The Builders The Family by Jacob Lawrence Point

The Builders, The Family by Jacob Lawrence

• Point – What are you saying about the painting? What message did you interpret? • Evidence – What led you to your statement? What about the painting supports your point? • Explain – Explain your evidence. Conclude your thought.

Jacob Lawrence’s “The Builders, The Family” • In Jacob Lawrence’s painting “The Builders, The Family, ” the focus seems to be about the builders; however, the family is at the center. The family and the builders are connected in that the builders form an arch around the family and their building. The family’s movement suggests they are both working together, moving forward and building upward to make things better. The vibrant colors and positive facial expressions also reinforce the positive feel of the picture. Overall, Lawrence’s work highlights the constructive nature of community.

Jacob Lawrence’s “The Builders, The Family” • In Jacob Lawrence’s painting “The Builders, The Family, ” the focus seems to be about the builders; however, the family is at the center. All are interconnected in that the builders form an arch around the family and their building. The family’s movement suggests they are both working together, moving forward and building upward to make things better. The vibrant colors and optimistic facial expressions also reinforce the positive feel of the picture. Overall, Lawrence’s work highlights the constructive nature of community.

Topic vs. Theme • • • Topic: What the story is about (The “What”) Theme: The story’s deeper meaning (The “So What”) Growing up Part of growing up is learning how to choose your battles. • • • • • • • • • • Ambition Anger Attitude (Positive/Negative) Beauty Belief Belonging Bravery Brotherhood Celebration Childhood Compassion Courage Cowardice Cruelty Culture Daring Death Deception Denial Desire Determination Devotion Discovery Dreams Duty Endurance Evil Failure Fairness Faith Family Fear Flattery Forgiveness Freedom Friendship Generations Generosity Getting ahead Greed • • • • • • • • • • • Growing up Happiness Hardship Harmony Hate Heritage Heroism Home Honor Hope Humility Identity Impression Independence Individualism Injustice Inspiration Jealousy Judgment Justice Kindness Loneliness Loss Materialism Modesty Nature Nobility Outsider Patience Patriotism Perseverance Persistence Power Prejudice Pride Race relations Rejection Resentment Respect Resourcefulness Revenge • • • • • Risk Taking Self-improvement Selfishness Self-reliance Serenity Sin Sisterhood Stinginess Success Survival Temptation Traditions Tranquility Trust Tyranny Unhappiness Values Vanity War

Jacob Lawrence’s “Brownstones”

Your Turn! Complete an analysis paragraph based on “Brownstones” • Point – What are you saying about the painting? What message did you interpret? – Don’t forget to use T-A-G! (Title, Author/Artist, Genre) For example, In Jacob Lawrence’s painting “The Builders, The Family, ” the focus…. • Evidence – What led you to your statement? What about the painting supports your point? • Explain – Explain your evidence. Conclude your thought.