Workshop; Chp. 6-7 Discussion; Personal Identity

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Period 1 (until 8:00): Please return to your workshops. Continue commenting and critiquing your peers in your workshop groups. When you are finished commenting, please do 1 of 3 things:
  • Revise and develop any of your reviewed pieces for your portfolio.
  • Read your "homework" (chp. 1-7 of the Namesake), and the essay "How to Tame a Wild Tongue" by Gloria Anzaldua (if you did not already do so as homework!); we will be discussing these things at 8:00 today.
Discussion:
  • "How to Tame a Wild Tongue"
  • Chapter 6, The Namesake: 
    • Compare Gogol's relationship with Ruth and Maxine; compare Gerald & Lydia as characters. How do these scenes compare/contrast with his parent's relationship?
  • Chapter 7, The Namesake: 
    • Discuss Gogol's relationship with his father; writing prompts...
A smattering of philosophy: Personal Identity: Crash Course #19

Questions to ponder in writing/response:
  • Who are you? How do you know this?
  • Do you believe you have obligations to be "who you are" to particular people in your life? Is your identity consistent with, say your parents, or your friends, or does this change? If it does change, how/why or under what parameters? 
  • What links do you make with or what memories do you share with your earlier self? 
  • Which camp of philosophy do you fall into: the body theory (personal identity persists over time because you belong in the same body) or the memory theory (personal identity persists over time through connected memories)
The Prisoner of Benda, Futurama, season 7, ep. 10

Body swapping tropes are common in film, media, and science fiction. Usually, this is done through some magical or mystical process or scientific contraption or procedure. Switching gender, race, opposite personality types, age, or even species is a common plot device. Here are just a few clips/previews of some such in film:
Ideas for stories/film scripts:
  • Use the transformation archetype (see handout) plot in one of your stories.
  • Two characters swap personalities/identities 
HOMEWORK: The Namesake: Chp. 8-9; Write a draft on something we discussed today. 

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