Allie Highsmith Scribe 10/23/14 E9H P3

Homework: Read and annotate LWG 18-19, 5 questions over 18-end (Higher level thinking questions/connections to Othello, LWG, LoF), Synthesis outline.

Make sure to fill out the Celebrate My Drive form on Smith's website!

Today, we fishbowled.
You can look at the CoverItLive for the Outer Circle Discussion.
Some main ideas and questions were...

• There is no good side in the war in Sierra Leone.  
• The "good side" is doing the same thing as the LRA.
• Ishmael's side has good ideas at first, but is lead astray.
• Partly because of power of a gun.  
• He went from running from men with guns to being one of them. 
• What does the loss of Ishmael's cassette tapes symbolize?
• It could represent the loss of his childhood.
• Somewhat replaced by guns and drugs. 
• War video games do/do not encourage war and fighting.
• See CoverItLive
• Many different opinions upon the subject. 
• The mentality of "It couldn't happen to me"
• Many people not only in the LWG but also in the Holocaust knew that the war was happening but did not think that it could possibly happen to them. 
• Desensitization with killing
• Ishmael tells his tale so factually.
• In order to deal with tragedies and telling them, must we detach ourselves from our emotions?
• Do we need to emotionally cut ourselves off in order to recount a tale of violence?
• Did doing so many drugs mask the emotions of Ishmael and his friends?  
• Only after he wasn't doing drugs anymore did the guilt and realization hit him that he had killed so many people. 
• Motivation for killing came from rage of the loss of his family.  
• Ishmael says things so bluntly. 
• From Pierce: It really bothered me that he writes so bluntly.  Really, it is a very big deal to be doing drugs and killing people.  H stalks about it as if he's going on a walk. 
• Symbolism of sky and moon
• Beah is trying to get across to the reader that at the time when he first noticed the moon, he was a child and full of hope. 
• From Griffin: "'In some way my journey was like that of the moon's' he talks about how the moon shines right through all the clouds that try to cover it." 
• From Tyla: "It is also detached from everything else.  It stands alone."
• Many children today are punished far more than kids 30 years ago.
• Smith talked about her childhood vs. ours. 
• Very different day and age.  
• Much more high stakes.  
• How does where you live and your environment affect who you are and who you will become?
• One must adapt.
• From Scott: Who Iago is around and where he is affects who he acts.  When he is around Othello, he is a caring friend.  When with Roderigo, he lets out his real personality. 
• Much of who you become comes from your parents.  When kids live with too many rules, they often "go off the deep end" when given freedom in high school. From Sam W: In LOF, it's not that there are no rules, it's that they are ignoring those that they have.  
• Cultural identity also affects who you become. 
• It's why Ishmael fought for his country.  

That's all.  

Have a great day!