Specifically, you need to look at a diagram of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and then to have read “Speech Sounds” by Octavia Butler.
Then– write two paragraphs, a shorter and a longer one.
PARA. 1) There is a saying, “Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” In a short paragraph, explain how the characters in “Speech Sounds” prove this saying to be manifestly untrue.
PARA. 2) When we look at Maslow’s pyramid, we traditionally think of meeting needs at the bottom as a requisite for moving higher (e.g., you need to have enough food before you can properly fall in love; you can’t think about the nuanced majesty of Charles Mingus’ jazz compositions if you’re being evicted from your home). With that in mind, answer this in a slightly longer paragraph:
Explain what higher needs (on a higher level on the pyramid) are not being met for the characters in the story, and then how that adversely affects their basic needs (elements at the bottom of the pyramid).
