NLMG Chapters 6-7 Question

 Why does Madame cry about Kathy dancing? Why does her disgust for the students seem to vanish when she sees this? Do we see other examples of people momentarily showing a different face to the students, and if so, in what situations does this happen?

Why creativity?

Ok, so the kids can't have children and their only purpose is to donate their organs. Why are the kids then given these amazing teachers with lessons in things like creativity? If they were focusing on only organs, then it'd be an all-intensive health camp that lasts their entire lifetime. Is this done out of sympathy or humanity?

Discussion Question Johansen

Why are the children at Hailsham so special? Why are they the only people chosen out of all of the "normal" people?

"None of you will go to America, none of you will be film stars. And none of you will be working in supermarkets as I heard some of you planning the other day. Your lives are set out for you. You'll become adults, then before you're old, before you're even middle-aged, you'll start to donate your vital organs. That's what each of you was created to do. You're not like the actors you watch on your videos, you're not even like me. You were brought into this world for a purpose, and your futures, all of them, have been decided. So you're not to talk that way any more. You'll be leaving Hailsham before long, and it's not so far off, the day you'll be preparing for your first donations. You need to remember that. If you're to have decent lives, you have to know who you are and what lies ahead of you, every one of you.” Miss Lucy is quite different from other guardians, why does she tell the truth to the students? What does this say about Miss Lucy's characteristics? 

NLMG Discussion Question 6-7

 What is the symbolism of the guardians? What is their purpose?

Question for 6-7

In chapter 6 Kathy says, "I don't know how it was where you were, but at Hailsham the guardians were really strict about smoking. I'm sure they'd have preferred it if we never found out smoking even existed; but since this wasn't possible, they made sure to give us some sort of lecture each time any reference to cigarettes came along"(67). Why do you think the guardians are so against cigarettes? Do you think it is only because of health reasons, or are their other reasons?

Discussion Question (Benjamin)

Why do we—as normal humans—value free will?  Why is it needed to live a "fulfilled" life? Does predetermination, in a sense, make individuals the slaves of the machine of life? Does "free will" even exist?  Or are we programmed to believe certain things about the world without questioning them as the students of Hailsham evidently are?

NLMG: Isa's question for Ch. 6-7

On Page 68, the students are horrified when Marge asks Miss Lucy if she had ever smoked.  If creativity is praised so much at Hailsham, why do the students make it seem like such a big deal when a curious student asks a guardian a question that no one else has the strength to say?

NLMG Chapter 6-7 Question - Rabih

Rabih Chughtai
Why are some people at Hailsham such as Tommy rather oblivious and unaware of their surroundings while Kathy is always asking questions whether they are about Tommy talking to Miss Lucy or Ruth's pencil case?

NLMG chapter 6-7 discussion question

Erin Bowen

Ms. Scieffelin

English 4 H

26 October 2016

Why do students interpret the comment someone made about the ability to commit suicide whenever desired at prison camps as "pretty funny", this being a serious topic?

Claudia's Discussion Question:
Why is it that whenever Kathy and Tommy or Ruth talk about Hailsham after they left it, Kathy always says "I'm pretty certain he was wrong." (pg. 66) For example, when Kathy and Tommy are discussing the idea of Norfolk and what they thought about it as a kid, Tommy thinks it was always a joke. However, Kathy says he is wrong, and that she remembers it correctly. This sort of thing happened earlier in the book on pg. 49 as well, when Ruth and Kathy are talking about the secret guard. What is the significance of her certainty that her memories are more reliable than her friends' memories?

NLMG Chapters 6-7 Discussion Question

What is the significance of the Hailsham students not being able to bear children and of Kathy's limited understanding or acceptance of that?

NLMG Chapters 6 - 7 Discussion Question

Does North, South and East have a bigger significance than just location? (Kathy talks about the North and South parts of England how how the East coast side is just forgotten... and at Hailsham the playing fields are only talked about as being North and South Playing Fields)

NLMG Chapters 6 - 7 Discussion Question

Ali's Question:

What does Kathy's interpretation of the lyrics of her prized tape as being about a mother and child show about her internal desires and unconscious thoughts?

Bananafish Revolution

If you're at all interested, here's the video for "Bananafish Revolution" by Samantha Crain:

 

“Bananafish Revolution”

(Samantha Crain and the Midnight Shivers)

You, in all your youth, you understand me

Them, in all themselves, they think I'm crazy

All this yellow I am seeing

Overloading, stop my breathing

Its a perfect day for dying

Its a perfect day for them to start crying

I'm not a child and I don't like reminding myself

All the time

The trees were my audience applauding

That chair, I swear, it was a cat for my company

That piano, it's the angels calling me home

Its a perfect day for dying

Its a perfect day for them to start crying

I'm not a child and I don't like reminding myself

All the time

She'll be alright like she always says

She'll go buy herself a brand new dress

Its a perfect day for dying

Its a perfect day for them to start crying

I'm not a child and I don't like reminding myself

All the time

Seeing Salinger in The Little Prince

As I watch this movie over and over again with my kids, I can't help thinking about the connections to the main themes we've been discussing in Salinger's stories (the difficult process of growing up, the longing for innocence, the ability to escape and connect through storytelling, strong bonds between random adults and young children, the cyclical nature of life and the idea that death isn't an end). If you haven't seen this movie, watch it on Netflix!

Radiolab podcast about colors...

Here's the Radiolab episode about colors that I mentioned very briefly in our discussion today of "Teddy." It's a fascinating listen--if you're riding home and just don't want to talk to your parents about your day, or even if you just want a podcast to escape into for a little while.