Dreams from My Father

Chapter 9 & 10

Discussion Questions

What did you learn about Obama from reading these chapters? What was of most interest to you? What do you need more information about? What, if anything, was confusing to you?
What particular details or specific words and phrases does Obama use to convey the setting at the beginning of Chapter 9? Why do you think he chose to open the chapter with this description?
On page 171, Obama evokes another memory of Hawaii: “That’s the way it is, [Frank] said. You might as well get used to it.” Why does Obama recall Frank’s words in this chapter? What did Frank mean by “it”? Why is this brief reference significant to the rest of the Chapter 9?
What do you think is the main idea of Chapter 10? Do the stories of Ruby’s son, Kyle, and Mrs. Crenshaw’s son help to support this point? Why or why not?
On page 204, Obama writes: “Our sense of wholeness would have to arise from something more fine than the bloodlines we’d inherited.” What does Obama mean by this statement? Why do you think so? What evidence does Obama give to support this statement?

Cultural and Historical References
	Altgeld Gardens - p. 164 A low-rise public housing project on Chicago’s South Side, Altgeld Gardens was named after John Peter Altgeld, governor of Illinois from 1893 to 1897, who was nationally known for his progressive leadership.
	Chicago Public Housing Authority - p. 165 Controlled by the office of Chicago’s mayor, the Chicago Public Housing Authority is a municipal agency.
	Cabrini Green and Robert Taylor Homes – p. 165 Demolished in 2007, the Robert Taylor Homes once served as the largest public housing project in the U.S.; Cabrini Green, adjacent to expensive real estate properties, includes remnants of a formerly massive high-rise public housing project.
	Temptations and O’Jays – p. 188 A popular African-American singing group that began performing in Detroit in the early 1960s, the Temptations contributed significantly to the Motown sound. Watch them perform.
	O’Jays An African-American music group popular in the 1970s, the O’Jays exemplified the Philadelphia soul music sound. Listen to them.
	Booker T. Washington – p. 198 Born into slavery in Virginia, Booker T. Washington (1856-1915) was a renown educator who developed the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama for African-American students.
	Louis Farrakhan – p. 196 Leader of the Nation of Islam from 1978 to 2007, Louis Farrakhan (1933 - ), is known for his controversial views about race and religion in the U.S.
	Ntozake Shange – p. 205 An African-American writer, Ntozake Shange (1948 - ) wrote the series of 20 poems that form the basis of the 1975 play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf