Please briefly summarize both stories, per discussion criteria under Weekly Discussion Board Posts.
The topic to explore for your third paragraph is the characters of Abner and Montresor. Show similarities and differences. I am sure you will have a lot to say about them.
3-1 MS2 CHC
Draft a literature review using at least five scholarly, secondary sources. At least three of these sources should be peer reviewed. In conducting your literature review, be sure to address each of the following:
A. Analyze how the risk behavior is being addressed in other communities.
B. Discuss how prevalent the behavior is in the country.
C. Evaluate the social, political, and historical milestones and trends relative to the identified behavior.
D. Discuss the effectiveness of interventions that have been attempted in other communities and their success, or lack thereof.
Submission: APA, 6 pages
CALL TO ARMS (Preface) by Lu Xun
When I was young I, too, had many dreams. Most of them came to be forgotten, but I see nothing in this to regret. For although recalling the past may make you happy, it may sometimes also make you lonely, and there is no point in clinging in spirit to lonely bygone days. However, my trouble is that I cannot forget completely, and these stories have resulted from what I have been unable to erase from my memory.
For more than four years I used to go, almost daily, to a pawnbroker’s and to a medicine shop. I cannot remember how old I was then; but the counter in the medicine shop was the same height as I, and that in the pawnbroker’s twice my height. I used to hand clothes and trinkets up to the counter twice my height, take the money proffered with contempt, then go to the counter the same height as I to buy medicine for my father who had long been ill. On my return home I had other things to keep me busy, for since the physician who made out the prescriptions was very well-known, he used unusual drugs: aloe root dug up in winter, sugar-cane that had been three years exposed to frost, twin crickets, and ardisia… all of which were difficult to procure. But my father’s illness went from bad to worse until he died.
I believe those who sink from prosperity to poverty will probably come, in the process, to understand what the world is really like. I wanted to go to the K– school in N– perhaps because I was in search of a change of scene and faces. There was nothing for my mother to do but to raise eight dollars for my travelling expenses, and say I might do as I pleased. That she cried was only natural, for at that time the proper thing was to study the classics and take the official examinations. Anyone who studied “foreign subjects” was looked down upon as a fellow good for nothing, who, out of desperation, was forced to sell his soul to foreign devils.
Besides, she was sorry to part with me. But in spite of that, I went to N– and entered the K– school; and it was there that I heard for the first time the names of such subjects as natural science, arithmetic, geography, history, drawing and physical training. They had no physiology course, but we saw woodblock editions of such works as A New Course on the Human Body and Essays on Chemistry and Hygiene. Recalling the talk and prescriptions of physicians I had known and comparing them with what I now knew, I came to the conclusion those physicians must be either unwitting or deliberate charlatans; and I began to sympathize with the invalids and families who suffered at their hands. From translated histories I also learned that the Japanese Reformation had originated, to a great extent, with the introduction of Western medical science to Japan.
These inklings took me to a provincial medical college in Japan. I dreamed a beautiful dream that on my return to China I would cure patients like my father, who had been wrongly treated, while if war broke out I would serve as an army doctor, at the same time strengthening my countrymen’s faith in reformation.
I do not know what advanced methods are now used to teach microbiology, but at that time lantern slides were used to show the microbes; and if the lecture ended early, the instructor might show slides of natural scenery or news to fill up the time. This was during the Russo-Japanese War, so there were many war films, and I had to join in the clapping and cheering in the lecture hall along with the other students. It was a long time since I had seen any compatriots, but one day I saw a film showing some Chinese, one of whom was bound, while many others stood around him. They were all strong fellows but appeared completely apathetic. According to the commentary, the one with his hands bound was a spy working for the Russians, who was to have his head cut off by the Japanese military as a warning to others, while the Chinese beside him had come to enjoy the spectacle.
Before the term was over I had left for Tokyo, because after this film I felt that medical science was not so important after all. The people of a weak and backward country, however strong and healthy they may be, can only serve to be made examples of, or to witness such futile spectacles; and it doesn’t really matter how many of them die of illness. The most important thing, therefore, was to change their spirit, and since at that time I felt that literature was the best means to this end, I determined to promote a literary movement. There were many Chinese students in Tokyo studying law, political science, physics and chemistry, even police work and engineering, but not one studying literature or art. However, even in this uncongenial atmosphere I was fortunate enough to find some kindred spirits. We gathered the few others we needed, and after discussion our first step, of course, was to publish a magazine, the title of which denoted that this was a new birth. As we were then rather classically inclined, we called it Xin Sheng (New Life).
When the time for publication drew near, some of our contributors dropped out, and then our funds were withdrawn, until finally there were only three of us left, and we were penniless. Since we had started our magazine at an unlucky hour, there was naturally no one to whom we could complain when we failed; but later even we three were destined to part, and our discussions of a dream future had to cease. So ended this abortive New Life.
Only later did I feel the futility of it all; at that time I did not really understand anything. Later I felt if a man’s proposals met with approval, it should encourage him; if they met with opposition, it should make him fight back; but the real tragedy for him was to lift up his voice among the living and meet with no response, neither approval nor opposition, just as if he were left helpless in a boundless desert. So I began to feel lonely.
And this feeling of loneliness grew day by day, coiling about my soul like a huge poisonous snake. Yet in spite of my unaccountable sadness, I felt no indignation; for this experience had made me reflect and see that I was definitely not the heroic type who could rally multitudes at his call.
However, my loneliness had to be dispelled, for it was causing me agony. So I used various means to dull my senses, both by conforming to the spirit of the time and turning to the past. Later I experienced or witnessed even greater loneliness and sadness, which I
do not like to recall, preferring that it should perish with me. Still my attempt to deaden my senses was not unsuccessful — I had lost the enthusiasm and fervour of my youth.
In S– Hostel there were three rooms where it was said a woman had lived who hanged herself on the locust tree in the courtyard. Although the tree had grown so tall that its branches could no longer be reached, the rooms remained deserted. For some years I stayed here, copying ancient inscriptions. I had few visitors, there were no political problems or issues in those inscriptions, and my only desire was that my life should slip quietly away like this. On summer nights, when there were too many mosquitoes, I would sit under the locust tree, waving my fan and looking at the specks of sky through the thick leaves, while the caterpillars which came out in the evening would fall, icy-cold, on to my neck.
The only visitor to come for an occasional talk was my old friend Chin Xin-yi. He would put his big portfolio down on the broken table, take off his long gown, and sit facing me, looking as if his heart was still beating fast after braving the dogs.
“What is the use of copying these?” he demanded inquisitively one night, after looking through the inscriptions I had copied.
“No use at all.”
“Then why copy them?”
“For no particular reason.”
“I think you might write something….”
I understood. They were editing the magazine New Youth, but hitherto there seemed to have been no reaction, favourable or otherwise, and I guessed they must be feeling lonely. However I said:
“Imagine an iron house without windows, absolutely indestructible, with many people fast asleep inside who will soon die of suffocation. But you know since they will die in their sleep, they will not feel the pain of death. Now if you cry aloud to wake a few of the lighter sleepers, making those unfortunate few suffer the agony of irrevocable death, do you think you are doing them a good turn?”
“But if a few awake, you can’t say there is no hope of breaking out of the iron house.”
True, in spite of my own conviction, I could not blot out hope, for hope lies in the future. I could not use my own evidence to refute his assertion that it might exist. So I agreed to write, and the result was my first story, A Madman’s Diary. From that time onwards, I could not stop writing, and would write some sort of short story from time to time at the request of friends, until I had more than a dozen of them.
As for myself, I no longer feel any great urge to express myself; yet, perhaps because I have not entirely forgotten the grief of my past loneliness, I sometimes call out, to encourage those fighters who are galloping on in loneliness, so that they do not lose heart. Whether my cry is brave or sad, repellent or ridiculous, I do not care. However, since it is a call to arms, I must naturally obey my general’s orders. This is why I often resort to innuendoes, as when I made a wreath appear from nowhere at the son’s grave in Medicine, while in Tomorrow I did not say that Fourth Shan’s Wife had no dreams of her little boy. For our chiefs then were against pessimism. And I, for my part, did not want to infect with the loneliness I had found so bitter those young people who were still dreaming pleasant dreams, just as I had done when young.
It is clear, then, that my short stories fall far short of being works of art; hence I count myself fortunate that they are still known as stories, and are even being compiled in one book. Although such good fortune makes me uneasy, I am nevertheless pleased to think they have readers in the world of men, for the time being at least.
Since these short stories of mine are being reprinted in one collection, owing to the reasons given above, I have chosen the title Na Han (Call to Arms).
–December 3, 1922, Peking
[Note: K– school]: The Kiangnan Naval Academy in Nanking.
[Note: S– Hostel]: Shaoxing.
[Note: New Youth]: The most influential magazine in the cultural revolution of that time.
Short Answer Questions:
1. Quite a few writers we’ve discussed have been recognized as literary pioneers (that is, they were the “FIRST” to use a certain technique or achieve a certain level of fame; for example, Ben Franklin wrote the first famous American autobiography and the first American rags-to-riches story). Choose three writers we’ve covered since the last test and discuss how each was a literary pioneer.
2. Compare the narrative voices of Phyllis Wheatley and Olaudah Equiano. How does each appear to feel about his/her captivity? How does each feel about the dominant “white” society? Give specific examples.
3. Recent research suggests (but does not prove) that Equiano may have been born in South Carolina, not in Africa. How does this possibility change your assessment of his narrative?
One of the most quoted lines in Thoreau’s work occurs in “Economy”: The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” Discuss this statement and Thoreau’s observation that desperation is found in the city, the country, and even in our “games and amusement.”
5. One of the PowerPoint slides contains the following assertion concerning “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”: “The story may represent Irving’s view of what the world is becoming—rough, a bit uncouth, etc.” Using examples, show how this statement can apply to BOTH “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle.”
6. Discuss how the subject of death is treated in ONE of the following poems: Freneau’s “The Indian Burying Ground,” or Bryant’s “Thanatopsis.”
7. Define “frame story” and discuss Irving’s use of the frame story to separate the author or narrator from the story in “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” What might be his purpose in using the frames as he did?
8. Discuss some similarities between Franklin’s Autobiography and Equiano’s Interesting Narrative.
9. Summarize Emerson’s “Self-Reliance” and state what you believe are its main themes. What do you think Emerson wants readers to learn from the essay?
10. Explain why, in your opinion, Thoreau undertook the experiment at Walden Pond.
11. Define “frame story” and discuss Irving’s use of the frame story to separate the author or narrator from the story in “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” What might be his purpose in using the frames as he did?
12. What are the major “errata” of Franklin’s life, and why does he mention these so prominently in the autobiography?
13. In your opinion, what would Franklin most want to be remembered for?
14. Compare Ben Franklin’s Autobiography and Olaudah Equiano’s Narrative as “rags to riches” success stories.
15. Discuss what Emerson means when he states, “No law can be sacred to me but that of my nature.” How does this fit in with the rest of his philosophy in “Self-Reliance”? As a governing principle, how useful do you believe this statement to be?
16. Lydia Maria Child’s fiction was, in her own time, sometimes described as “abolitionist propaganda.” Today, her stories are often described as melodramatic. Discuss what elements of “The Quadroons” seem overly dramatic, and how this drama helps shed some light on the abolitionist cause.
17. Aside from his poetry, what other accomplishments was Philip Freneau known for?
18. Discuss some ways Equiano’s slave narrative is typical of Ante-bellum slave narratives.
19. What are some of the “marvels” that Equiano encounters during his travels, and why does each impress him?
20. Most of Equiano’s audience was white, Christian, and middle-class. What qualities of prose style, what allusions, what details support the statement that the narrative was directed to such an audience?
21. Washington Irving’s stories contain elements of satire. What does Irving make fun of in “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”?
22. One of the most quoted lines in Thoreau’s work occurs in “Economy”: “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” Discuss this statement and Thoreau’s observation that desperation is found in the city, the country, and even in our “games and amusement.”
23. Thoreau believes in simple living. Discuss several of the ways he simplifies his life during his experiment on Walden Pond.
24. Discuss the theme of beauty in any two poems by Freneau or Emerson.
25. Discuss Ben Franklin’s plan for arriving at moral perfection.
26. Phyllis Wheatley and Olaudah Equiano both wrote to a primarily white, middle-class audience. Discuss elements of each writer’s work that point at the accuracy of this assertion.
27. Discuss Emerson’s concept of “self-reliance.”
28. Using examples from “Self-Reliance,” discuss Emerson’s ideas on individualism, nonconformity, and the nature of genius.
29. In what ways is Ben Franklin the representative American of his era? What good and bad qualities can readers learn from him, based on the Autobiography?
After reading the play The New New (pgs. 671-675) by Kelly Stuart answer the following discussion question in 150 words and reply to two of your classmates.
At the end of the story, the two writers decide to continue writing the story about Jimmy. What do you think that says about them? What did Naomi reveal about Jimmy?
Read these instructions carefully. You don’t get a second chance at completing this assignment.
Choose ONE of the questions below for your essay response. Develop a well-organized essay of at least 2-3 typed, double-spaced pages, using MLA formatting and documentation style. **You must supply direct quotes from the literature (course readings) to support your ideas.
NO USE OF I, ME, WE, YOU – in your writing. This is an analysis, not a personal essay.
Use the readings, the Dallas College Library Databases, (Literary Reference Center or Academic Search Complete) or Google Scholar for your research. You may use two additional research sources in addition to the reading assignments. List all sources used on a Works Cited page.
From the literature we read, identify each type of conflict, and give an example from both Gawain and the Green Knight and The Canterbury Tales. Compare and contrast the types of conflict. Which type of conflict do you think is the most effective? Why?
Compare and contrast the use of humor in the two works: Gawain and the Green Knight and The Canterbury Tales. How does the use of humor help to support the central theme of each? Does one author make better use of humor? Be sure to clearly state the central theme of each work and then discuss the role humor plays in supporting these themes.
Compare and contrast the use of violence in the two works: Gawain and the Green Knight and The Canterbury Tales. In what way does the use of violence further a central theme of each work. Does one author make better use of violence? Be sure to clearly state the central themes of each work and then discuss the role violence plays in supporting those themes.
Compare and contrast the morality being promoted in the two works: Gawain and the Green Knight and The Canterbury Tales. What are the two or three values being promoted in each work. Are the same values being promoted in both or are different values being promoted? How is the presentation of these values similar or different? Which author is more successful in promoting specific values?
Note: Although this is an exam, it’s still an essay, and as such, you may use the OWL or visit the Academic Skills Center for tutorial support. Be sure to follow directions for in-person tutorial support. Dr. Forbess
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
• Author: Unknown
• The Pearl Poet
• Or The Gawain Poet
• Written in the late 14th Century
A Brief Summary
• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (Middle English: Sir Gawayn and þe Grene Knyȝt) is a late 14th-century Middle English chivalric romance.
• It is one of the best-known Arthurian stories, with its plot combining two types of folk motifs, the beheading game and the exchange of winnings.
• Written in stanzas of alliterative verse, each of which ends in a rhyming bob and wheel, (ABABA – five rhymed lines following a section of unrhymed lines)
• The tale draws on Welsh, Irish and English stories, as well as the French chivalric tradition.
• It is an important example of a chivalric romance, which typically involves a hero who goes on a quest which tests his prowess.
• It remains popular in modern English renderings from J. R. R. Tolkien, and others, as well as through film and stage adaptations.
A Brief Summary Continued
• The tale describes how Sir Gawain, a knight of King Arthur’s Round Table, accepts a challenge from a mysterious “Green Knight” who dares any knight to strike him with his axe if he will take a return blow in a year and a day.
• Gawain accepts and beheads him with his blow, at which the Green Knight stands up, picks up his head and reminds Gawain of the appointed time.
• In his struggles to keep his bargain, Gawain demonstrates chivalry and loyalty until his honor is called into question by a test involving Lady Bertilak, the lady of the Green Knight’s castle.
• The poem survives in one manuscript, which also includes three religious narrative poems: Pearl, Purity and Patience.
• All are thought to have been written by the same author, dubbed the “Pearl Poet” or “Gawain Poet”, since all four are written in a North West Midland dialect of Middle English
Genre: Romance
Elements of Romantic Literature:
• First, be cautioned—the word “romance” does not mean a love story
• Adventure involving a knight on a quest
• Some fantasy and magic are present
• Both Christian and pagan elements
• Could be dragons and/or monsters
• Mysterious places
• Begins at a noble court
Romantic Hero
The Romantic Hero typically follows these criteria:
• Strict code of knightly conduct
• Absolute loyalty to his king
• Extremely generous
• Never breaks an oath
• Defends the helpless
Sub-Genre: The Testing Plot
A Testing Plot usually has…
• A strong main character
• Pushed to compromising high ideals
• Character wavers on making a decision because there is not an easy choice to be made • The decision usually looks like choosing between the “wrong thing” to do or
loosing money or social position
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in Middle English • Wel gay watz þis gome gered in grene,And þe here of his hed of his hors swete.
Fayre fannand fax vmbefoldes his schulderes; A much berd as a busk ouer his brest henges, Þat wyth his hi3lich here þat of his hed reches Watz euesed al vmbetorne abof his elbowes, Þat half his armes þer-vnder were halched in þe wyse Of a kyngez capados þat closes his swyre; Þe mane of þat mayn hors much to hit lyke, Wel cresped and cemmed, wyth knottes ful mony Folden in wyth fildore aboute þe fayre grene, Ay a herle of þe here, an oþer of golde; Þe tayl and his toppyng twynnen of a sute, And bounden boþe wyth a bande of a bry3t grene, Dubbed wyth ful dere stonez, as þe dok lasted, Syþen þrawen wyth a þwong a þwarle knot alofte, Þer mony bellez ful bry3t of brende golde rungen. Such a fole vpon folde, ne freke þat hym rydes, Watz neuer sene in þat sale wyth sy3t er þat tyme, with y3e. He loked as layt so ly3t, So sayd al þat hym sy3e; Hit semed as no mon my3t Vnder his dynttez dry3e.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in Middle English
Click on the link to listen to the opening lines of Sir Gawain spoken in Middle English
Arthurian Romance/Courtly Love
• There is no solid evidence for/against the reign of a historic “King Arthur.”
• Some historians suggest Arthur was a Roman military leader who held power anywhere from 3rd to 7th century A.D. (Artorius = “plowman”)
• Arthur is more important for the legends that developed around him and his “Knights of the Round Table”
• Statue of King Arthur from around 1400AD
Arthurian Romance/Courtly Love Continued
• Arthur traditionally credited with uniting all England (i.e. uniting the pagan tribes) and therefore creating the potential for the development of a unique British character after the Norman invasion of England.
• Arthurian legends reach height in/around 12th century A.D.
Chivalric Tradition
• Even more importantly, it is around the legendary King Arthur that the chivalric tradition of the middle ages developed.
• Chivalry – from the French word cheval or “horse” – refers to the code of behavior that was expected of knights (all noblemen).
• This tradition was also called courtesie (also French), meaning “the behavior of the court.”
Chivalry
• “Chivalry” comes from the French cheval, or horse (n.b. Norman influence in language).
• Only the wealthiest people in medieval society could keep horses and afford to use them in combat.
• “Chivalry” became associated, therefore, with the qualities of “horsemen”, or knights.
• related words: cavalier (Fr., L.), cavalry (from L. caval), caballero (Sp.)
Arthurian Tradition
• In Arthurian tradition, the “Knights of the Round Table”
• Lancelot,
• Galahad,
• Gawain
• Embodied – both individually and en masse, the characteristics of courtesie or “courtly love.”
Characteristics of Courtly Behavior
• Respect the king. Do nothing to bring him dishonor.
• Respect women. Do nothing to bring dishonor to any woman.
• Protect the poor and the weak.
• Honor God as a faithful Christian.
Examples of the Code of Chivalry
• Thou shalt defend the Church.
• Thou shalt respect all weaknesses, and shalt constitute thyself the defender of them.
• Live to serve King and Country.
• Live to defend Crown and Country and all it holds dear.
• Live one’s life so that it is worthy of respect and honor.
• Live for freedom, justice and all that is good.
• Never attack an unarmed foe.
Medieval Alliterative Verse
• Like all other examples of literature we’ve read thus far, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight almost certainly began as an oral history carried from village-to-village by a bard – or singing storyteller.
• Like the Iliad and Beowulf, therefore, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is marked by meter, rhyme, and (as with Beowulf) alliteration.
• All these poetic devices were intended to help in the oral retelling of the story.
Why is it called Alliterative Verse?
• VERSE FORM: the “Gawain stanza”–a varying number of alliterative long lines terminated by a “bob & wheel,” five short rhyming lines (ababa).
Alliterative Verse • He was a fine fellow fitted in green —
And the hair on his head and his horse’s matched. It fanned out freely enfolding his shoulders, and his beard hung below as big as a bush, all mixed with the marvelous mane on his head, which was cut off in curls cascading to his elbows, wrapping round the rest of him like a king’s cape clasped to his neck. And the mane of his mount was much the same, but curled up and combed in crisp knots, in braids of bright gold thread and brilliant green criss-crossed hair by hair. And the tossing tail was twin to the mane, for both were bound with bright green ribbons, strung to the end with long strands of precious stones, and turned back tight in a twisted knot bright with tinkling bells of burnished gold. No such horse on hoof had been seen in that hall, nor horseman half so strange as their eyes now held in sight. A
He looked a lightning flash,B they say: he seemed so bright;A and who would dare to clash B in melee with such might?A
As Epic Poetry
Review: Characteristics of the Epic Hero
1. He is a model of faith, loyalty, or bravery…
2. who makes a long, difficult journey…
3. to do battle on behalf of another…
4. perhaps using his own superhuman talents…
5. against an enemy who may himself have or be guarded by supernatural powers.
As Epic Poetry Continued
Review: Characteristics of the Epic Poem
1. An epic poem is a long, highly-stylized narrative poem…
2. that recounts the exploits of its main character – the epic hero.
3. Because most epic poetry originated as sung or spoken verse, it is rigidly metered and rhymed
Journey or Quest
• In medieval poetry, the epic hero’s journey to battle (like Achilles’ voyage to Troy or Beowulf’s to Dane-land) becomes a quest.
• A quest is “an adventurous expedition in search of something spiritually fulfilling or self-enhancing.”
Conventions of Medieval Romance
Medieval Romances: • Often have unprovoked and violent fighting!
• Are set in a mystical place and time (the Dark Ages)
• Present supernatural elements, and magical powers from the pagan world
• Have a hero who is on a noble adventure or quest
• Have a loose, episode-like structure
• Include elements of courtly love
• Embody ideals of chivalry
• Time frame of a year and a day
The Idea of Courtly Love
• This relationship was modeled on the feudal relationship between a knight and his liege lord.
• The knight serves his courtly lady with the same obedience and loyalty which he owes to his liege lord.
• She is in complete control; he owes her obedience and submission.
• The knight’s love for the lady inspires him to do great deeds, in order to be worthy of her love or to win her favor.
The Idea of Courtly Love Continued
• “Courtly love” was not between husband and wife because it was an idealized sort of relationship that could not exist within the context of “real life” medieval marriages.
• In the middle ages, marriages amongst the nobility were typically based on practical and dynastic concerns rather than on love.
• “Courtly love” provided a model of behavior for a class of unmarried young men who might otherwise have threatened social stability.
• Knights were typically younger brothers without land of their own (hence unable to support a wife).
• They became members of the household of the feudal lords whom they served.
More on the Idea of Courtly Love
The lady is typically older, married, and of higher social status than the knight because she was modeled on the wife of the feudal lord, who might naturally become the focus of the young, unmarried knights’ desire.
The literary model of courtly love may have been invented to provide young men with a model for appropriate behavior.
It taught bored young knights to control their baser desires and to channel their energy into socially useful behavior (love service rather than wandering around the countryside, stealing or raping women).
Still More on the Idea of Courtly Love
The “symptoms” of love were described as if it were a sickness.
The “lovesick” knight’s typical symptoms: sighing, turning pale, turning red, fever, inability to sleep, eat, or drink.
What’s Next?
Review the instructional materials for Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: The Literature
Think about all of the stories we’ve read for this class so far.
For this journal entry, write about two of these stories that either (a) share a theme, which means that both stories essentially make the same point in their own ways or (b) share a topic, but have differing themes, which means they make different points about the same topic. For example, if there are two stories about growing up that seem to make the same point, that would be option (a); if there were two stories that each made a different point about growing up, that would be option (b).
In your journal entry, write about the two stories and their themes. How are they expressed in the story? What other literary elements contribute to the theme (symbol, setting, etc)? What quotes show or emphasize the theme? Is the theme the same as the lesson learned by the main character?
Your journal entry should be about 300 words long, written in an academic style. There’s no formatting requirements for journal entries, but be sure you include the names of the stories and authors. If you use quotes from the stories, be sure to include page numbers. Do not consult or use outside sources for this assignment. This is a journal entry, so no introduction or conclusion is required. Just be sure you follow the assignment, answer the questions, proofread carefully, use complete sentences, and include details to support your points.
In 2007 the Star Ledger newspaper told of a young man (unnamed for his own protection) in Newark who witnessed a murder while walking home one day. It was a territorial drug dispute that didn’t even involve the murder victim who was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. The man who witnessed the murder recognized a couple of the assailants who also recognized him. He ran and wasn’t found until police discovered him during investigations.
He knew the right thing but he also knew he could put himself, his wife, and young child in danger. There are laws to protect witnesses in NJ but these laws are not always effective. Some witnesses to such murders had been murdered by gang members eager to protect themselves.
The man in the news article eventually agreed to testify when police promised to relocate him and his family to Puerto Rico.
For our discussions this week, answer the following questions and then interact with the postings of others.
1) Talk to another person you know about Kant’s moral principle of a categorical duty to never make yourself the exception to a duty you’d expect others to follow (the categorical imperative). What does this person think about it? Do either of you believe there is ever such a thing as an unquestionable moral duty and, if so, how would that apply to the murder witness in this case? If you think a witness to such a murder would be right to say nothing, explain if and when it is ever justifiable to follow a duty that could seriously cost you personally.
2) From the article “How to be True to Your Word” https://experiencelife.com/article/how-to-be-true-to-your-word/, do you think the following statement about lying is true? Share your thoughts: “We may think our lying is for a good reason: to keep from insulting or wounding someone we care about, to avoid our own discomfort, to smooth over conflict or to make someone happy. Really, though, we most often lie to make our own reality more comfortable” (Cat Thompson, “How to be True to Your Word”, Experience Life, 2012). What about the so-called “white lie”? Is this kind of lie, sometimes called a pro-social lie, something morally justifiable as you see it, or not?
_____________________________________________________
Your initial post must be a minimum of 150 words. Your response to your classmate must be a minimum of 75 words.
**You are encouraged to respond to more than one peer, but your primary peer response must meet the word count.
Mr. Ryder was faced with the dilemma of acknowledging a part of his past that, in the eyes of society, was incompatible with the new life he created. Share if you agree or disagree with Mr. Ryder’s decision regarding Liza Jane. Does the same dilemma of relationships and social status occur today? How?
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