The other day, we read
The Bear That Wasn't by Frank Tashlin. Please share with the class your thoughts about the story and/or the class discussion about it. Remember, you want to write at least a paragraph for full credit. You have 24 hours to complete the assignment. The time starts at the end of class. If you were absent on the day of the reading or film - your comment will be that you were absent. Mr. Gallagher
30 comments:
when we first started reading the bear that wasnt i was a little confused as to why we were reading a childrens book in this class. As the story went on i realized the story did have a good meaning behind it. That meaning was about identity and standing up for what you believe in. I then made the connection that the meaning of the book related to what this class is all about. I enjoyed reading this short story and i was surprized that a childrens book could relate to a high school course so well.
I feel that the title of the book represents how a lot of people act in high school. The title The Bear that wasn’t refers to the actual bear in the story beginning to think he was human because that is what everyone else told him. He wanted to fit in so he accepted the fact he was a human when that wasn’t his true identity at all. That is somewhat how kids in high school act. They let other kids tell them who they are and what they do just to fit in with the group. People do this because they don’t want to feel left out and feel as if they are an outcast. It is horrible to see that people will sell what they believe is right just to fit in, but no one wants to be the lonely one.
Discussing the short children's story "The Bear That Wasn't" sparked some interesting conversations in my groups chat. The two point of views in the story, being the bear and the workers, showed how people can be oblivious and will do anything to be a part of a group. The workers and even the bears in the zoo and carnival did not want to go against the common opinion that the bear was a worker. My group agreed that people naturally want to be a part of a group and going against the group's idea can isolate an individual. We thought that the morals from "The Bears That Wasn't" related well to many peoples every day life.
Discussing the short children's story "The Bear That Wasn't" sparked some interesting conversations in my groups chat. The two point of views in the story, being the bear and the workers, showed how people can be oblivious and will do anything to be a part of a group. The workers and even the bears in the zoo and carnival did not want to go against the common opinion that the bear was a worker. My group agreed that people naturally want to be a part of a group and going against the group's idea can isolate an individual. We thought that the morals from "The Bears That Wasn't" related well to many peoples every day life.
In class we read the children's book "The Bear That Wasn't". When I was younger I read this book and I saw no deeper than the bears journey. But now i realize it is very comparable to modern day life. When the bear didn't meet the peoples stereotypes he was rejected from the group and relocated based on their opinion of him. The bears situation didn't improve until he decided to follow his own compass and not comfort to the groups other placed him in. By creating his own definition for what a bear was he was able to survive in the wild.
After reading "The Bear That Wasn't," I was very surprised to learn that a children's book could have a much deeper meaning than just the plot on the surface. This book was all about being pressured to conform to the standards of society. After being told so many times that he wasn’t a bear, the bear began to question his own identity in order to fit in with the group of factory workers. Unfortunately, I believe our society is filled with conformists who only want to be like everyone else. Nobody wants to be characterized as different, and because of that, people choose to ignore their own uniqueness and originality in order to fit the status quo.
I believe that "The Bear That Wasn't" was perfect for this class. It follows the bear as he continuously has others tell him that he isn't what he says he is. As more and more people are voicing their opinions, the bear begins to lose sight of who he is. Even though it is a children's book, it has a deeper meaning. It shows why it is so important to remain true to yourself, regardless of what people may say to you.
From reading The Bear that Wasn’t, I learned about the self-identity and the values of being human beings. There are numerous factors that either make up or restrain the self-identity of individuals. Our religions and nationalities define who we are but others’ viewpoints and opinions about us also shape our behaviors and decisions. For instance, the bear was in the factory so all of the factory officials recognized the bear as a silly and lazy man who needs to shave and wears a fur coat. Thus, it’s getting harder for the bear to maintain his identity as a bear due to the fact that everyone else told him that he was a human rather than a bear. In order to fit into the whole group, the bear changed his mind. Unfortunately, I think the bear that was neither a bear nor a person because he lost his self-identity of being a bear and he was not actually a human. We, human beings do not want to be isolated by others so we attempt to risk everything to look the same as other people do. Self- identity is influenced by how individuals look and the ways they carry themselves. And the society around us affect how we behave and believe in ourselves. I am so glad to learn deeply about the self-identity and who am I as an individual.
As we read through the book we followed the bear and his journey. He was never accepted for who he was and was told that he wasn't a bear. This also happens to everyone else in high school. Although we might not be a bear we try to fit in with the a group. I really liked this book and never thought a kids book could have deeper meaning.
At first I was confused as to why we would be reading a children’s story in this class. But then soon realized that this story had a much deeper meaning. The story shows how society will do pretty much anything to fit into the group even if that means changing their identity. As the bear kept being told he was not a bear, he soon began to question his true identity. Also, the factory workers failed to listen to the bear and treated him like he was any other worker. This story shows how going against a group can leave you as an outcast. The message of this story its to always stay true to yourself and do not change for anyone.
If I had read the story as a child, I would have thought it was about a bear who just got lost. Reading it as an adult, the story seems to be about a bear who has lost his identity because he chose to believe societies image of who he was: a hairy man who wears a fur coat. After being told so many times that he wasn't a bear , the bear convinced himself that he was wrong about who he was, not everybody else. He chose to let society and the people he was with shape his identity. The bear was only happy when discovered who he was again: a bear.
At first when we started reading "The Bear That Wasn't" i was confused on why a picture book/childrens book. I could tell by just flipping through the pages it would be an easy read. As we started reading more and more i tried to figure out the logic around the whole thing. I think that it sends a strong message to many people about if you let someone or a group of people tell you something more then once they will eventually get into your head and make you believe something that isn't true. As a person you have the all the control in your hands to figure out who you want to be. Nobody else can decide who you are. I think thats an important message that a lot of people forget.
The Bear That Wasn't was definitely a surprisingly deep story for a children's book. The Story follows a bear who wakes up in a factory and is constantly told that he is a man when he knows he is not, eventually losing himself to other people's ideals. The story can relate to life in many situations. We all want to belong somewhere and normally we'll give up on who we are to fit in. Similar experiences to what the bear went through are felt by people in all stages of life, whether it be kids in high school or adults in the work place, and more often than not we find ourselves changing who we are to fit in.
At first glance, I thought The Bear that Wasn’t was just going to be a short book trying to deliver an easily understandable message to kids such as “Never give up on your dreams” or “Fight for what you believe in.” However, upon reading the book and discussing with the class about its true meaning, it became clear that it was about so much more. The Bear demonstrated his strong, personal will to be who he was despite everyone telling him otherwise. He maintained honesty throughout the entire book and never truly conceded to what the masses were telling him. Even though no one believed that he was actually a bear, he wouldn’t conform to their opinions. The message that this book delivers is definitely one that is important to live by. No matter what other people are saying, you know who you actually are and that is all that matters.
When “The Bear That Wasn’t” was passed out to the class, my first thought was why are we reading a children’s book? I knew that there had to be a reason, but it wasn’t until I realized what the story was truly about, did I recognize why we were reading it. Although it is a children’s book, I think everyone can learn and understand what the bear is going through. Everyone in their lives have been subjected to a group mentality that they maybe wouldn’t have taken on by themselves. I’m glad that the bear eventually realized his true identity as a bear in the end. Even though the book is for kids, it still makes sense to anyone who reads it.
When we first started reading this book. I was a little confused about why we are reading a kids book. Then when we started talking about the book a little more and I realized how it was connected to the course. It was when started talking about the group mentality that I realized that it was similar to the holocaust. I feel like reading this book was a great Segway into the course and the holocaust.
While reading "The Bear that wasn't", I immediately started to feel some connections to the Bear. Just as the Bear, one day, found himself in the middle of a factory - a completely strange place - we found ourselves dropped into high school. And just as the Bear gradually lost his identity from others having an influence on him, we as high schoolers changed ourselves. When I think back to who I was as a freshman, compared to who I am today, I can barely believe it. Of course, at the very core, I feel I am the same person, but in the general sense, the decisions I made as a freshman and the way I acted as a freshman are completely different from the actions and decisions I make today. I look around, and I feel the same way about most of my classmates. I look at my close friends who I have known for most of my life, and I question if how they act in high school is who they truly are, or if it is just a way to get through high school. Some days, I feel the latter is definitely true of me. Finally, just as the bear found himself back in the forest, I think we will find ourselves in University. In University, I think we will be free to make the decisions that reflect who we truly are, just as the Bear went back into the cave at the end of the story. I thought that this book was a great intro to the class, as it forced me to ask some questions about myself, something I know I will have to do a lot more of in the course.
I liked this book because I thought it was clever that it was presented as a children's book but was talking about a mature topic. Also I liked how it had a couple underlying meanings and when we did the group discussion in class all of them were presented and each group said something slightly different. I thought it was interesting how the author made even the other bears tell him he wasnt a bear too. Overall I thought the story was unique and I enjoyed the class discussion on it too
I thought the story taught a valuable lesson about identity. It is important to for everyone to remember who they are inside and what they stand for. To let others influence one’s beliefs and actions is unacceptable. As the bear showed, people can only survive if they understand who they are inside. If the bear did not remember that he was a bear, he would have forgotten to hibernate and he would have died. It is hard for a person to go up against a group, because the majority does not want to admit that they are wrong. The bear tried to tell everyone that he was a bear, but even the other bears did not believe him. It goes to show that whenever someone breaks the mold and ventures outside of the confines of society’s views, such as the bear being outside of a cage, society will doubt the person’s true identity and ability to succeed. A lot of the elements in the story translate to our personal lives. We have a lot of peer pressure and people like to tell us what we can or can’t be. It is our job to rise above this outside influence and chase whatever aspirations or dreams we may have. The class discussion was very productive, as it seemed as though everyone concurred with the lessons that should be taken away from the story. The theme of identity and self-belief appears to be one that will present itself often throughout the semester.
I think the idea of this story is to not be so judgemental when you don''t know what is happening in a situation. if the workers thought independently and thought to the possibility of them having built their factory on a cave, it would seem likely that the bear would be a bear. not a human. if they didn't categorize things by the way the wanted them, they would have been more open to the possibility of a bear actually being a bear. a bear could have easily wandered in the factory. by closing their mind to these possibilities, the workers denied and shut down the bears identity, and he wasn not allowed to act as he usually does. this ultimtately teaches us not to interfere with others. people have their own identities and traditions, and persecuting them is unfair. As we see at the end of the book, the bear ultimately determines that he is a bear, and when it comes down to it, he needs to be a bear to survive. this shows that trying to interfere with somones identity just causes strife and confusion.
I think that this book was a great reflection of how easy it is to have your opinion changed by someone who is charismatic and intelligent. What really stands out to me is that the two main things that caused the bear to change his mind was that the president of the company calmly explained to him how he was wrong, and that the other bears rejected him when he said he was one of them. The reason that the bears rejecting him had such an impact is because he felt that bears would be able to recognize each other. Therefore, because they didn't recognize him as a bear, he thought that it meant that he wasn't a bear like him. The main driving force behind this uncertainty was the president of the company. The reason for this was because the president didn't yell at him and say he was wrong like everyone else had. Instead, the president calmly and logically explained to him how it wasn't possible for him to be a bear, and then he used other bears to prove his argument. That is why i believe this story is a great example of how people can be manipulated through false logic and fake reason.
I thought that reading this book was very interesting. They way that it portrayed how easy it is for people to be influenced by others perceptions was very accurate. The idea that people all want to belong to a group is one that many people can relate to, and therefore I found the message of this story to be relatable. In particular, the part where the bear starts to believe that he is in fact not a bear really showed this message. In everyday life, many people strive to feel like they are a part of a gruop. This makes it so they will do nearly anything to become a part of that group, and may follow along with things that they know are not right, such as the bear did in this story.
I was absent on this day
I was unsure at first as to what the moral of the story was going to be, but by the end of the book I knew there was a deeper meaning to the words. The story was about being something that no one else sees you as, and being constantly told that you are not that thing. Even though deep down you know you are. While reading this, I couldn't stop thinking about how it could relate to being gay and being told you aren't because you don't do things a "normal" gay person would do. It could even relate to identifying as a gender that the world tells you you aren't, even though deep down you know what you identify as. The story also showed how its in human nature to want to belong, and that you'll give up part of who you are so that you can fit in. At the end of the story the bear goes back to what he's happy doing, hibernating for winter even though its a "bear" thing to do and he was told that he wasn't a bear. I enjoyed reading this story mainly because it reminds you that you don't have to be a certain way or fit people's expectations. Just be yourself and everything will work itself out in the end and you'll be happier than you would have been if you were to conform and be like everyone else.
in the begging i thought this story was a little childish. But then as we got further in depth i started to relize the meaning of the book.You should never let someone else change who you are. in the story the bear keept being told that he was just a man that needed a hair cut. but inside the bear knew he was a bear so he refused to belive that. by the end of the story the bear starts to belive that hes just a silly man that needed a hair cut because nobody thought he was a bear theirfore he lost his idendity as a bear. so the moral of the story is dont let peopel change you be yourself
After reading "The Bear That Wasn't" most of the groups came to the general consensus that an individual will do anything to fit in with the group. Although it had the format of a children's book, the story can applied to all walks of life. The repetition of the phrase, "you are just a silly man in a fur coat" represented society's strong influence on a person's identity. After the discussion, Mr. Gallagher related the story to the Holocaust and I realized that the bear embodies the character of all of the bystanders that lost their individual identity. The story shows that a group has the ability to instill ideas into a person's head. Through reading "The Bear That Wasn't" the strength of a group really became apparent to me as well as the inherent desire to belong.
The kids book "The Bear that Wasn't" lead to some interesting discussions in the groups we formed after reading it. We discussed the impact the humans had on the bear. We talked about how people will do whatever they can just to fit into a group. At the end of the discussion Mr. Gallagher tied this book and what we were saying about it back to the Holocaust. When he did this it gave me some insight into the minds of the German people back when Hitler was taking power.
The short story, "The Bear That Wasn't" talked about and discussed the struggle to hold a true identity. And as a group we all agreed that it is very difficult to stay true to yourself when everyone else around you is telling you something completely different. Especially, when it comes to joining some type of sorority or fraternity because everyone wants to feel like they are a part of something meaningful. And in some cases you have to substitute what you believe in for what the group believes in. And those who stay true to their beliefs and morals are strong people.
I read the Bearthat wasnt back in honnors civics at my old school frehman year. My opinion about the book is the samne it opens my eyes up to see hom much someone can change. it really relates to socity and how we conform to be who others want us to be, instead who we think we should be. Even though the book is at a 1st grade reading level, the moral of the book is so complex, not even adults understand the true meaning.Even though we all agreed with-in our groups while talking about the book, we didnt really think much about it besides just how the bear bealived he was not a bear, when in fact he was a bear the whole time. This book touches on the fact that too amny people change based on group mantality. I think it was a great way to start the class because it has such a deep meaning about socity and the holocaut in genral.
I was not present for this.
I was absent.
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