writing indicate that she writes outstanding literature for young adults that reflects the African American experience. Inwardly, however, they strive to break free from their self-imposed masks and reveal the beauty hidden beneath.
They were written way too simple and he just restated the obvious. He has a comment for everything. Wesley feels goods about himself. Why does this matter you might ask? Bronx Masquerade is targeted at young adults, who often hide the vulnerabilities they share beneath artificial masks that make them seem to have little in common. As we consider the title of our novel, we need to also consider the meaning of the word masquerade: an assembly of people wearing masks or disguises. Even worse is Tyrone, our hype-man who follows each of the increasingly worse poems with a half-page statement saying "Wow! The writing is a mix of the individual teens' stories where you get to know them and the problems they are facing as well as their poems, which are always somehow related to their identity struggles.
Ward hosts weekly open mics in his classroom. Themes of identity, family, race, and life in the Bronx are covered expertly. Over the course of the novel, we meet eighteen students from all walks of life who have found a safe space in Mr Ward's classroom. Grimes does noticeably better on female characters than on male characters, and better on people of color than on whites. Will I read it again? So I had a hard time believing these students were really that articulate and eloquent.
Bronx masquerade : Grimes, Nikki : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
Nikki Grimes is one of my favorite writers and Bronx Masquerade is a delight. Her friend, Gloria Martinez, warns Lupe against the idea as Gloria, herself, is currently dealing with the realities of having a baby at a young age. The kids who would usually have bad grades were acing english class because they were enjoying sharing thier pain through poetry. Wesley Bad Boy Booneappears in Wesley Wesley "Bad Boy" Boone is an important character because he begins the Open Mike Fridays and introduces poetry to the entire class. The author masterfully reveals how the students come to understand each other through listening to each other's poetry. It is his idea to have Open Mike Fridays, so the kids can read their poetry. As we consider the title of our novel, we need to also consider the meaning of the word masquerade: an assembly of people wearing masks or disguises.
Mr Ward, a hip eleventh grade English teacher, has inspired his students to share their poetry as part of their unit on the Harlem Renaissance. I have never been into making decisions, so I was thankful when my friend and colleague next to me discreetly told me to choose Bronx Masquerade. Open Mic Fridays We set the scene in Mr. EACH TEEN HAS THEIR OWN LIFE STORY, DIFFERENT FROM THE NEXT. . POETRY FROM TEEN MOTHERS TO ASPIRING ARTISTS AND STARS.
He is also very handsome. Not only is Grimes a New York Times bestselling author, but she was also awarded the 2016 Virginia Hamilton Literary Award. When we understand each other, we thrive. I think the main problem for me is the structure of the book. . Ward's English class, there is a representation of many different students who consider themselves to be a minority because of their race or skin color.
And care about them. Just like other students in the class, Tyrone grows over the course of the novel, eventually realizing that he, himself, does indeed have a future to look forward to. I felt like I was a part of the class when reading the story. THE BOOK COVERS LIFE STORIES THAT EVERYONE CAN RELATE TO. It has very good verses and is not a very long book.
As an adult reader, I understand why others don't like it, and I'd give it 3 stars. Ward is teaching Harlem poetry when all of the students begin to want to share their poetry to the class. Among all of their differences, they find similarities. The characters are so well developed even though there are so many of them. In the book it brought everyone together, which we need in this tiny town of Cartersville.
