Don't forget about Paper #1 (in the post below this one), which is due next Friday by 5pm! The blog video today will help you understand the Conversation Paper and how you might approach your first paper for class. Don't forget to leave a comment to the question at the end.
I believe that the person I've come across so far who would benefit from this woman's advice the most would be the older man on page 10. We all know him as the older man who has hit the age of sixty and no longer feels a purpose to need to live any longer. The woman on page 254 from Iran states "I only have one life to live. But in books I can live one thousand lives." Maybe this woman doesn't like her life and reading other peoples stories is an escape from whatever she may be living in. We all know the older gentlemen on page 10 isn't happy with his life anymore and is to the point of pulling the plug. What I realize in his picture is that he is reading a magazine. If the man hates his life right now, I wonder if reading books and getting an insight and living other lives through books like the woman says may help the man have a different outlook on his life at his age. Reading books may help distract the man from all the pain he is feeling in his body and allow him to loosen up and view life from a completely different perspective. The woman's picture on page 254 is significant because it is representing more than just herself. Living in Iran most likely doesn't allow her to have all of the opportunities and resources to read everything she might desire, but she has changed her view on her life. The woman looks to be happy and content with her life, not poor or broken, but pleased with how she is feeling and going about things, etc. Another person in this book may be from a similar country or area and has struggled with wanting to learn how to read or get an education. I believe this woman could definitely help the girl how was a house keeper for two different families trying to save up the money to go to school on page 84 from Nigeria. The girl struggles with her life and the things she has been put through but I believe the woman on page 254 could help the girl have a different outlook on her situation and help her with some of her issues.
ReplyDeleteYes, great responses...when life seems to have dried up, or disappointed you, books are a great way to get a new perspective. To see that there are other lives, other possibilities, and new avenues of escape or exploration. Too often, we only look at the world through our dreams, and these dreams are necessarily limited in scope. It's great to see how other people view the world, and in doing so, you can re-evaluate your own dreams and goals (and reality). This might be important for the woman from Iran, who lives in a country where women cannot have certain dreams, and must conform to a strict doctrine of behavior. So she is obviously finding escape through the lives of other women in other lands. There's an entire book about Iranian students who learn to see through 'Western' eyes and realize the possibilities of a freer society--Reading Lolita in Tehran. I wonder if she's read it?! (though I think it's banned in Iran).
DeleteI think someone who would benefit from this woman's advice would be the man on page 250. He say's "I am thirty-nine years old and I've achieved everything I've ever wanted. Now I have no idea what to do." I believe this woman's advice would be good for him because why not read some books? Could you imagine accomplishing everything you've wanted in life by the age of thirty-nine and not having any idea what to do? Maybe he should read and live his life through books. My sister is big on literature, she absolutely loves reading. She tells me "reading makes me feel like I'm in another world and I can picture the characters in my head and have them look like whatever I wish. It's amazing how I can read a description and picture something so beautiful in my head. And there's thousands of world's I can read about and it makes me feel like I'm there. It makes me forget what's so wrong in our world." Maybe that's just what this guy needs.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great connection, since I think this is why so many people undergo a mid-life crisis. They have goals which they are able to meet, and once they've met them, what next? I'm sure this guy can enjoy his success for a few years, but inevitably, he'll want more, and look for something new. Reading would be a much healthier way to dream new dreams and expand his mental reality. Otherwise, he might end up hurting those around him in order that he can 'live' again.
DeleteI feel as though the maid on page 86 could benefit from this advice. Given her situation, there is not much she could have done or can do now. Reading, however, I feel may provide at least a slight escape. Even if it's not a solution it may help to distract her from the things which are beyond her control. She may be able to relate to characters who have been through similar things and gain understanding about what else she may be able to do about her situation. Although these are not guaranteed, reading may provide a "mental getaway" from her stressful life.
ReplyDeleteYes, this is a great response, since even though she was robbed of her education, she can find a way to educate herself (possibly--if she can get her hands on books). Many of the greatest minds were actually self-educated, and that education took the form of endless reading. So even though she can't get the traditional journey of education, she can still forge her own path, or at least escape from her disappointments.
DeleteI think someone that might benefit from this women's quote is the man on page 26. He has been one of the many that I have specifically remembered. What I take away from her quote is that she has one life and she wants to use it to make the most of it by doing what she loves. The man that needs this advice needs to know that there is always a way to turn your life around and you only get one to live. He struggles with a drug problem and most importantly he feels that he has failed his mom. He did succeed at one point but then gradually went back into the same routine. He already lost one brother in the war he doesn't want his mom to go through the same pain again. If he read this quote I believe he can see that even if you are in a bad place you can always make the most of it and do better.
ReplyDeleteIn the picture, the women is seen happy and enjoying life. However, in the country she is in, there are many unhappy things going on around her. I think she uses reading as a way to leave reality and escape into a different atmosphere. Her picture goes to show that even if you are in a bad place no matter if it is physical or mental you can always find a way to escape and maybe make life better for yourself.
Yes, great response; if nothing else, reading can help us imagine other lives and see different possibilities. This life doesn't have to be our only life, nor are we defined by the choices we've made (not entirely). We can rethink our behavior and find new modes of conduct and behavior. But it's hard to imagine these things on our own. Books help!
DeleteI believe the man on page 58 could benefit from this advice. He talks about his struggle with a gambling addiction and how much he's lost during the process. He mentioned he lost their house and his wife. I think he could benefit from the advice because maybe if he would replace his gambling addiction with a love for literature, then he could turn his life around. Maybe books could show him that things do get better and instead of leaning on gambling, he could lean on a good book. The woman's photo is significant because she looks so happy. Even with the things that could be going on in Iran, she uses literature as an escape from the bad. She's a perfect example of finding the good in every situation.
ReplyDeleteYes, and he could read about other addicts and realize that his problem is a universal one, and there are ways to combat it. Or, he could simply read about other people who have found happiness, or other paths, and these could inspire him to try the same. The problem with addiction is that you have trouble seeing any other way to life: addition swallows everything else up, and everything has to fuel that addiction. So it's good to remember that not everyone sees the world this way. There are alternatives.
DeleteThe guy on page 234 can really benefit from the the advice given in page 255. His mom is very involved in his life while his father from what we are told couldn't care less about his situation. They brought up an example of him getting hit by a car and calling his parents after waking up from his coma from the incident and his father answer saying "Your mother is asleep right now. You can call her tomorrow." He mention being hurt from that cause his dad maybe doesn't really care too much about him I think the girl form page 255 would tell him a book would probably be a good escape from the pain of the neglect he is getting from his dad. maybe he can up on how to cope with the lack of attention and love from his father and his life a little more easier to manage.
ReplyDeleteYes, great response--especially since he can see through books other families, and see that his dad isn't typical of all dads (even the dads in this book!). It might inspire him to become a better father himself, or to realize that some of his problems come from this lack of love and support.
DeleteSomeone who I believe could benefit from this advice would be the woman from Cairo, Egypt on page 109. She was not able to live the life she wanted with the man she wanted due to her being married off by her dad. She sees being married off as a tragedy and all things that came with it, so I believe she could try falling in love with books, since they can give you a taste of the things you normally cannot acquire. With the books, she could imagine herself and the man she truly loves in the literature, to paint a pleasant picture and briefly live another life.
ReplyDelete-Tori Prince
Yes, this story really haunts me--it's so unfair. But by reading more, and seeing other lives and possibilities, she might have the courage to leave this bad marriage, and maybe find love before it's too late. Many people do, and no one is a lost cause. She might feel that way because of the men in her life, but reading might inspire her to do what other women in Iran and the Middle East have done to educate themselves. It's never too late, really!
DeleteI believe the woman from Russia on page 65 would benefit from her advice.She has worked hard her entire life an wants o take time to focus on herself. She finds it hard to escape her ideology. a book would be a great way to help the mind escape and reading books does improve logical and creative thinking in ones mind.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's a great point; we often can't imagine another way or living or thinking, but books can show us the way forward. We need to live inside someone else's head, in another culture, to realize what's keeping us back in this one. That's the beauty of Humans: it shows us so many 'heads' and so many worlds. And you can identify with many of them to the point that you ask yourself, 'why couldn't I do something like that?'
DeleteI believe the man on page 76 could benefit from this advice. He dedicated his whole life to give his wife things he promised like a big house and a nice car. She died of cancer before she could see that happen, and it never did. But maybe everything he promised was things she never needed, she had a loving husband and children. I don't think she cared too much about the materialistic things.
ReplyDeleteYes, exactly; she didn't need that, and I think she had a great life. When she says, "Ah suh it guh,' I think she's sympathizing with him, since she knows he wanted to do more. But she didn't need more; she just need him. And hopefully reading this book, and others like it, can help him realize how good he was, and how much happiness he gave his wife, even so. No one can get everything they want, and those who do still want something else. He did the best he could, and I think the more he read, the more he would see that (but I think he realizes this already).
DeleteI believe the woman on page 173 from Tokyo, Japan could benefit from this advice. This woman had a rough yearly life and so if she could fall in love with literature it might help her escape or just give her hope. The woman's photo is significant to me because she just looks like a normal, happy white lady. It says she is from Iran which I found shocking because just from the picture I would not have guessed that. She does have a head scarf on, so this may be helpful in matching her with another person in the book, and even her passion.
ReplyDelete-Cheyenne Adair
Yes, this photo is a little mysterious...many people in Iran have mixed blood (some are more Greek, some more Indian, some more Persian), so many don't look the way we would assume someone Iran would look. Or she could have married an Iranian man and moved there for him. Either way, she's living a much narrower life than she would if she lived here, for example. So she's learned to find an escape and a way to see more possibilities, and I think the woman from Tokyo could use that as well. Ultimately, we're more trapped in our own minds than anyplace else. Reading opens the doors to endless exits.
DeleteThe boy on pages 52-53 who wants to be a police officer when he grows up, for the power. It's obvious by the setting and his attire he is interested in the power because he may want to be takin more seriously for reasons like being poor. I think the advice given might open his mind to different perspectives and realities and give him the opportunity to explore healthier outlooks and other professions to have for the love of it not for the power. The woman's photo is significant because it shows the life she live and how she might be bound to religion and the shackles it places on woman of the Middle East. Books give her the freedom to be who she wants, go where she wants. Book give the broke, bounded, and the bored a place to go for no price except for time, if one is willing to give that up then one can travel anywhere.
ReplyDeleteYes, this is a great one...this poor kid is on the bottom, and sees being a police officer as a way to have power and wield that power over others. But that isn't 'power,' that's an abuse of power. He's too young to see this now, but if he read more, he would realize that there are better way to succeed, and just because people bullied you, doesn't mean you have to become a bigger bully. Several people in the book seem to echo his ideas...when you're beat up by life, it's hard not to want to strike back, often at the wrong people.
DeleteI think the father and the son (I'm assuming) from page 174 that say they are from a small town but now reside in the city would benefit from this advice. He tells us that he absolutely hates his job, he has to stay indoors all day and package candy at a factory but as much as he hates his job he is terrified of losing his job, through literature he can live any life he wants through the characters perspective which may give him the happiness he longs for, reading could also give him the courage and hopefulness that he can find a new job that makes him happy.
ReplyDeleteGreat response--this is a very good one to highlight, since the reality is that most people feel trapped as adults. We have to shoulder the responsibilities of a job and a family and a mortgage, so it gets harder and harder to be spontaneous. But we can still stay intellectually alive through books, or at least see how other people live and solve their own adult problems. So this might show him a way out or a way to educate himself towards a new career.
DeleteI believe that this piece of information should be shared with the girl from Alexandria, Egypt on page 171. They both come from countries where women are not allowed to do as much as men. They as well are probably forced to marry a certain individual and cannot travel. As you can tell from both of the pictures, they are supposed to wear articles of clothing to cover their heads. I think them meeting and talking about literature and how it can show the world from different perspectives would be good for the lady from Egypt. She mentions how she loves people and languages, and how she wants to see every village and city. I think with her reading more, this will allow her to be who she wants and keep her focused on her dreams of traveling and meeting people.
ReplyDelete-Braden Schroeder
Yes, great response--the best way to see the possibilities of education, and how much more we have to learn, is through reading. We can't travel everywhere and meet everyone, but you can come close through books. So yes, I think it would inspire her to learn even more.
DeleteA man I believe would benefit from hearing what this woman has to say is the older gentleman from Brazil on page 225. This man simply says that he has detached himself from anyone that tells him what to do. In his photo he is seen smoking a cigarette and drinking beer. This man looks like he is generally happy, but only cares to do what he wants. This woman's advice could benefit this man by letting him be who he wants to be. She explains how in books she can be whoever she wants, and lives the lives of the characters in the book. The older man from Brazil is probably getting to the age where he is unable to do all of the things he used to, so getting into literature could open him up to a completely new way of doing and being who he wants. This woman from Iran who is in love with literature has a little bit more meaning than say someone from the United States. Her clothing in particular gives us the impression that her religion is very important to her. With this comes certain rules or expectations, so having books to allow her to be whoever she wants to be is very meaningful.
ReplyDeleteYes, this guy has obviously been hurt and decided that no one will ever touch him (or tell him what to do) again. But this is a self-defeating behavior, and one that will only further isolate him from happiness or fulfillment. So many people in this book found answers only by connecting with others, or allowing people in...and if we could read this book, he might be able to better understand why he adopted this limited philosophy.
DeleteThere is a man from India that just lost his wife and from a heart attack and uses his grandson to distract from the grief. I think this man would benefit from reading and could be a healthy coping mechanism for him. I know he does come out and say it but he hiding from his feeling and is not ready to face the loss just yet. I know that reading could slowly start the process of grieving and residing with-in his thoughts.
ReplyDeleteYes, great response--if nothing else, he could read how others have dealt with a similar loss. Or if he read this book, he would feel united with so many people who have suffered terrible losses but still find the strength to continue.
DeleteI say that the girl on page 118 from Paris, France could benefit from hearing this advice. Her story talks about how her mother hated her. "-That's when I realized nobody else could see what I was seeing. And it's been a very lonely existence since then." I feel as though the advice from the lady form Iran on page 254 specifically the part where she says "I only have one life to live. But in books I can live one thousand lives." this could really help her by showing that through book essentially you have an escape from reality, you do not have to live your present life while you are reading. She could find someone within the book to relate to, maybe she wouldn't feel as alone then because she has a connection with a character.
ReplyDeleteYes, this one was really painful to read, since she has always felt isolated from other people because of her inner world. And yet, what better way to cultivate that world than to read books, since so many people used their difference to fuel incredible works of fantasy and wonder. I think she might be the next great writer or philosopher, since she can see things the rest of us can't. And while that is isolating, it doesn't have to be unrewarding.
DeleteI think it matters that she is from Iran because the culture there is more controlled and conservative, especially for women. Looking at what she said, it sounds like she is finding peace and escapism in reading literature. Regardless of where someone is from though, I think they could benefit from reading books and seeing the perspectives and stories of others. One example that comes to my mind is the young man from London (240) who says he's having trouble focusing on the real world because he constantly worries that consciousness is an illusion and that his life will have no meaning. He is having a very different internal struggle than the woman from Iran, but I feel like reading literature, perhaps specifically the works of philosophers might help him find his own sense of peace with his 'one life' and allow him to move forward.
ReplyDeleteGreat response--and very good advice! Nice connection between these passages. Remember, though, to post by Monday's class, the post is always due on the day of your next class (at least by 5pm). I'll accept this one, but be careful!
DeleteI think this woman from Iran could help many people in "Humans," specifically some of the people who turned to drugs when things got rough, or the people who rebelled against what their society or religion considered normal. This woman is from Iran, you can see that she is wearing her wrap and is basically covered from head to toe. I think that other woman who find themselves in a society or religion like this could escape it by reading books, instead of making drastic decisions, they can live a thousand different lives as she says. I mean if they really think they need to make a drastic decision then by all means go for it, just make sure that it is really what you want to do, cause it may all be curiosity. There are some people who turn to drugs because they want an escape from their own lives, but instead of ruining their health and their actual lives they might find their escape through literature, without all of the risks.
ReplyDeleteYes, great response--drugs are an escape from a reality that seems intolerable, and yet, it simply makes the escape even more of a prison (which then requires its own escape). Reading and education is a much safer and more expansive way to do this, and yet it requires a lot more effort, which is why so many people reject it. However, I think a lot of addicts start to realize that the effort is worth it.
DeleteThere is a former Jewish college student on page 145. He decided he didn't like his religion and his college professors. He decided to become a nihilist and do as many drugs as possible. This guy needs as much advice as he can get. Hopefully he will hear her more meaningful struggles and it will put his into perspective. Comparatively the Jewish guy has had little to complain about. Also he may he may listen to her more considering he is trying to be so different from his parents and she has a Muslim point of view.
ReplyDeleteYes, great response--though at least he knows he screwed up, and in his effort to deny everything of authority he ended up screwing himself, too! But yes, he could have found a new philosophy simply by reading, since drugs only allowed him to reject anything except the drug itself, until (in his own words) he more or less worshipped the addiction. Not a very liberating philosophy!
DeleteDylan Crook
ReplyDeleteThere is a girl from Egypt who wants to travel to Sri Lanka to see thee people and experience live there but her father wont have because she says he is old fashioned so to speak. The way I see it is that even though she is stuck in Egypt and go on this trip she could take a note form the lady in the video and use books and reading as way to escape from reality.
Good response, but remember, these are due on Monday for your class to get credit. I'll let it go this time, but be careful! Always post on the same day as your class.
DeleteI think the woman from Paris, France on pages 406-410 could most benefit from this advice. Even though she may have lived to different lives because she became successful and then completely changed her life later, she didn’t have a life after she moved. She was stuck inside all day with no one to talk to so a book could have given her an escape or brought her some joy. The picture of the woman is significant because she said she only has one life to live, so she doesn’t want to hide. She is wearing beautiful vibrant colors even in a country where it could potentially be frowned upon to stand out. She could be helpful to many people who are afraid to be themselves because of there they live.
ReplyDelete