Socratic Seminar Reflection - Kite Runner #2

                   The Socratic seminar influenced my thinking on women's role and how the rest of world sees America. The seminar made me compare women's roles in different countries and how they are similar or different. For instance, it made me think more about how American women are seen in the United States and how Afghanistan women are seen in Afghanistan. In the seminar, there was a lot of talk over what would have happened if Amir and stopped Assef from getting raped. I hadn't thought too much about this scenario before the seminar. 

                         I agreed the most with Jessie when she said that women all over the world were generally viewed the same, but just on different levels. I believe that women are viewed as lesser than men and in society they are expected to only be the mothers and caregivers. Jessie touched on this same point and then brought up the fact that this ideology is expressed in more extreme ways in certain countries. I disagreed with Ryan and Frankie the most when they said that all countries loved America. If I had been able to respond to that I would have and I would have shed light on how 1st world countries in Europe and Australia, there is a dislike for America's arrogance. I would have said this to see if anyone else agreed with me.

                       One thing that worked really well for the seminar was that we went deep into issues. Instead of skimming the surface of issues like the other group, our group was able to dive a little deeper. We went a little farther than the book and talked about it's general themes, not just about how Assef raped Hassan. Lastly we were passionate about the subjects that we were talking about and shared experiences from our own lives to help explain our comments.

One thing that did not go well during the Socratic seminar was that it was extremely hard for people to talk and everyone one was arguing, not discussing. People talked over one another constantly and cut into people talking. Because of these two very rude things, the conversation was very jumbled and confusing and no one really understood what was going on. Also, people got really angry and hurt by certain comments and so the discussion turned into a heated argument a couple of times. It was not very pleasant to talk and it felt as though people were trying to beat each other, not collectively discuss themes and emotional appeals from the Kite Runner.

Socratic Seminar Reflection - The Kite Runner - #1

 The Socratic seminar influenced my thinking on the concept of 'friendship.' Of course everyone has their own definition of what friendship is but there are some words that are generally associated with friendship. The words kindness, loyalty, trust, happiness, support, caring, concern, etc. all go along with friendship. In the book, "The Kite Runner," Hassan and Amir have an interesting relationship that is on the borderline of friendship, but not really there. The seminar made me think more about the relationship that Hassan and Amir had. I also thought more about difficult decisions, and what justifies making a decision or not, especially in Amir's case.

One topic that our group focused on was whether Hassan and Amir were friends or not. I disagreed with Ryan when he said that Hassan and Amir were friends. I disagreed with him because I think that Hassan and Amir were just people who had know each other for their whole lives, not people who were friends. Friendship is balanced, and no one has direct power over the other. Hassan was Amir's servant and was under him in society. That is not a good basis for a genuine friendship. I think they appreciated one another, but they weren't friends. Also I don't think a real friend would let their friend get raped. I agreed with Helen when she thought that Amir was solely based his actions on trying to please his father, and by doing this he was trying to be more manly. In the Socratic seminar I wish I had touched more on Amir's relationship with Rahim Khan and talk more about the support that Amir got from Rahim. Rahim is an important character and he promoted Amir's writing. 

Something that worked really well for the seminar was that we were all well read and were very passionate. It seemed as though everyone had read the book and knew what they were talking about. Also, the seminar was not dull or boring because people were passionate about what they were talking about. 

Some things that did not work well for the Socratic seminar were some people didn't have a chance to speak and the conversion stayed on two topics and stayed mainly on the book. Because many people were passionate about the book, there were others who had to fight to get a word in. A lot of the same people continued to talk and control the conversation. Also, the conversation focused mainly on whether Hassan and Amir were friends or not and Hassan's rape. While the conversation was never dull, we could have moved on to more things. Lastly for the next Socratic seminar, we can focus less on the facts of the book and more on central themes that belong to "The Kite Runner." I think that will enrich the conversation and put it on a higher level.

Socratic Seminar #4 1984

Summary: 
Book 3 of 1984 shows Winston in the Ministry of Love being tortured by O'Brien. In book 3, more information is revealed about the party's motives and more is revealed about Winston.Winston in the end succumbs to what the party wanted him to be and he finally revealed that he loved Big Brother.

Level 2 Questions:
1. What is the effect of having 1984 broken into three distinct parts?
 - The fact that 1984 is broken into three parts represents Winston's treatment and understanding of the party. "'There are three stages in your reintegration,' said O'Brien. 'There is learning, there is understanding, and there is acceptance.'" In book 1 of 1984, Winston sought for more information about the proles and the past. In book 2, Winston broke the law with Julia and gained a new level of understanding about his feelings toward Big Brother. Lastly in book 3, Winston finally accepted that there could never be a revolt against Big Brother and he finally accepted that he would always love Big Brother. The three distinct parts of the book represent Winston learning more about the past and more about the proles, understanding his new goal in going against the party, and finally accepting that he loved Big Brother.
Appeal: Logical

2. How is Winston's relationship with O'Brien similar to his relationship with Big Brother?
- In chapter two of book 3, Winston described O'Brien as the, "tormentor, he was the protector, he was the inquisitor, he was the friend."Similarly, Big Brother was characterized as the protector. Big Brother protected the people from war and from capitalism and other horrors. He gave everything to the people of Oceania but he also hurt them. Big Brother took away the people's freedom which is exactly what O'Brien did to Winston. Winston looked up to both O'Brien and Big Brother; they both protected him. Winston also had his freedoms taken away by both O'Brien and Big Brother.
Appeal: Emotional
3. How did Winston's relationship with Julia change after being in the Ministry of Love?
- After being tortured in the ministry of love, Winston and Julia had lost their feelings for one another. Before they had been caught by the thought police Winston and Julia were in it together, but after betraying one another their priorities changed. Julia noted about betraying Winston, "You think there's no other way of saving yourself and you're quite ready to save yourself that way. You want it to happen to the other person." At the end, they realized that their love could not be saved and that the party had performed the ultimate test in room 101 and both Winston and Julia failed by betraying one another.
Appeal: Emotional
4. By the end of the book, is there a part of Winston that can resist manipulation?
-By the end of the book there is no part of Winston that can resist manipulation. In the end Winston, "had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother." Winston was tortured mentally and physically and there was no way that he could continue thinking revolutionary thoughts after being in the ministry of love. What determined whether Winston would be released from the ministry of love would be himself. When Winston finally accepted Big Brother and the party that meant that there was no more resisting manipulation.
Appeal: Logical
5. What is the party's strategy regarding Winston?
- The party's strategy towards Winston is to learn about his kind and destroy it. Winston was the only one in Oceania that was able to have memories and block the party's interests. "O'Brien smiled slightly. 'You are a flaw in the pattern, Winston. You are a stain that must be wiped out... When finally you surrender to us, it must be your own freewill." The party was interested in Winston and so they took their time observing him but their overall goal was to have him surrender to them and accept that he loved Big Brother.
Appeal: Logical
6. What is the party's purpose in creating Goldstein's book?
- The party's purpose in creating Goldstein's book was to create and enemy that they could protect the people from. The idea of the brotherhood and Goldstein allowed the people of Oceania to think that there was another option of governing that they could go to. This made it easy for the party to catch people like Winston who thought that there wan another alternative like the brotherhood. The party created Goldstein's book to outline obvious facts about ruling over others and to spark excitement in people like Winston. But in reality, the steps in Goldstein's book for a revolution could never actually happen. As O'Brien said, "It's all nonsense."
Appeal: Logical 

Level 3 Questions:

7. How has technology affected our society?

- Technology has made us more connected to one another, given us easy access to information, and has made our lives relatively easier, but we are now completely dependent on technology and have less privacy. Now, it’s not abnormal for people to own phones, iPods, ipads/tablets, computers, etc. In fact, it’s expected that everyone have a smart phone. We live in a world were if you don’t have a computer, it’s likely you’ll have a harder time in school because more than half of the assignments are posted online for you. The act of sending a letter is considered archaic by most, why not? An email, phone call, or a text is faster. Technology has helped us send and receive information faster, which has helped people socially, culturally, economically, and intellectually. But where are our searches and messages stored? There are privacy settings that supposedly protect us from getting our information leaked, but how many people do they actually protect us from? “As O’Brien passed the telescreen a thought seemed to strike him. He stopped, turned aside, and pressed a switch on the wall. There was a sharp snap. The voice had stopped.” (140) We are living in a world where the government can track our calls, emails, texts, instant messages, social media, etc. Privacy is just a façade if you are caught up with technology.

Appeal: Emotional

8. How much power should a government have over its people for it to be beneficial to society?

- A government should be able to provide protection and have some power over its people, but individuals should have rights and a voice in political agreements. Like in America, there is the bill of rights, the constitution, and the declaration of independence, which all protects the rights of individuals. Many people believe that the government should have little power over its people but I believe that results in chaos and revolts. Where would we be without our government? Sure, we would not have bad relations with other nations in the world but the government everyday helps us. Highways, hospitals, schools, national parks, social security, welfare, judicial system, election system, armies, FEMA, food stamps, food safety regulations, public health regulations, health care, coast guard, national weather service, etc, are all ways in which the government helps us. The government helps provide aid to, “the Middle, and the Low,” (152) so they should be granted some control over individuals. 

Appeal: Logical

9. What role does memory play in an accurate account of history?

Memory is a human trait that comes to us naturally. Some might say that we cannot pick and choose which memories to remember, but what about in the cases of brainwash and manipulation? Unpleasant memories can be suppressed and destroyed. If one chooses to suppress a memory and have a negative connotation with it then the account of history might not be as accurate. We look at different times in the past all based on how we feel and if it is considered good or bad. In the case of 1984, everyday people have to be a part of the 2 minutes of hate which is negatively directed towards Goldstein. The memories of those people are being changed and reshuffled into believing only in the bad sides of Goldstein due to the 2 minutes of hate. The accuracy or inaccuracy of the memories makes no difference to Big Brother. History and the past are determined partly by point of views and records that could have been altered by bias.

Appeal: Logical

Socratic Seminar Reflection #2 1984

             The Socratic seminars made me think more about the power that the proles had and Winston's attitude towards them. Before the seminar, I knew that the proles were the only ones who would be able to lead a successful revolt against Big Brother but I questioned if they actually wanted to. After the discussion I am more confident that Winston would be able to lead the proles into a revolution if he wanted to. Charlie said that if Winston were to confide in anyone about his revolutionary thoughts, he would confide in the antique shop keeper. Before the seminar I had thought about that a little but I didn't really analyze it. It makes sense that Winston would trust someone who appreciated the pre Big Brother world and who was not under constant supervision of a telescreen. 

             During the Socratic Seminar, a lot of people thought that the proles were oblivious to the party's discrimination towards them. I agreed with Molly when she thought that the proles did know that they were thought of as animals compared to the party. Like Molly, I believe that the proles are aware that they are discriminated against but they are content with their lives because that is all they know. I disagreed with Ryan when he said that Winston was not the type of person that would be able to rebel against Big Brother. I disagreed with him because Winston has been able to rebel. He started a diary against Big Brother which is highly illegal, he has been with prostitutes, wandered in the prole section of town, and has illegally thought of taking down Big Brother. In the time of 1984, what Winston was doing was completely and utterly against the law so I believe that he is the type of person to rebel. I wish I had said this during the discussion to make a point and to see if other people agreed with me. 

         During the seminars, everyone was able to contribute and really thoughtful questions were asked. Everyone was very passionate about our reading and I felt that everyone was very well prepared and interested. Also, I thought that most people emphasized rhetorical appeals more than last time. Lastly, I thought that the conversation never hit an awkward point and that the conversation was rich with thought.

              One thing that hurt the seminars was that I felt a lot of people were repeating similar thoughts and questions. Even if a question had been asked already or a passage had already been analyzed, ten minutes afterward a person would bring it back up again which seemed redundant. Also, even though everyone got to speak, there were three or four people who dominated the conversation and made it hard for other people to talk. Overall, the conversation went really well but the dominance and repetition needs to be worked on for the next seminar.

Othello Dramatic Reading - Statement of Intent

My Dramatic Reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlC54L53FbY

          I chose to perform Othello's soliloquy from Act 5, Scene 2, where Othello is getting prepared to kill his wife, Desdemona. This particular soliloquy is filled with emotion and conflicting feelings which helped me to determine where tone, emphasis, and pauses, should be. During this scene, Othello is very angry with Desdemona because he was tricked into thinking she was unfaithful to him, but he is also overcome admiration of her beauty and the love that they shared. In his soliloquy, I decided to put an emphasis on phrases such as, "It is the cause, It is the cause," and, "Yet she must die," because I felt Othello said them to convince himself that murdering his wife was his only option. I felt a sense of urgency in these lines where Othello wanted to get the murder over with. After saying, "Yet she must die," I paused before reciting, "else she'll betray more men," in order to put an emphasis on Othello's realization in why he wanted to murder Desdemona in the first place. When delivering the line, "Yet I'll not shed her blood, nor scar that whiter skin of hers as snow and smooth as monumental alabaster," I used a gentle, sweet, and loving tone to portray how Othello still adored Desdemona and his sorrow.
          After "becoming" Othello for two minutes, I learned how hurt he was by the idea that Desdemona had cheated on him and how he suffered from the conflicting feelings of love, anger, and jealousy all at once. Before I had prepared for this dramatic reading, I solely thought of Othello as an overpowering man who made rash decisions based on questionable information. While part of that is true, I have now recognized Othello's true love for Desdemona and the grief and rage that he felt after being tricked into thinking she cheated on him. After finishing the dramatic reading, I realized how dangerous and detrimental jealousy can be. I also found that people really need to analyze important pieces of information judiciously before making a decision.
          This particular soliloquy really defined Othello's emotions and it defined him as a character. This scene was not the climax or the resolution, but the audience gets a better understanding of Othello's struggle and his obsessive need to take revenge. Othello's soliloquy further complicated the conflict because he is revealing that his mind can't be changed and that Desdemona must die. He won't forgive her or attempt to discover if she's innocent or not... Othello is set on killing Desdemona despite his admiration for her love and beauty.

Socratic Seminar Reflection #1 1984

               The seminar influenced on why George Orwell portrayed the year 1984 as he did. In the discussion, people talked about the Ministries and the overpowering government, Big Brother. This book was published in 1949, right after World War two and the rise of fascism. Our discussion led me to think more about the over powering governments that the world had experienced right when George Orwell wrote his book. In the seminar there was a nonsensical attitude towards the idea of Big Brother and a completely over-powering government but in reality, that kind of government is not too unfamiliar. When Leah mentioned that some countries had governments such as the one in 1984, today, I thought more about why George Orwell wrote this book and why it's important for us to read it today.

               One controversial topic that appeared in the seminar was whether Winston writing in his journal was an act of freedom or not and whether it was smart or worth doing. Neilah said that when Winston wrote in his journal he started out writing about a film that he saw and then suddenly started pouring out his thoughts on the current situation in his country. Winston was shocked by his own thoughts and how easily he was able to write them down. I agree with Neilah when she said that Winston found freedom by being able to express his thoughts in this illegal journal; something that nobody was able to do. Ryan argued that the journal was not worth writing in because he would be discovered and either killed or put in jail for 25 years. I disagreed with his statement because Winston was obviously not happy with how his life was being controlled and if he could achieve some sort of revolt which would then inspire other people to do the same thing, I think writing illegally in his journal is worth it. I wish I had the opportunity to say that because I would've liked to see if others agreed with me and I could have maybe altered my view on it.

                 Something that worked really well for the seminar was that everyone had a chance to speak and discuss their ideas. There were no interruptions and no awkward silences that put a damper in the conversation. Also, everyone had different ideas so the conversation was rich and interesting. Lastly, everyone had a good knowledge and understanding of the text and some even used quotes from 1984.

                I felt that there needed to be more talk and emphasis on rhetorical appeals because that was what the discussion was meant to be based on. To me it was confusing whether some people were trying to discuss and emotional appeal or logical. But overall, I thought the seminar went well and next time I will try and put more of an emphasis on the appeals.

Justification Paper #3

Paths Taken and Expectations Fulfilled: 

           Imagine two boys who had very similar upbringings. Both were born in Baltimore, Md, had absent fathers and single mothers, and both were named Wes Moore. Most importantly however, both boys were raised in poverty but only one boy was able to make it out of the hood while the other will spend the rest of his life in jail. One might ask how this is possible? Two very similar boys ended up having very different adult lives and this happened because of the paths they decided to take and the expectations that were fulfilled. The title, "Paths Taken and Expectations Fulfilled," for the chapters, The Land that God Forgot and Surrounded, describe the paths that both Wes Moore's decided to take and the expectations fulfilled by doing so.
          Wes Moore 1(author) and Wes Moore 2(convict) took different paths and therefore different expectations were fulfilled. Wes Moore 1, at an earlier age compared to Wes Moore 2, decided to do well in school and he eventually became to be a sergeant of a platoon at his military school. At that moment, people expected more from Wes 1; they wanted him to really succeed. Wes 1 choose to enlist in the army, become a Cecil Rhodes scholar, study abroad in South Africa, apply to the White House Fellow program and was accepted. Wes Moore 1 did and is currently doing amazing things in his life because he paved his own path to success. Once he achieved all of these wonderful goals, his friends, family, and mentors had their expectations fulfilled. Wes Moore 2 on the other hand, did not pave his own path to success; instead he let others pave his path to jail. Wes Moore 2 let himself be negatively influenced by others and even though he tried to get out of the drug business, he was back into it just a few months later. Because of this, other people expected Wes to fail, which is exactly what he did. Wes Moore 2 was convicted of murder in the first-degree and sentenced to jail for life. Many might argue that the environment that Wes 2 grew up in affected his decision to hurt others but the fact is Wes Moore 1 came from the same conditions and greatly prospered and succeeded. Everyone makes mistakes, but how is it alright to make the same mistake numerous times?
            The title, "Paths Taken and Expectations Fulfilled," for the chapters, The Land that God Forgot and Surrounded, describe the paths that both Wes Moore's decided to take and the expectations fulfilled by doing so. Both boys made conscious decisions that had an impact on their lives. Regardless of race and the environment that these boys grew up in, one boy used these important decisions to make his life better while the other boy did not.