An Obstacle

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

What prejudices have women faced both traditionally and now? What are the causes of these prejudices? What are the effects?

Teaching Suggestion: Consulting the links for support, lead students beyond a list of prejudices to consider the causes of gender discrimination historically and now. Students should also consider effects in terms of economic, political, and social spheres.

• This “Timeline of Legal History of Women in the United States” from the National Women’s History Alliance outlines important events in women’s legal history by year.
• The article “Gender Discrimination Comes in Many Forms for Today’s Working Woman” from the Pew Research Center discusses gender discrimination in the workplace.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the poem.

Discuss a task that you have completed or tried to complete that was hindered by an obstacle. Consider the term “obstacle” in its broadest sense to include psychological barriers, emotional barriers, and social barriers as well as physical barriers.

Teaching Suggestion: Create a class web with the term “obstacles” in the center.