Thursday, November 14, 2013

A Long Way Gone: fishbowl #2 over ch. 10--period 1

Morning!  As you guys discuss on the outer circle today, please keep the following guidelines in mind.

1.  Each question you pose and each comment you offer in response to those questions should be grounded in textual evidence.  Most everyone didn't score as well as they could have in the last discussion because your ideas were vague and I was left wondering why you think what you do.  Here is an example of what a good post looks like.

Here is a question from Katie F:
In the book Ishmael constantly tries to block his thoughts by taking walks or occupying himself. "But my mind continued to torment me, and every effort to clear the terrible thoughts was in vain."(page-50) So do you think that the silence would have drove him insane if he stayed in the forest?


And here is a question from Nick F:  I think that morals just fly out the window when you are struggling to survive because like in the book, the 6 kids stole the two ears of corn from the little boy because they were in dire need of food. Do you think that they could still live long without keeping their morals or do you have to be ruthless in order to live?

2.  Remember to stay involved throughout the course of discussion.  To offer one or 2 comments is insufficient.  If this is a problem for people again today, I will ask you to handwrite a 1 page typed response next fishbowl as well as the last one.

3.  Rather than using the @ symbol, use the option to thread discussion.  At many points, it was challenging to follow your thinking because your posts were disorganized.

91 comments:

  1. I feel that these Villages that are very unkind to these kids acted this way because, They might fear the fact that the boys could be rebels and that they don't want to take any chances of having the rebels coming there

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    1. I think some of them were nice because they all wanted to come together and support each and be there for each other but some of them were mean because they were scared and didn't know what their intentions were.

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    2. I also feel that it is just the natural reacion to be protective of yourself and not want to be kind or let anyone in at this kind of a time and there had been rumors about young boys being taken in as rebels. By that, I can understand by the Villagers were being unkind. But I think once it hits an emotional point they act nicer. For example, on page 85 A villager pulled the oldest boy kanei aside to tell him that Saidu had died. They also helped with the burial so these villagers were kind to them because they saw such innocence in the boys.

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  2. How was seeing people dying on the streets and seeing very graphic images of death different for Ishmael when Saidu passed away?

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    1. I think it was different for him because Saidu was kind of like a brother to him. He was someone who he felt he could get through anything with.

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    2. I think that they are different for Beah because Saidu was one of his friends so when he dies he can't just ignore his passing like he might ignore the deaths of people he saw when the rebels attacked. This is shown after Saidu passes out the first time when all the boys keep asking Saidu if he's feeling okay.

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    3. This death was different for Ishmael because he had connections to Saidu. All of these bodies he saw dead on the streets meant nothing to him in the sense that they didn't play an important role in Ishmael's life. Of course when you see the violence and gruesome events transpire that will effect you no matter if you know that person or haven't seen their face once before in your life. Like Ismael says on page 85, "Everyone else was crying, but I couldn't cry." I feel like sometimes with death at a young age we don't always show emotions at first. Even though we all grieve in a different way I think Ishmael was kind of in a state of shock because, like I mentioned before, this is the really the first death that has been kind of more first hand and had more impact on Ismael.

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  3. How can Beah and his new group trust each other so much when they harldy even know each other?

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    1. I think that Ishmael can trust his group because if they want to survive together they have to cooperate and they all know that.

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    2. They all have one thing in common, and that is that they all don't have their family's. So they must have a strong bond with how they are alone. like in the book They each shared how they lost there family

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    3. I think they can all relate to eachother because in the beginning more people were afraid of the teenage boys and they would act violently and so they could relate to one another and it was easier for them to stick together because they had those kinds of things in common.

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    4. I think they trust each other so much because they're basically the only people they have. They want support from each other so they just trust each other a lot easier

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    5. I really thought about this too because I wouldn't be too forward about wanting to join together a new group of friends after barely knowing one another. But, Ishmael and his new group can trust each other because they can so easily relate to each other. They all around about the same age, they hav witnessed so much violence, and have lost their families. After being so dependent on others and having their support and comfort it is hard for a young boy to do this alone so they need each other.

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    6. I think that they are all in the same situation and they need each other to survive so they just decide to trust one another.

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    7. They trust them because they share the same goals of trying to survive through this tragedy. I would not trust them and am predicting that the new group will betray Beah and his group.

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    8. I think they trusted each other a lot from the beginning because they know that together they can accomplish a lot more than by themselves. I think them staying together got them to a safer place faster. Even though not many places are safe, them being together and working together has kept them alive.

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  4. I think a disadvantage of traveling in a group is that everything they find that they find they have to share and also I feel like they are a bigger target to the rebels as a big group.

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  5. On page 81 it talks about them getting that bird and eating it. What does it mean that "it is a holiday" and why would it be bad to eat the bird if it wasn't a holiday?

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    1. I think they are questioning weather or not they should eat it because maybe you aren't supposed to eat meat on certain Holiday's. If I were to guess I would say it is based on their religion.

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  6. On page 78 Alhaji said "I should have killed that dog." It'd be pretty hard to kill a dog so the fact that he even suggested it is strange. Because of this do you think the boys have become savage?

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    1. I don't think the boys have become savage, they were just angry because the dog ate their last piece of good food.

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    2. I think the boys have become almost careless because they see death everyday so it has to have an effect on them. I also think they are so hungry, tired and depressed they will do almost anything to survive, even if it comes down to eating a dog.

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    3. I believe that they have in fact become savage because on page 84, they say that the dogs cries sounded human and the fact that they thought about killing it is savage and disturbing.

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    4. Since the dog took away the meat, the boys needed something to eat

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    5. I don't think they have become savage either. They were just very upset that that was the last food they had and the dog ate it. For them it's hard to get food and survive so they cherish every bit that they get.

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    6. I don't think that they've necessarily become savage, considering they need to survive the best they can while on the run. Consider how often they get to eat a healthy meal. When your body is on survival mode you consider doing thing you normally wouldn't so that you have a better chance at survival.

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  7. I believe that the story of the Bra Spider is a story of greed and that Saidu eating the bird was greedy as well. If these life or death decisions are decided by greed, does he have a better chance to live, or should he stick to his morals?

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    1. I think that's hard to say because if he tries to stick by all of his morals he might not survive as well as if he makes his decisions by what he needs. Like with the corn, if the boys had stuck to their morals they wouldn't have gotten to eat.

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  8. I think the boys traveling in a group is a good decision because they can split up and find food which could bring in more food, even though they have to share it among the group. A disadvantage of them traveling together is that people will will assume they are rebels because the are all young boys. I think there are many perks of traveling in a group for them but there are more disadvantages than advantages.

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    1. I disagree and think traveling in a group has many more advantages. Traveling in a group offers protection from animals and rebels. If they were alone, they would be much more vulnerable and "in the open". Traveling in a group seems much more logical.

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    2. I think there are both disadvantages and advantages about traveling in a group and alone. I think staying in a group does have a lot advantages. You can work together to get food and survive and take care of each other. You can help protect each other from other things too. I agree with Ryan, if they were alone they would be much more vulnerable to everyone else. Staying together is a better protection plan for them but it can make it hard to feed everyone so they should keep the groups to a small number of people.

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  9. The crow might not have been bad luck but I agree that the bird could have been poisoned or struck by a virus.

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    1. I guess if that is true you could call that Irony. Because if the crow did have a virus then it would be ironic because in the text they said that he so hungry that he didn't care and that he was going to eat the crow.

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  10. The boys could have possibly survived alone because they have to stop and take care of themselves and make sure they are all together. But I also think that they could survive together because they are taking care of each other and that could be a good thing. There are a lot more advantages though because they can stick together as a group. It was also stopping them to bury Saidu, on page 87, because if Ishmael was alone, he wouldn't have time to grieve over someone who died.

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    1. I think they could survive alone but it is not as safe and it makes it overall harder on them. Overall, there are a lot more advantages to staying together such as protection from other people.

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  11. When reading these last chapters I realized that the rap music that Ishmael keeps in his pockets have saved them from death. As shown on page 66-68 when the chief of a village listens to the music and decides that they are harmless. Why does each time the chief of these villages hear they music decide that they are harmless?

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    1. I think that the rap music demonstrates to any of the people threatening them that they are just children who are lost and trying to escape from the war just like anyone else. "He didn't smile, but he gave a sigh that said I was just a child." (67-68)

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  12. Chapter ten ends with the group reflecting on Saidu's death, and Beah wondering who will leave them next. Why do you think it takes having someone you know die to realize that you might not be as safe as you thought?

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    1. i think that when he died the rest of the group realized that it could have been any one of them and that the possibility that it could happen to the rest of them seems more real.

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  13. I think that Ishmael is becoming used to the violence and death that the war has brought to his country and Saidu's death didn't have much of an effect on him.

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    1. He did sort of react to his death he began to shake and tremble and he didn't cry but he deferentially was affected by is death

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    2. I don't think that he is becoming used to it, I think he is just getting better and better at stuffing his emotions that he's beginning to not react to anything.

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  14. In the discussion they are talking about if its better to travel alone or with a group. I think it is better to travel in a group because, yeah you get smaller portions of food but, without your group you might not even get that food. Also being with your friends and family you will be more driven and happier which will make you live longer.

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    1. I agree because since they're all so young, if they travel alone they can be much weaker for any kind of defense, they might be mistaken for lone soldiers and killed, and as Ishmael said, the silence is maddening. They need each other to survive.

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    2. I agree, I think that it is better to be in a group because yeah you have to share things like food, but with more people, you have more chances to get food. Just when like all the boys were together they would take turns sleeping during the day while others find food. They wouldn't be able to do all that by themselves. Also, when Ishmael was alone he was almost going crazy because he didn't have people around him and got to the point of trying to become friends with animals whereas when they were together they would play games and support eachother.

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  15. I know he is lonely right now, but do you feel that his main motivation to survive for his family and hope that one day he will be reunited? How much does the thought of his family determine his actions?

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    1. I think that it is an optimistic goal for a kid like him. He isn't old enough to deal with the things he has seen so naturally, he wants to be reunited with his parents and his brothers so that he can be peaceful no matter what.

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    2. The thought to Ishmael of seeing his family in the future is a huge motivation. Just try to imagine being twelve, fighting in a war and not being able to see your family would be aweful. I think he feels that his family is strong enough and smart enough that they could escape a rebel attack so I think he feels that he will see them soon.

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    3. I think that Ishmael's motivation is to find his family because all through the story many of his thoughts are about his family and he seems to think about it even more than his own survival.

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    4. I believe that Ishmael has two goals and that is first to live and second to see his family once again. These two goals definitely drive his decisions throughout the story.

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    5. His motivation is everything. On page 88 finishing off chapter 10, the quote "'His temporary journey in this world had ended.' We, on the other hand, had to continue", had happened after Saidu died. If a person I knew, even barely knew, died on our journey I would give up or be afraid that I would be the next one. I think because of that Ishmaels family is everything and by continuing his journey it gets him that much closer to his family that he loved and was so close with before.

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  16. I think the deeper message is that they first thought they were unstoppable, but now they have realized that they can't survive in this type of environment. Especially with one of the group members dying, that they needed to face reality.

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  17. On page 87, Ishmael describes the dogs crying and people not sleeping because of their cries. Why were the dogs crying and what does this show?

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    1. I think that dogs were crying because they knew somehow that something was going to happen. This shows that the dogs were trying to warn them.

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    2. I think the dogs crying at night is showing that everyone is being affected by this war. I think the dogs were crying because they were hungry and have lost their owners and their homes.

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  18. Do you think that Ishmael is going to try and find his family? because he did leave his brother. now that he knows that they are close do you think he will just keep moving with his group or try and find his family

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    1. Ishmael might try to find his family, but I don't think they will split up.

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    2. I don't think he left his brother, he was just separated from him and his best option for survival was to move on. I think that he truly does want to find his family because that is a way for him to have a "normal" life again

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    3. I think he might try and convince his group to go the same way his family went and hope that they run into them.

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    4. Ishmael didn't leave his brother. they were separated while trying to escape one of the rebel attacks. And I do think that Ishmael will try to find his family.

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  19. Is Saidu's death a start of a streak of "bad luck" given by the crow?

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    1. I think it could definitely be the start of something bad. I think that it will hit the boys who didn't care they ate it more than the boys who did care they ate it. But maybe it doesn't matter because they all ate it?!

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  20. I think that the sky symbolizes freedom in a way, when he kept looking at the sky and noticing the moon that was still his motivation to survive for not only his self but for his family also.

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  21. I don't think that there is a deeper meaning to Saidu dying, we have to remember that this book is a memior and is just stories about what happened to Ishmeal so it wasn't something that was made up.

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    1. I agree! Everyone thinks that everything significant that happens in a book has to have some deeper meaning. Not everything has that. Like Lauren said it is a memoir so it is something that happened so the author isn't putting it in to have a really deep meaning. He put it in because it happened and it is a significant part of his life.

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  22. I think when he looks at the sky it represent how he is feeling because they seem to be more driven to go further or relax on a beautiful day. When the sky is cloudy it seems that they feel fearful or worried because in the rebel's attacks the ski was usually dark and mysterious.

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  23. From page 87, what did the dog barks symbolize?

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  25. On page 84: "I think dogs see what we do not see." What do you think they can see and why is it important?

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    1. I think that this could just be the boys worrying too much about the possibility of an attack and jumping to the conclusion that the dogs see people in the forest. Even though these kids are very mature, you have to remember that they are only 12 or 13 so their imaginations are probably on over drive because of the war.

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  26. Do you Think that the dog that stole the smoked meat from the boys could've represented the same thing that the boys did to that young boy. And if the dog didn't steal the meat do you think Saidu Would've died (if the crow did cause his death)

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    1. I think that the dog stealing their food was karma from stealing the boy's food. It makes sense too because when they stole the boy's food, his mother gave them more. If the dog had simply begged for a little food, they probably would have given him some.

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    2. I almost look at it as karma because they now realize whats it like to have something very essential to live be taken away from you by strangers.

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    3. I agree with Josh that the dog stealing their meat was their karma. Especially in this time when everyone is kind of desperate for the littlest bit of food or hope we see some pretty drastic measures take place. At times like these human instincts take over because the main goal is to survive. Life isn't fair but the fact that the dog took their food might make them think twice before the next time the take from a little boy.

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  27. I think even though these are just stories and Saidu dying may not seem to symbolize anything, we can analyze that situation and potentially come up with a bigger picture meaning that would add to our understanding of the book and spark new questions for us to ask. If we just read the book with the attitude that these are just stories we're not putting ourselves in a position to learn and continue our knowledge of this subject.

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  28. For other astronomer annotaters, is the sun a symbol of happiness and the moon a symbol of darkness? What do you think they symbolize? I believe that the sun is happiness and night is darkness, but the moon is the good, happy, and positive things that you can find in the sadness and negative darkness.

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    1. I think that Bea's mood is symbolized by the weather, like whenever he is scared or uncertain the moon is obscured by clouds, but whenever he is sure of his path the moon is bright, and the same with the sun.

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  29. I have noticed that all throughout the book he is making references to his family and relating those memories to nature. Do you think he has become desensitized completely or not.

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    1. Saidu Death best show that he inst completely desensitized, Because Ishmeal still reacted to this. he was mentally affected, He began shake and tremble even though he didn't cry

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    2. I dont think he has because he is a 12 year old boy. He has high emotions still and doesn't really know what to think or how to act to alot of things. So i dont think he is desensitized.

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  30. What does the story of the Bra Spider symbolize about the war going on around them and why do they tell it? (pg 75)

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    1. I think it symblozises that the war is all about greed. The rebels are greedy for money and stuff and the boys are greedy for food and supplies.

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  31. If Beah was safe in the forest for that month, why keep going into villages with the boys and not try to convince them to live in the forest where it's safe?

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    1. I think that Beah doesn't want to lose the other boys and be alone again with his thoughts, so he just tries to do what the group wants.

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    2. As safe as he may be in the forest, all through the book, he can't stop thinking and hoping he will reunite with his parents at the end of his journey.

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    3. I think they just wand more food and clean water from the abandoned houses because you can't find a lot of it in the forest.

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    4. I think they kept going back to the villages because they wanted to stay together but also because they could be curious of what is happening in the villages and how far the rebels have gotten.

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    5. I think that although the forest may be safer, i think he keeps going into villages because hes still hoping to find his family. I also think its easier for them to find food in the villages than in the forest.

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    6. I feel like they knew that danger will always follow. To relate, recently in The Walking Dead things have gone wrong in what seemed to be a safe place. I think they knew that it would be safe for a little while but will become dangerous.

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  32. Why are some people in other villages so kind while others are so fearful and mistreat Ishmael's group?

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  33. A lady tells the boys that their families are in the next village,I think that it was false hope,so that the boys would move on and not bother the village.What do you think?

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