I denne study guide kan du få hjælp til at analysere forordet til Michelle Obamas erindringsbog Becoming, som indgik i skriftlig eksamen i Engelsk B på STX fra den 3. december 2019.
Hvis du har brug for hjælp til Assignment 1-4 fra den skriftlig eksamen på STX B den 3. december 2019, kan du læse vores vejledning her.
Præsentation af teksten
Titel: “Becoming” (2018)
Afsender: Michelle Obama
Genre: Erindringsbog/memoir
Michelle Obama (f. 1964) er gift med tidligere præsident Barack Obama og dermed tidligere førstedame i USA.
Michelle Obamas erindringsbog Becoming blev hurtigt en international bestseller. Bogen følger Michelle Obama fra hendes tidlige barndom, op gennem hendes uddannelses- og arbejdsliv, og til sidst hendes tid som førstedame i USA.
Uddrag
Nedenfor kan du læse et kort uddrag fra vores study guide til teksten:
Title
The title Becoming immediately sparks curiosity. It does not explain precisely what the text is about but suggests that it will be about an ongoing process of constant development and that it will be about Obama’s life and character.
In an interview with Oprah – a famous American talk-show host –Obama explains why the word “becoming” defines her: “My journey is the journey of always, continually evolving” (00:45-00:50). She also states that she does not know what her next step will be (01:17), but that she is “still becoming” (01:56). Furthermore, she explains that the process of evolving does not stop at a “magic age” (01:30) and that, by refusing to focus on the future, people might miss out on opportunities.
In the preface of Becoming, Obama also refers to the fact that adults typically ask children what they want to be when they grow up, and she comments on the question's uselessness. She argues that ‘growing up’ is an ongoing process with no end point (ll. 7-9). To exemplify her own process of “becoming” and evolving, Obama talks about some of the roles she has adopted throughout her life (ll. 10-14). The title, therefore, sends the message that, for Obama, the process of developing – both as a person and career-wise – is not finite and that focusing on the future can bring plenty of opportunities.
