Journal Question, Week of November 3-November 7

Please remember that you must post your answer by TUESDAY night. Also please remember that you must post between 400 and 500 words. Some of you posted much less last week....since it was the first week, I will understand. But this week, please post the required number of words, and please answer ALL parts of the questions.

Choose ONE of the following 2 questions:

1) Think about the following 3 quotes from the novel:
a. "The brain is real; the mind isn't" (p. 52).
b. "Neither your disappointment nor your anger was caused by the rain" (p. 55).
c. "My mind is like a pond without ripples" (p.72).
How are these 3 quotes related? What does Socrates mean when he describes the brain as being different from the mind? Do you agree that they are different? Explain why or why not. In your daily life, do you use your brain or your mind--or both? In other words, does your mind have 'ripples'? Or are you more like Dan? Please explain your answer.

2) On p. 51, Socrates says, "Your mind is your predicament. It wants to be free of change, free of pain, free of obligations of life and death. But change is a law, and no amount of pretending will alter that reality." On p. 82, Socrates says, "The body is Consciousness; never born; never dies; only changes. The mind...is all that ends at death. And who needs it?" What is Socrates talking about in these two quotes, and how do they relate to the themes and ideas in the novel? Can you think of a situation in your life when your mind was your predicament? Please explain it in detail. How do most people in the world view death? How is the popular view of death different than Socrates' view?

Journal Question, Week of October 27-October 31

Choose ONE of the following 2 questions and answer it on the blog:

1) On p. 21, Socrates says, “your feelings and reactions, Dan, are automatic and predictable; mine are not. I create life spontaneously; yours is determined by your thoughts, your emotions, your past.” Explain the meaning of this quote. Connect your explanation to a summary of the important ideas in this chapter. Focus on the ideas rather than the story. Also answer this question: Do you ‘create life spontaneously,’ or do you allow your ‘thoughts’ and your ‘past’ to determine your life? Explain.

2) On p. 28, Socrates tells a story about a construction worker. After the story he says to Dan: We all make our own sand sandwiches.” What does Socrates mean by that? How is this story related to the other ideas in the novel? Can you think of an example of how you make your own sandwiches (past or present)? What advice would Socrates give you if he heard your example?

Welcome to the RW4 Peaceful Warrior novel blog

This blog will be your "journal" for the class. Every week, I will post a question or quote, based on the class novel. Your job is to respond to the question or quote with insight. Your journal should be 400-500 words. Your grammar will NOT be graded. Rather, your INSIGHT and THOUGHTFUL RESPONSES will be graded. This journal is to help you demonstrate your reading comprehension. Therefore, when you respond to the quote/question, you must show that you read and understand the novel. Do not just write what you think. You must also use quotes and examples from the novel to explain your ideas.