Words and Meanings

Word Game

Write down a sentence that puts the word pairs into a relationship and expresses the value they have in the context of the other:

Example: 

dog – house

“The dog house makes life for the outside dog much more pleasant (because he has a place to stay out of the cold and rain).”

Apple

“I want to eat an apple for lunch.”

“I like Granny Smith apples in my pie.”

“Apple just won a lawsuit against Samsung.” 

“The wind broke all of the apple's branches.” 

“I hate the Big Apple.”

“Jason is a bad apple.” 

Other meanings?

Understanding what I mean when I say 'beach'.

Writing Forms

Now sometimes, a word is all that is needed to explain a thought. 

("I intend to speak generally.") 

Sometimes a sentence is all that is needed to explain a thought. 

("I intend to be somewhat specific.") 

Sometimes a paragraph is needed. 

("I intend to clarify my definition of a word, e.g., legal briefs.")

Sometimes an essay is written to communicate the thought.

("It is important that you understand a number of factors that play into my understanding of a concept.")

Sometimes a person wants to be very clear about what they mean, and they want to communicate their thoughts very distinctly; they write an extended essay or a book. 

("I want to be very clear about what I am saying. I don't to offend you. I want to make it very clear what I mean. I want to use a number of terms that may be understood differently by other individuals; so, let me state what they mean to me and then show what they mean when I combine these given meanings together.")

Research Prompt 1

In what ways is the text A Small Place an example of this kind of thinking? 

Find ten instances where the text uses the word 'tourist'. Put these instances in a list. At the end of the list draw a conclusion about what tourist means for the narrator.

Find ten instances where the text uses the word 'library'. Put these instances in a list. At the end of the list, write a few lines hypothesizing what you think the narrator means when she uses the term.

Email the final document to the instructor before next Thursday's class.

Platonic Language

Of Table, Caves, and Philosophers

1. Plato and Socrates (including the 'footnote' quote)

2. Plato's Allegory of the Cave

3. The role of the philosopher (including in his political writing The Republic)

4. Ideal Forms (e.g., a table)

5. Ideal Forms and religion

6. Problems with Platonic cosmology

Research Prompt 2

In this text, the narrator employs the second person in her language. Find one sentence about every six pages where the narrator employs the second person in the text. Place these sentences in a list. Write out a hypothesis regarding the use of second person address. Why does the narrator appear to be addressing the reader? Email the final document to the instructor before next Thursday's class.

Western Civilization
Favorite television show or movie//Definition of success


Modernity
The French Revolution
The Enlightenment
Rational Thought
Industrial Systems
Individualism
Imperialism (British Empire)

Different kinds of dialog

Others

Literature

Practices in imagining the suffering of others

The value of everyday lived experience versus policy and theory

Community relationships