The Imitation of Life Activities

Sara Jane:

1. In the much discussed final scene of 's IMITATION OF LIFE (1959), Sara Jane Johnson (Susan Kohner) breaks through the crowd watching an extravagant funeral procession, pushes aside a policeman, and pulls open the doors of a horse-drawn hearse, crying, "I have killed my mother." a. How has Sara Jane “killed her mother”? b. How can this specific feeling of grief and regret impact the rest of her life? c. Although Annie Johnson loved her daughter dearly, was this love enough for Sara Jane?

2. Sara Jane challenges the limitations of' her identity. Refusing to be either a proper lady or a proper African-American/black girl, Sara Jane throughout the film enacts a series of "imitations".

a. Identify 2 examples in which Sara Jane “pretends” or carries out some type of “imitation”. b. How does Annie Johnson feel about people pretending or being ashamed of who they are and where they come from?

3. Article about one of the characters from the original 1933 version of the movie. http://www.angelfire.com/jazz/ninamaemckinney/FrediWashington.html - anything but an imitation of life. 4. Memorable quotes from the movie. Select 2 quotes from any characters and write a 2-3 sentence response/reaction. What does the quote mean? How is it connected to the theme of the movie? Can you relate to the quote for a specific reason? Discuss any 2 quotes that stirred some type of reaction out of you (either good or bad). http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052918/quotes

a. Lora: You're aiming high. Steve: Why not? It doesn't cost anymore. Don't you believe in chasing rainbows? b. Annie: I'd be happy knowin' you're meetin' nice young folk... Sara: Busboys! Cooks! Chauffeurs! [Hmph] c. Annie: How do you tell a child that she was born to be hurt? d. Sarah Jane: Miss Lora, you don't know what it means to be... different... e. Lora: Now, just a moment, young lady! It's only because of my ambition that you've had the best of everything. And that's a solid achievement that any mother can be proud of! Susie, age 16: [tearfully] And how about a mother's love? Lora Meredith: LOVE? But you've always had that! Susie, age 16: Yes, by telephone, by postcard, by magazine interviews... you've given me everything... but yourself f. Steve: Your bones... Lora Meredith: What about my bones? Steve: They're perfect. My camera could easily have a love affair with you.

5. Select 5 words from the following list of keywords related to the plot of the movie. For each word, create a sentence in which you identify the connection between the actual term and the movie (characters, events, theme, setting, plot, conflict, etc.) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052918/keywords

a. Actress f. housekeeper k. neglect p. race b. Widow g. star l. disappointment q. loyalty c. Friendship h. photographer m. self-hate d. Love i. broken heart n. jealousy e. True love j. dreams o. lies

6. Fun Fact about - she took a much smaller salary, than her usual $25,000 per week and worked for 50% of the film's profits, which earned her over $2 million (setting a record for an actress at the time). Why was this considered such a big deal back then? What is the norm for today’s actors and actresses in Hollywood? 7. Plot Summary: Making sure I get it… http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052918/plotsummary 8. Pick one of the following questions to respond to in a well-written, brief- constructed response (at least 5-8 sentences are required. Be sure to connect your choice to both the real-world and the movie itself). a. Why does Meredith decide to take the acting “gig” instead of accepting Steve’s marriage proposal? b. What happens to families when parents put their careers first? c. How tough/difficult is life when an individual doesn’t embrace his or her heritage? d. Both girls are missing or longing for something throughout their childhood. Will this impact their adult lives? Explain your answer. 9. BIG QUESTION link: Locate any type of acceptable artifact that could be closely linked to the lessons and themes found in this film (photograph, collage, painting, poem, short story, news article, letter, movie clip, etc.).