Do you feel like you understand the text at a deeper level? Why or why not? Be specific.

[Carolyn]

Posts due by 11 PM on Sunday, November 11th. See prompt (above).

[Alex]

Yes and no, I can understand some of the problems brought up in this book and connect with some of Gene's thoughts about always feeling like he is in a competition but that's about it. I can't connect with anything else in this book except for fear of a possible draft in the not to distant future. Otherwise I cannot connect to this text at a deeper level.

[Soham]

I can understand the text at a deeper level when I can connect with it. For example, when the book talks about war, I can not connect with it since I have never been in a war. The thing that has helped me the most to understand some of the text at a deeper level is socratic seminar. I believe that the opinions of my classmates helps me to better connect and understand the text.

[Schulman]

I feel like I understand the text on a deeper level because i can connect with the relationship between Finny and Gene. Although I haven't personally experienced an attachment like the one Gene has to Finny, I feel like I can understand why Gene has overlooked other people as friends and just focus on Finny. I can not connect with things like the war or Gene having to deal with Leper's insanity.

[Nathan]

I think I can understand the book on a somewhat deep level. I find myself sometimes trying to look for more symbolism, like when the author made the reference to the rivers and what it meant about Gene and Finny, whereas other times I don't look for anything but what happened in the chapters. The Socratic seminars help me see things I had no idea about, like when Leper was compared to a person with leprosy.

[Samantha]

I think in some parts of the novel I can relate but there are other parts that I cannot connect with for example when they talk about war. Although I cannot relate to that I can relate to some jealousy that occurs between Gene and Finny. Besides something little like that I cannot really connect on a deeper level with the novel as much as I would like to.

[[deleted user]]

do your own home work kid

[Kathryn]

I think that I can relate to the text better when I can connect to it. In some ways I can connect to the book and in other ways I cannot. I can connect to a few of Finny and Gene’s feelings such as jealousy and competition. These are common feelings among teenagers. Although I can connect to a few of these emotions, I do not have to deal with any drafts or war issues in my life. I think that I only somewhat understand the text deeply because it isn’t very relatable.

[Carolyn]

Rebekah wrote: "do your own home work kid"

Nope- I'm the teacher. I just mistakenly posted the question in the wrong spot.

[Stephen]

I thought that I could. I recently reread the ending, but unlike certain other books that I found myself unable to relate to in high school, I just can't seem to find the deeper meaning or truth or symbolism contained within the book.

Maybe it's because the book feels so Ecclesiastical to me that I have trouble with it. In some ways, it's sort of like the Yearling (which is a much better written book with just as bad of an ending).

[Soham]

I did not find a thread for today's discussion so I will post it here! I believe that Shakespeare opens up the play with humor so the reader will become interested! Humor grabs the readers attention and helps to keep the reader interested