They Cage the Animals at Night

They Cage the Animals at Night

• Genre: Nonfiction; autobiography
• Originally Published: 1984
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 450L; grades 9-12; college/adult
• Structure/Length: 15 chapters, prologue, and epilogue; approximately 304 pages; 9 hours, 13 minutes on audio
• Central Concern: This is an autobiographical account of Jennings Michael Burch’s tumultuous childhood spent in and out of foster homes and institutions in New York. The title draws from an episode in which young Burch, having bonded with a stuffed animal for comfort, wonders why animals at a shelter are caged at night. The poignant narrative shines a light on the US foster care system of the 1950s and the resilience of a child’s spirit amidst adversity and abandonment.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Child abandonment; abuse; loneliness and neglect; depiction of institutional care and its flaws

Jennings Michael Burch, Author

• Bio: Born 1941; died 2013; endured a challenging childhood in the foster care system; earned a BA at John Jay College in forensic psychology; worked as a policeman, theater manager, and cook among other jobs; turned to writing to share his experiences and shed light on the challenges faced by many children in institutional care

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• “Home” Is Relative
• The Abandonment and Isolation of Children
• The Ephemerality of Happiness and Comfort for Children in Foster Care

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Gain an understanding of the social and psychological contexts regarding the US foster care system and its role in perpetuating cycles of abuse and neglect.
• Study paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of “Home” Is Relative, The Abandonment and Isolation of Children, and The Ephemerality of Happiness and Comfort for Children in Foster Care.
• Read and review recent statistics on childhood abuse and neglect, drawing comparisons between modern-day struggles with those of the 1950s as portrayed in They Cage the Animals at Night.
• Examine and appraise the author’s purpose and techniques to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding the author’s idea of “home,” the perspective from which the memoir is written, and other topics.