Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education
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To Each Their Own
http://forum.gayleturner.net/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=4800
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Author:  Michael Robbins [ Wed Dec 03, 2008 1:21 pm ]
Post subject:  To Each Their Own

The Poisonwood Bible was a prime example of how the stories of different people, told in very different ways, mesh to create "the big picture," much the same as the Cain and Abel video we watched in class. Each member of the Price family recounted their personal experiences in the Congo in their very own unique way. In doing so, the reader was able to grasp the true defining characteristics of each member of the family and how their lives were ultimately affected by the mission. Travis asked a question in summing up the Cain and Abel video...something to the effect of "How do you construct what you believe unless you know what's out there?" Each member of the Price family was presented with very individualized life lessons in the Congo. These lessons, whether learned through exploration, hardship, or relationships constructed, upon their foundations, what each believed, valued, and searched for in life.

Author:  pamelabare [ Wed Dec 03, 2008 2:33 pm ]
Post subject:  hmmm....

All of the Price family except Nathan. I do think that Nathan was ignorant and callous towards his loved ones, but I bet Noah's wife thought that he was crazy and wasn't putting his family first. Is it really our desire of cultural dominance (that the book implied), or was Nathan simply trying to fulfill his duties as a Christian Missionary? In the Bible, (the holy one: I Corinthians11: 3) men are the head of the family. Not that they should ignore the woman or not consider her opinions and desires, but that ultimately the decisions of the family rest on his shoulders and he is accountable to God. I am not Pro-Nathan, but I did wonder about his perspective.

Do all parents make the correct decisions? Is one mistake worse than other mistakes? I didn't drag my daughter to the Congo, but I have yelled at her for no good reason. If I thought that going to the Congo would allow her to be a better person with greater rewards here on earth and a closer relationship with God, shouldn't I take her to the Congo. IDK.

Also, I am just not sure about this book. I didn't get the "deeper meaning" that I feel I should have received from a book this long that is a new york times bestseller. I feel disappointed that I finished without any awesome self-discovery. I didn't see any of the parallels that my classmates noticed until they pointed it out. Even then, it seems like I had to stretch my ideas to twist them around this novel-to make it fit into our topic for education. I guess I am just not getting the connection to educational foundations. Maybe I will have more understanding after our discussion tonight.

Author:  Callie Grubb [ Wed Dec 03, 2008 4:11 pm ]
Post subject: 

I loved this book. It was my favorite of the class and one of my favorite reads in general. I think a quote on page 532 helps to sum up the book...

Quote:
Misunderstanding is my cornerstone. It's everyone's, come to think of it. Illusions mistaken for truth are the pavement under our feet. They are what we call civilization.

Author:  sandra peterson [ Sun Dec 07, 2008 9:07 pm ]
Post subject: 

Pam, you gave me a lot to think about. It is so easy to see Nathan in a negative light. I wonder if we would have had been able to read a chapter from Nathan's viewpoint, what would he have said? Maybe he really did think of himself as providing the best for his family, through fullfilling the role that he felt like God was calling him too. Isn't is always easy to judge someone when we don't even know their full viewpoint?
I guess we have an objectivity viewpoint when it comes to Nathan, we recognize the facts, but are unwilling to consider that there may be more than one explanation for the story.

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