Why do you think Hurston choose to not alter Kossula’s dialect into standard English?

This question is designed to make students appreciate the bold choice Hurston made to record Kossula’s story phonetically, rather than capitulate to pressure from a major publishing house to render the story in standard English. She felt that recording his speech exactly as it sounded was the most direct way to communicate the experiences of his life, even if that meant the book would never be published in her lifetime.

Do you perceive any parallels between Kossula’s experience of life in America and contemporary race relations? If so, what are some examples?

This question should prompt students to appreciate that even though Barracoon was written almost one hundred years ago, Kossula’s life continues to have important lessons for contemporary Americans, especially the degree to which it will make American...