Beth Brant's short story

  2. What is the significance of Prophet the cat in Beth Brant's short story? 3. Native American Literature often incorporates ceremony into the writings. Did you catch the euthanasia ceremony that takes places as Joseph gives David the tea that tastes like wet leaves? What do the italicized passages spoken by Joseph reveal about the history of cultural oppression of Native American tribes? (Note: Homophobia did not exist on Indian reservations prior to European influence.) 4. How to Survive a Plague demonstrates that social activism works and can save lives. Why were the AIDS activists successful? What steps did they take to raise awareness about their cause and to attain fair and effective medical treatment? 5. What were the primary obstacles the activists faced and why was the US government so slow when it came to AIDS-related research? 6. Do you feel the general public is more accepting of people with HIV/AIDS today?