Thursday, September 22, 2011

Wisdom Supporting Liberty

By now it is possible, perhaps even likely, that most of your classmates have discovered the identity of the statue featured in "Why Words Matter." Jules Dalou's sculpture, Wisdom Supporting Liberty gives us a classical representation of the Greek goddess Athena (the goddess of both wisdom and war) supporting the naked representation of Lady Liberty. Some questions are in order.

1. How does the title impact your understanding of the statue?

2. What is the significance of Liberty's nakedness?

3. Why is Wisdom armoured and seemingly prepared for war?

4. How might we apply our understanding of the statue to current events or the current state of our nation?


*** STRING IS CLOSED ***

Thursday, September 15, 2011

A Dilemma ...


Much of the discussion we'll have in regard to East of Eden will focus on the concepts of good and evil. As such, I feel a much more generalized discussion about right and wrong is necessary. To that end, read the following paragraph. After you've had a few moments to think about what you've read, write a response in which you reply to the questions at the end of the paragraph. Once you've written an original response you may then respond to each other. For the record, I am expecting you folks to engage in a solid debate without much prompting from me.

A trolley has been sabotaged by a demented English teacher, and is running out of control down a track. On the trolley are five people who will die if they jump or the trolley is not somehow stopped. Fortunately, you are standing next to a switch that when thrown will change the tracks on which the trolley rides, and lead the car onto an unused track where it is sure to slow to a stop. Unfortunately, there is one person standing on that track. She will die if you throw the switch. What do you do? What is the right choice?

Mmmmm ... fried noggin.


*** STRING IS CLOSED ***