https://padlet.com/llawren8/asp Some things to think about as you read en-us 2017-11-29 03:00:39 UTC 2017-12-01 13:10:55 UTC hello@padlet.com llawren8 https://padlet.com/llawren8/asp/wish/211249094 The chaotic sport of Blitzball that Finny invents reminds me a lot of Calvinball from the strip Calvin and Hobbes. You can read some strips where they play Calvinball here. Think about Blitzball and sports in general in the novel. What does it say about Finny that he makes up his own game like this? What do the rules of the game indicate about his character? ]]> 2017-11-29 04:22:25 UTC https://padlet.com/llawren8/asp/wish/211249094 llawren8 https://padlet.com/llawren8/asp/wish/211249568 A lot of people have argued, with good reason, that Gene and Finny's relationship is codependent. That can be a very dangerous situation to find yourself in. Read this article, paying special attention to the checklist at the end. Do Gene and Finny check off the things on that list? Have you ever had a friendship that was unhealthy like that? Feel free to talk with your group about connections you are making if you feel comfortable doing so.]]> 2017-11-29 04:26:30 UTC https://padlet.com/llawren8/asp/wish/211249568 llawren8 https://padlet.com/llawren8/asp/wish/211249949 World War II is in the background of most of this novel, but still drives the plot in various ways. It is a good idea for us as readers, then, to have an idea what it was like to be a US civilian at that time. How did the war affect people at home? This link will show you some photographs of civilian documents like war bonds and ration cards. This link gives more of an overview on how the war affected daily life, especially for kids and families.]]> 2017-11-29 04:30:16 UTC https://padlet.com/llawren8/asp/wish/211249949 llawren8 https://padlet.com/llawren8/asp/wish/211252359 This is the opening scene from the 1972 film based on this novel. Compare and contrast it with the same scene in the book. What is different? What stays the same? Why did the movie director make the choices they did? Did this make you feel something different than reading the book did?]]> 2017-11-29 04:55:19 UTC https://padlet.com/llawren8/asp/wish/211252359 llawren8 https://padlet.com/llawren8/asp/wish/211253402 This is the tea party scene from the 2004 TV movie. Watch this and think about how it compares to the same scene in the book. Why is this scene important? What does it tell us about Finny? About Gene? ]]> 2017-11-29 05:05:55 UTC https://padlet.com/llawren8/asp/wish/211253402 llawren8 https://padlet.com/llawren8/asp/wish/211253665 Gene is highly motivated to get good grades at school, but is he motivated to learn? Are they the same thing? It seems to me that Gene is worried about "winning" at academics more than he is about learning anything. Read this article on the subject of grading. What do you think? Would you learn more if you didn't get grades? What does Gene's obsession with being top of the class tell us about his character?]]> 2017-11-29 05:08:40 UTC https://padlet.com/llawren8/asp/wish/211253665 llawren8 https://padlet.com/llawren8/asp/wish/211254973 One of the major problems I see in Finny and Gene's relationship is Gene's jealousy and envy towards Phineas for all kinds of things. Jealousy also played an important part in the last play you read. Reread the lines from Othello found here, and think about them in the context of this novel. Do you see any connections between the two? Do these lines apply to Gene as much as to Othello?]]> 2017-11-29 05:20:34 UTC https://padlet.com/llawren8/asp/wish/211254973 llawren8 https://padlet.com/llawren8/asp/wish/211255482 This might seem like a stretch, but when I was reading about Phineas' accident and how it would keep him from ever being drafted into WWII, my mind went to this scene from the first Captain America movie. As I thought about it, I started to see a few more connections between Finny and Steve. Watch the scene and see if you can find any as a group.]]> 2017-11-29 05:25:44 UTC https://padlet.com/llawren8/asp/wish/211255482 llawren8 https://padlet.com/llawren8/asp/wish/211255879 It seems pretty hard to argue that Finny is anything but popular at Devon School. He may not be the best in class, but he's clever, can talk his way out of anything, and a star athlete. Gene seems to spend a lot of time trying to decide whether he likes Finny or resents him for being better than him. Read this article on popularity in high school. Do you think that this is a fair description of Phineas? Does it help you understand Gene more? Have you ever felt toward someone like Gene does toward Phineas? Or are you more like Finny? Talk about it!]]> 2017-11-29 05:29:24 UTC https://padlet.com/llawren8/asp/wish/211255879 llawren8 https://padlet.com/llawren8/asp/wish/212235694 Some of you have been picking up on some clues that Gene and Finny might feel closer than just friends. However, looking at the book, we also see a good amount of homophobia from the time (think of Gene calling Finny a "fairy" for wearing a pink shirt.) This article is a little longer than the others, but it covers some of the history of LGBT experiences from the time of the novel up through recent times. Do you see any of the ideas here in the novel? Does it change how you understand the characters? (Warning: homophobic slurs)]]> 2017-12-01 13:06:06 UTC https://padlet.com/llawren8/asp/wish/212235694