the Motorcycle Diaries
Why study this text?
"MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
In January 1952, Ernesto ‘Che’Guevara, a 23-year-old medical studentfrom Buenos Aires, and his friend, 29-year-old biochemist Alberto Granado, set off on an old motorcycle on what would turn out to be an epic nine-month journey through most ofSouth America. Che would later become a key player in the Cuban Revolution, and a worldwide symbol of rebellion. The book was first published in 1993 and became a New York Timesbestseller when it was republished in 2003. It was made into an award-winning feature film in 2004.
"NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF STUDENTS
By turns humorous, provocative and poignant, The Motorcycle Diariesis a classic tale ofwanderlust and self-discovery. The boisterous memoir of Che’s youthful adventures is interwoven with a record of thepoverty, exploitation, illness and suffering he witnessed along the way. It was these experiences that first awakened his political and social conscience.
Over the course of their travels across the continent, Che and Alberto discover how the capitalist system erects barriers of race, class, culture, employment, economics and even health that are oppressive and inhumane.
"OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING
The text can be approached in a variety of ways: as a bildungsromanrevealing a blend of idealism, opportunism and empathy that marks Che’s character; as a chronicle ofencounters with people, places, cultures and histories; as a narrative account of friendship, struggles against adversity, generosity and camaraderie; and as the symbolic gestation of a political manifesto for the establishment of a united Latin America.
Through close examination of the way recounts, descriptions and commentary are combined in the diary entries, students will trace the gradual evolution of Che’s revolutionary ideology.The book invites comparison with other personal and political memoirs, travel literature, and coming-of-age and ‘rites of passage’stories, as well as with ‘buddy films’, ‘road movies’and documentaries."
Source: NSW Board of Studies. Annotations of Selected Texts.
Starting points
Trinity Grammar's library [http://trinity.nsw.libguides.com/c.php?g=5557&p=24217] has an excellent page of links for this text. It is an excellent starting point for your study as it includes links to the life of Che Guevara and his lasting impact on South American Politics. It also includes possible related texts about motorcycle travel (don't pick a documentary if you're also studying go back to where you came from!)
Good Reads [https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/818488-diarios-de-motocicleta-notas-de-viaje-por-am-rica-latina] has a lovely list of quotes from the Motorcycle diaries. This site also has over 800 reviews at [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/172732.The_Motorcycle_Diaries?from_search=true].
Steven Katsineras [http://www.cpa.org.au/z-archive/g2002/1116che.html has an intersting book review]
Analysis
The English Teachers Association [http://multimodalme.wordpress.com/2014/02/20/discovering-the-motorcycle-diaries/] has some excellent resources, including worksheets and annotated pages from the book.
E-notes [http://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-some-example-from-motorcycle-diaries-443010] has a great answer to a question on symbolism in the Motocycle diaries
International Journal of Motorcycle Studies [http://ijms.nova.edu/November2005/IJMS_Rvw.Clifford.html] has an in-deth analysis of the book, explain how the discoveries in the diaries led to Che's enourmous impact on the political world stage.
Essay writing
This essay [https://www.englishforums.com/English/PleaseCorrectEssayPlease/bbwxb/post.htm] has lots of problems - don't copy it but do read the ctriticisms other people are making. You could rewrite it for practice, fixing up all the grammar mistakes and adjusting the structure.
About the film - Remember, you are studying the book, not the film - the themes are the same but many events are presented very differently! If youi use their ideas, they ,ust be filtered back through your reading of the book!
The Telegraph [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/wheelsonfilm/5189510/Wheels-On-Film-The-Motorcycle-Diaries.html]
Writers Blogk [http://joy-of-books.blogspot.com.au/2006/02/motorcycle-diaries-book-and-film.html] compares the book and the film. Another good comparison is in the World Socialist Website [http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2005/01/moto-j14.html]
Referati.org [http://www.referati.org/the-motorcycle-diaries-a-journey-of-self-discovery/83260/ref]
The Guardian [http://www.theguardian.com/film/2004/aug/29/philipfrench] gives a fabulous political analysis of the film. You can apply parts of this back to the book.
Pakhipakhi's blog [http://pakhipakhi.wordpress.com/2010/06/02/discovering-a-continent-and-an-ideology-motorcycle-diaries/] has a review that focuses on discovering place
"MERIT AND CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
In January 1952, Ernesto ‘Che’Guevara, a 23-year-old medical studentfrom Buenos Aires, and his friend, 29-year-old biochemist Alberto Granado, set off on an old motorcycle on what would turn out to be an epic nine-month journey through most ofSouth America. Che would later become a key player in the Cuban Revolution, and a worldwide symbol of rebellion. The book was first published in 1993 and became a New York Timesbestseller when it was republished in 2003. It was made into an award-winning feature film in 2004.
"NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF STUDENTS
By turns humorous, provocative and poignant, The Motorcycle Diariesis a classic tale ofwanderlust and self-discovery. The boisterous memoir of Che’s youthful adventures is interwoven with a record of thepoverty, exploitation, illness and suffering he witnessed along the way. It was these experiences that first awakened his political and social conscience.
Over the course of their travels across the continent, Che and Alberto discover how the capitalist system erects barriers of race, class, culture, employment, economics and even health that are oppressive and inhumane.
"OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHALLENGING TEACHING AND LEARNING
The text can be approached in a variety of ways: as a bildungsromanrevealing a blend of idealism, opportunism and empathy that marks Che’s character; as a chronicle ofencounters with people, places, cultures and histories; as a narrative account of friendship, struggles against adversity, generosity and camaraderie; and as the symbolic gestation of a political manifesto for the establishment of a united Latin America.
Through close examination of the way recounts, descriptions and commentary are combined in the diary entries, students will trace the gradual evolution of Che’s revolutionary ideology.The book invites comparison with other personal and political memoirs, travel literature, and coming-of-age and ‘rites of passage’stories, as well as with ‘buddy films’, ‘road movies’and documentaries."
Source: NSW Board of Studies. Annotations of Selected Texts.
Starting points
Trinity Grammar's library [http://trinity.nsw.libguides.com/c.php?g=5557&p=24217] has an excellent page of links for this text. It is an excellent starting point for your study as it includes links to the life of Che Guevara and his lasting impact on South American Politics. It also includes possible related texts about motorcycle travel (don't pick a documentary if you're also studying go back to where you came from!)
Good Reads [https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/818488-diarios-de-motocicleta-notas-de-viaje-por-am-rica-latina] has a lovely list of quotes from the Motorcycle diaries. This site also has over 800 reviews at [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/172732.The_Motorcycle_Diaries?from_search=true].
Steven Katsineras [http://www.cpa.org.au/z-archive/g2002/1116che.html has an intersting book review]
Analysis
The English Teachers Association [http://multimodalme.wordpress.com/2014/02/20/discovering-the-motorcycle-diaries/] has some excellent resources, including worksheets and annotated pages from the book.
E-notes [http://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-some-example-from-motorcycle-diaries-443010] has a great answer to a question on symbolism in the Motocycle diaries
International Journal of Motorcycle Studies [http://ijms.nova.edu/November2005/IJMS_Rvw.Clifford.html] has an in-deth analysis of the book, explain how the discoveries in the diaries led to Che's enourmous impact on the political world stage.
Essay writing
This essay [https://www.englishforums.com/English/PleaseCorrectEssayPlease/bbwxb/post.htm] has lots of problems - don't copy it but do read the ctriticisms other people are making. You could rewrite it for practice, fixing up all the grammar mistakes and adjusting the structure.
About the film - Remember, you are studying the book, not the film - the themes are the same but many events are presented very differently! If youi use their ideas, they ,ust be filtered back through your reading of the book!
The Telegraph [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/wheelsonfilm/5189510/Wheels-On-Film-The-Motorcycle-Diaries.html]
Writers Blogk [http://joy-of-books.blogspot.com.au/2006/02/motorcycle-diaries-book-and-film.html] compares the book and the film. Another good comparison is in the World Socialist Website [http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2005/01/moto-j14.html]
Referati.org [http://www.referati.org/the-motorcycle-diaries-a-journey-of-self-discovery/83260/ref]
The Guardian [http://www.theguardian.com/film/2004/aug/29/philipfrench] gives a fabulous political analysis of the film. You can apply parts of this back to the book.
Pakhipakhi's blog [http://pakhipakhi.wordpress.com/2010/06/02/discovering-a-continent-and-an-ideology-motorcycle-diaries/] has a review that focuses on discovering place