Before We Were Free

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Diary Entries of Those Who Stayed”

In this activity, students write a diary entry from the perspective of one of the other characters in the novel.

Anita uses her diary to express her thoughts and as a form of escape while in hiding. However, since both the novel and the diary are narrated from Anita’s perspective, the reader does not have direct access to the insights of other characters. For this activity, you will write a diary entry from the perspective of one of the of the following characters:

• Mami, Papi, Mundin, Lucinda, Sam, Oscar, Mrs. Washburn, Mr. Washburn, or Carla

This entry should occur during the same time period in which Anita is writing her entries (i.e., the summer of 1961). The follow questions should inform how you write your entry:

• Does this character support the Trujillo regime? Why or why not?
• Has this character been personally affected by the Trujillo regime? Have they had their daily routine affected? If so, how?
• Is this character happy with the current circumstances?

Be as creative with your entry as you like, while also maintaining the same tone and historical accuracy as the novel. Finally, present your entry to the class.

Teaching Suggestion: This activity encourages creativity within the scope of historical fiction. Since the novel is written from the perspective of Anita only, students should think critically about the perspectives, experiences, and concerns of other characters. For ideas on how to help students explore characters’ motives, please see the “differentiation suggestion” below. This activity also links well with the “Recommended Next Reads” listed at the end of the During Reading section, as two of these resources are diaries by young girls during times of political upheaval in their countries.

Differentiation Suggestion: Writers who do not frequently opt for a creative writing task or writers who struggle with idea generation might benefit from an opportunity to brainstorm character motives in class. For example, a Venn diagram or similar organizational chart can be used to compare similarities and differences between characters’ hopes, values, and priorities. Once the class has brainstormed and organized insights about several characters, students can choose one character for their diary entry.