Teach Literary Elements Analysis in Maniac Magee
Analyze Figurative Language in Spinelli's Novel Lesson Plan
Oct 25, 2009
Maniac Magee is a high-interest novel that middle school students can easily access and enjoy. While the story's plot creates a page-turning event for young adolescent readers, its rich language also provides diverse opportunities for students to practice developing analysis skills. Here are some examples of literary elements middle school teachers can help students use to analyze this exciting novel containing thought-provoking themes.
Teaching Idioms in Maniac Magee
Students often find newly-encountered idiomatic phrases difficult to decipher. However, teachers can have fun teaching these phrases to students by starting a discussion with the literal tranlation and then moving to the figurative meaning of such phrases. A couple of interesting idioms found in Maniac Magee are as follows.
- "This was driving Amanda bonkers. He was acting so different, all glum, and wiseacre answers" (Spinelli 65).
- "The effect was the opposite on human noses. Maniac's and Grayson's ran like faucets, and not a handkerchief in sight" (Spinelli 106).
The first example is a variation of the common idiom, driving Amanda crazy. The second example shows how a simile such as, "ran like faucets," can be used so frequently in a language that it becomes idiomatic. Students should keep a list of idioms they discover while reading Maniac Magee.
Understanding Themes in Maniac Magee
Profound themes are revealed in this novel which helps young readers grapple with complex issues of racism and identity.
- "'Grayson, they're just regular people, like us'" (Spinelli 88).
- "Everybody has a story" (Spinelli 89).
The first example reveals the theme of overcoming racism. Maniac Magee remains color blind throughout the novel; that is, he sees people as people, never being distracted by the color of an individual's skin. In fact, he finds it humorous when Grayson asks him so many questions about black people, who assumes they live their lives differently than white people. His response identified in the above quote succinctly articulates this profound theme in the novel.
The second example is spoken by Maniac to his friend Grayson, an elderly man who at first believes he has no stories to tell his young companion. Maniac's innocent response reveals a timeless universal theme found in literature.
Identifying Metaphors in Maniac Magee
Metaphors emerge throughout the novel. Teachers can encourage students to not only spot the metaphors as they read but also identify which two things are being compared.
- "The worm in Grayson's head had long since ceased to be a tiny tickle; it was now a maddening itch. As with all such itch-words, it would excit by only one route, the mouth" (Spinelli 89).
- "But nobody stepped off a curb, everybody kept moving north, an ugly, snarling black-and-white escort for the kid in the middle" (Spinelli 76).
Using the first example, teachers can ask students what the worm represents. Once they respond that a thought is being compared to a worm without using the words like or as, students can then imagine how thoughts mimic the motion of a worm and how this association originated in the writer's mind.
Deciphering Similes in Maniac Magee
Similes are one of the most plentiful literary elements in Maniac Magee. Students enjoy identifying these comparisons which employ as or like as well as deciphering which two things are being compared. Teachers can help students probe further by asking what the significance or purpose the simile has in the context of the surrounding text. Here are two examples.
- "Maniac thought of Thanksgivings past, of sitting around a joyless table, his aunt and uncle as as silent and lifeless as the mammoth bird they gnawed on" (Spinelli 107).
- "Others say his mouth was more grim than grin, that his eyes lit up like flashbulbs..." (Spinelli 70-71).
In the first example, the aunt and uncle are compared to a dead turkey. This simile serves to reveal how Maniac felt detached from the couple who raised him. The second example reveals a common association, where eyes are compared to flashbulbs. Teachers can elicit from students the associated created in this image.
Personification in Maniac Magee
This element occurs when inanimate objects are attributed human characteristics.
- "For most of November, winter toyed with Two Mills, whispered in its ear, tickled it under the chin" (Spinelli 106).
- "Some say there was a faint grin on his face, kind of playful, as though the Knot wasn't his enemy at all, but an old pal just playing a little trick on him" (Spinelli 70).
In the first example, winter is described as whispering and tickling. It creates an image that shows that winter is slowly approaching. The second example personifies Cobble's Knot as a friend rather than an enemy to Maniac as he tries to unravel it.
Exploring the identification, application and purpose of literary elements such as idioms, themes, metaphors, similes and personification will help middle school students become more critical readers. As students analyze literary elements, they will learn to conduct close readings of text to analyze and appreciate language in a novel. Ultimately, this type of study will foster students' appreciation of literature and help them prepare for high school.
Spinelli, Jerry. Maniac Magee. Harper Collins: New York, New York. 1990.
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