Crystal Stairs

Langston Hughes, wrote "A Dream Deferred" from which the play A Raisin in the Sun gets its title also wrote "Mother to Son."  Read the poem below and explain how it connects to the play A Raisin in the Sun. (The deadline to post a response to this blog is midnight, Tuesday, December 18, 2012). 

MOTHER TO SON

Well, son, I’ll tell you:

Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

It’s had tacks in it,

And splinters,

And boards torn up,

And places with no carpet on the floor—

Bare.

But all the time

I’se been a-climbin’ on,

And reachin’ landin’s,

And turnin’ corners,

And sometimes goin’ in the dark

Where there ain’t been no light.

So boy, don’t you turn back.

Don’t you set down on the steps

’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.

Don’t you fall now—

For I’se still goin’, honey,

I’se still climbin’,

And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

The path worn by love and sacrifice...

Today, we read Eudora Welty's "A Worn Path," a story of love and sacrifice.  In it we witnessed Phoenix overcome many obstacles--thorny bushes, a log, a white hunter, a maze, a seemingly never ending staircase--to get someone she loved medicine.  In your life, I am sure you have witnessed others overcoming obstacles for their loved ones.  Briefly tell of someone (you should refrain from using that person's name--use instead Uncle T. or Grandmother) you have seen travel a worn path of sacrifice and how witnessing this affected you.  (The deadline to post a response to this blog is midnight Saturday, December 15, 2012)

Burning Bright

Although Ray Bradbury's work is often referred to as science fiction, Fahrenheit 451 has plenty to say about the world as it is, and not as it could be. Now that you have finished reading the book, select one of the following themes from the novel and briefly explain what the book teaches about this concept.

conformity vs. individuality        
freedom of speech and the consequences of losing it          
the importance of remembering and understanding history
machines as helpers or hindrances/enemies to mankind
the individual versus society
the importance of thinking independently

Also please answer the poll about the books in the column at the right. (The deadline to post a reply to this question is midnight, Tuesday, December 11, 2012. )

The Sieve and the Sand

In part two of Fahrenheit 451, Faber asserts that books are feared because they "show the pores in the face of life" and make people uncomfortable. What the world needs, according to Faber, is quality of information like that found in books, the leisure to analyze and understand it, and the right to act on that understanding. To what extent do you agree or disagree with Faber's statements? Do all books provide "quality" of information? Do all people take time to analyze and understand what they read? Have you ever read a book that made you want to "act" based upon your understanding of that book's message? Share with us that book and explain what it made you want to do. (The deadline to post a response to this blog question is midnight, Wednesday, December 5, 2012.)