Objectives

• Analyse how Wilson uses Bynum Walker's speeches about 'songs' and 'binding' in Act One to establish the play's philosophical framework.
• Explain how the Juba dance and Loomis's bone-vision in Act One function as theatrical expressions of collective and individual trauma.
• Analyse how Wilson structures the Act Two confrontation between Loomis and Martha Pentecost to dramatise the tension between Christian redemption and self-determined freedom.
• Write an evidenced analytical paragraph that embeds and interprets specific stage directions, dialogue, and dramatic form from Joe Turner's Come and Gone.
• Evaluate how Wilson draws on the blues tradition and the historical context of the Great Migration to shape character, language, and theme across both acts.

The sequence

1. Lesson 1: Arrivals and Belonging: Seth, Bynum, and the World of the Boarding House (Act One, Scenes 1–2)

   60 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   On the board: "List three things you already know about the American South in 1911 — consider aspects like labor, race laws, and the movement of people. If you're unsure, jot down three questions you’d like to have answered." Students will spend four minutes working quietly in their exercise books.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of Bynum's first long speech to Jeremy in Act One, Scene 1 — 'Now, I can look at you, boy, and see you one of them fellows…' — illustrating how Wilson employs the blues concept of 'finding your song' to set up the play's core metaphor of identity. Annotate: the use of the imperative mood ('you got to'), the recurring noun 'song', and the stage direction indicating Bynum is 'studying' Jeremy. Explain how this speech raises the central question that the entire play explores: what does Loomis need to discover?

   Independent task

   Students read Seth's opening exchange with Bertha in Scene 1 — from 'You can't take the nigger the way he is' to Bertha's reply 'Seth Holly, you ain't got a generous bone in your body' — and write a structured paragraph (PEEL) arguing what this dialogue reveals about the tension between Northern pragmatism and Southern newcomers. They should quote at least two specific lines and analyze Wilson's word choices.

   Exit ticket

   Bynum refers to a person's 'song' as a representation of their identity or purpose.

2. Lesson 2: Herald Loomis Arrives: Haunting, Silence, and the Weight of Joe Turner (Act One, Scenes 2–3)

   60 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   The stage direction for Loomis's first entrance reads: 'He is at once both a terrible presence and a man who has been made small by circumstance.' Students will take four minutes to write: what does it mean for someone to be both 'terrible' and 'made small' at the same time? Can you think of a real or fictional character that fits this description?

   Teacher input

   Model how to interpret a stage direction as both a dramatic and thematic text, particularly in Act One, Scene 3, when Loomis collapses during the Juba and launches into his bone-vision speech: 'I see bones rising up out of the water…' Highlight the transition from prose to a more rhythmic, incantatory style, referencing the biblical resonance of Ezekiel's valley of dry bones, along with the direction 'He begins to flail his arms.' Illustrate how Wilson employs theatrical form — the communal dance disrupted by one man's personal vision — to depict the clash between community and individual trauma.

   Independent task

   Students will write two paragraphs: the first will analyze what Loomis's bone-vision speech in Act One, Scene 3 reveals about his psychological and spiritual state; the second will explain how the interruption of the Juba dance dramatizes the theme of a community that struggles to support one of its own. Each paragraph must include a quotation from the speech or stage directions and provide commentary on Wilson's dramatic choices.

   Exit ticket

   One biblical allusion in Loomis's bone-vision speech is the reference to the valley of dry bones from the Book of Ezekiel. Wilson includes this allusion to highlight themes of resurrection and hope, suggesting that even in despair, there is potential for renewal and transformation.

3. Lesson 3: Songs, Bindings, and Wanderers: Bynum, Mattie, and Jeremy in Act One

   60 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   Three short quotations are on the board — Bynum to Mattie: 'You got to hold on to yourself'; Jeremy to Molly: 'I got a dollar. Come on, we can have us a good time'; Loomis to Zonia: 'Your mama's name is Martha Loomis.' Students rank them based on which speaker appears the most 'lost' and write two sentences explaining why they chose their top pick.

   Teacher input

   Model a comparative reading of Bynum's conversation with Mattie Campbell in Act One, Scene 2—specifically, Bynum's lines about "a good man" and "two people fitting together"—alongside Jeremy's flirtatious exchange with Molly Cunningham later in Act One. Examine how Wilson employs these parallel scenes of romantic pursuit to highlight two contrasting models of human connection: Bynum's spiritually grounded notion of 'binding' versus Jeremy's aimless, pleasure-seeking attitude. Take note of the verbs Wilson assigns to each character ('hold', 'fit', 'belong' versus 'come on', 'have us a good time').

   Independent task

   Students should create a structured comparison (at least three paragraphs) examining how Wilson portrays Bynum and Jeremy as contrasting characters in Act One. They need to: (1) analyze Bynum's language when he talks to Mattie; (2) analyze Jeremy's language when he interacts with Molly; (3) discuss how this contrast enhances Wilson's exploration of the theme of belonging. A minimum of four embedded quotations is required.

   Exit ticket

   Jeremy's concept of freedom contrasts with Bynum's notion of being 'bound' in that Jeremy views freedom as the absence of constraints, while Bynum considers being 'bound' as a state that can encompass commitments and connections that provide meaning and purpose.

4. Lesson 4: 'I'm Standing! I'm Standing!': The Final Confrontation and Loomis's Self-Determination (Act Two)

   60 min · ch. 2

   Do now

   On the board: the final stage direction of the play — 'Having found his song, the song of self-sufficiency, fully brought back to life, purified and filled with breath, free from any burden aside from the workings of his own heart and the limitations of the body, having embraced the responsibility for his own existence in the world, he is free to rise above the surroundings that pressed and constricted his spirit into fearful contractions.' Students underline every word or phrase that suggests freedom and write one sentence on what kind of freedom Wilson is describing.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the climactic exchange in Act Two between Loomis and Martha — from Martha's "Herald, God can wash away the past" to Loomis's "I don't need nobody to bleed for me! I can bleed for my own self!" — showing how Wilson stages a theological argument as dramatic conflict. Annotate: Martha's passive constructions ("can be washed", "can be forgiven") versus Loomis's active, first-person declarations; the stage direction "He slashes himself across the chest"; and Bynum's final recognition, "Herald Loomis, you shining! You shining like new money!"

   ---

   This version retains the original meaning, length, and markdown structure while making slight adjustments for a more natural flow.

   Independent task

   Students will write a complete analytical essay response (four to five paragraphs) to the question: 'How does Wilson use the confrontation between Loomis and Martha in Act Two to explore the theme of freedom?' They should reference: the dialogue between Loomis and Martha, at least one stage direction, Bynum's closing lines, and the historical context of the Great Migration and forced labor.

   Exit ticket

   Loomis stabs himself instead of another person to symbolize his internal struggle and the profound self-sacrifice he makes, highlighting the dramatic tension of his character's conflict.

5. Lesson 5: Wilson's Craft Across the Whole Play: Language, Form, and the Blues Tradition

   60 min · ch. 1, 2

   Do now

   On the board: the opening lines of W. C. Handy's 'Joe Turner's Blues' (1913) — 'They tell me Joe Turner's come and gone / He left me here to sing this song.' Students take four minutes to write: how does Wilson's title incorporate this blues lyric, and what does it signify for a play to be 'about' a song?

   Teacher input

   Model how to write about dramatic form and context together, using Rutherford Selig's self-description in Act One as 'the People Finder' — 'My daddy used to bring Nigras across the border…now I find them' — to illustrate how Wilson weaves the history of the slave trade and the Great Migration into a single character’s words. Annotate: the irony of a white man profiting from locating the very people his family helped disperse; the straightforward tone of Selig's delivery; and how this scene serves as Wilson's critique of the commodification of Black lives through the ages.

   Independent task

   Students will write a timed analytical paragraph (25 minutes, closed notes) in response to the prompt: 'Analyze how Wilson uses a character other than Herald Loomis to explore the legacy of slavery in Joe Turner's Come and Gone.' They can choose from Bynum, Selig, Martha, or Seth, and are required to include at least two quotations along with commentary on both language and form.

   Exit ticket

   Wilson's use of a call-and-response structure in the play adds depth to its dramatic form by fostering a sense of communal interaction and emotional resonance.

Activities

Assessment

• Lesson 1 exit ticket: checks whether students have grasped Bynum's 'song' as a metaphor for identity and purpose — the marker looks for the word 'identity' or 'purpose' used accurately, not just repeated from the prompt.
• Lesson 2 exit ticket: checks whether students can identify and contextualise the Ezekiel allusion in Loomis's bone-vision speech — the marker looks for a named biblical or historical reference and a reason specific to Loomis's situation.
• Lesson 3 PEEL paragraph (Seth/Bertha dialogue): checks whether students can embed a quotation and comment on Wilson's word choices — the marker looks for a specific verb or noun identified and its effect named.
• Lesson 3 exit ticket: checks whether students can distinguish Bynum's philosophy of binding from Jeremy's idea of freedom — the marker looks for a contrast that uses evidence from the text, not just paraphrase.
• Lesson 4 exit ticket: checks whether students understand the dramatic and thematic significance of Loomis's self-inflicted wound — the marker looks for the idea of self-determination or refusal of external redemption, not just plot summary.
• Lesson 5 timed paragraph: checks whether students can independently select a secondary character and analyse their language and form without teacher scaffolding — the marker looks for two embedded quotations with commentary on at least one specific word or structural choice.

Standards covered

Common Core 11 12

• RL.11-12.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• RL.11-12.3 — Analyze the impact of the author's choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).
• RL.11-12.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.
• RL.11-12.6 — Analyze a case in which grasping a point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant.
• RL.11-12.9 — Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational works of American literature, including how two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics.

AP Literature

• Literary Argumentation (LAN-1) — Develop a thesis that interprets a literary text and requires a line of reasoning.
• Figurative Language (FIG-1) — Explain the function of specific words and phrases in a literary text, including connotation, metaphor, and symbol.
• Character (CHR-1) — Explain the function of a character, including how characters develop, interact, and contribute to the interpretation of the text as a whole.
• Structure (STR-1) — Explain the function of structure in a literary text, including how an author sequences events and juxtaposes scenes to produce meaning.
• Narrator and Speaker (NAR-1) — Explain the function of point of view and the relationship between speaker and audience in shaping meaning.

AQA

• AO1 — Read, understand and respond to texts; maintain a critical style and develop an informed personal response; use textual references, including quotations, to support and illustrate interpretations.
• AO2 — Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology where appropriate.
• AO3 — Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written and received.
• AO4 — Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation.

Edexcel

• AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology, and coherent, accurate written expression.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts, with reference to language, form, structure and dramatic technique.
• AO3 — Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received, including the African American Great Migration and the legacy of slavery.
• AO5 — Explore literary texts informed by different interpretations.