Symbolism allows people to communicate beyond the limits of language. Humans use symbolism all of the time. Words and letters themselves are mere symbols for something else. A symbol is a person, place, or object that stands for something beyond itself. National, religious, and cultural symbols have standard interpretations as well as a personal significance for each individual. For example, the American flag symbolizes the United States of America. The personal significance, however, varies. Therefore, the flag may mean one thing to a U.S. Army veteran and something very different to a child whose parents are about to be deported.
Above are two depictions of Lady Justice. Lady Justice is a representation of the Greek goddess, Themis. Many courthouses around the world display images of Lady Justice. These images are full of symbolism, 1. Without doing any research, explain what you think the following three features included in the images symbolize:
3. Again in your own words, define the word "justice." 4. Is there a difference between law and justice? Explain why or why not.
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In our next novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, identity and stereotypes are important themes. Identity is a combination of many things. It includes the labels others place on us, as well as ideas we have about who we want to be. Most people define themselves by using categories important to their culture. They include not only gender, age, and physical characteristics, but also ties to a particular religion, class, neighborhood, school, and nation. Consider if any of these characteristics are important to your identity. In the comments section, respond to the following questions using complete sentences:
You make hundreds of decisions each day. Some decisions are pretty inconsequential, like what to wear or what to eat for a snack. But some decisions have bigger consequences, like what high school to attend (or whether to raise your hand in literature class). Similarly, each of the main characters in the novels you are reading have made hundreds of decisions--some of them have been pretty inconsequential, while others have been life-changing.
1. Identify a decision that the main character in your novel has made and explain the consequences of that decision. How did the decision affect the course of their life? How might their life have been different if they had made a different choice? 2. Identify and discuss a decision that you have made that has changed the course of your life. How has your life have been affected by your decision? How might your life have been different if you had made a different decision? Your response should be a least two paragraphs in length. |
Reading ResponsesThis is a safe space where students can reflect and share their thoughts about what they have read. Responses are to be respectful, thoughtful, and well-written in complete sentences. Archives
May 2017
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