Monday, April 25, 2011

"Thinking" Homework

This morning's discussion was brilliant BLOCK I. Here's your thinking homework....(if you have a question, for the class, you can post it on here as a comment and we will cover it tomorrow). I'm not collecting anything, I just want you to put some prior thought into our discussion, so you aren't on the spot.

1. Looking at the order of the soldiers that died and the manner in which they met their death, is there any deeper significance to this? Was the author trying to use each death to tell us something different about the theme? What is it?

2. What are all the symbols you can think of? Setting? What do they symbolize?
Class examples: boots, animal behaviors, cancer, etc.

3. Why, out of all of the diseases, does his mother have cancer?

4. How are women portrayed in this novel? Why does the author do this?

5. What is the theme?
Class examples: loss of innocence, loss of humanity, instinct, loss of individuality, etc.

6. What is the significance of authority figures? Compare the authority figures in this novel? Why did the author make them have these similarities? How can this relate to a possible theme?

7. Devyn said: I'm hearing that you are saying that compassion and thinking are weak.
THOUGHTS? Is Paul weak? How? How not?

4 comments:

  1. Kiana, Erin, Grayson, Devon, Shaun

    Does his mother's disease, Cancer, have anything to do with the Cancer zodiac?

    We thought that it did because the Cancer zodiac represents a crab, as Paul is with his snappy fists (fighting/in war) bit still inside a shell (as a young man). Also, Cancer is in the month of July, the seventh month. Seven is a highly religious number, such as the Seven Deadly Sins, which he experiences throughout the book, as a soldier. The seven deadly sins are Wrath, Envy, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Pride, and Sloth. He does each one of these throughput the book as a soldier.

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  2. Jake, Katelyn, Ben and Blair

    1. What would have happened to Paul if he had no friends with him through war and how would it change his decisions?

    2. Was it realistic that Paul and Kat lived so long in war as described by the author with a ton of bombardments throughout the book?

    3. Would have Paul and his friends join the war if it wasn't for the teacher persuading them?

    4. Compare the AQOWF to RBOC. What character do you find stronger in significance, Paul or Henry? Explain.

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  3. Tyera, Lisa, Greg

    Being put into Paul's shoes, how would you perceive life, and death as a soldier?

    We thought that if we were soldiers that were cold, starving, and tired all of the time, and got onto the field and had a gun pointed to our head, we would perceive life in a way of tragedy, thinking that we threw our lives away and could never get them back. Life was so exciting and thrilling; however, when we joined the war and began to fight in it, all life was grey and death seemed relieving, practically peaceful.

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  4. Oliver, KimmiE, Sam, Devyn (with a Y)

    1. Is Paul's attachment to his friends a burden or a gift? Why?

    2. How does Paul's opinions on war life and life at home overlap/effect each other?

    3. Why do you think the author doesn't describe the manner of Tjaden's death?

    ReplyDelete