After the First is a parable - a story that has a moral or teaches a lesson. To figure out the moral of the film, ask yourself what lesson Steve's father wanted him to learn. What lesson did his mother want him to learn? How do you know her feelings? What did Steve actually learn? Then decide what the film taught you.
27 comments:
In "After the First" Steve's father wanted Steve to learn responsibility and move from the passage of childhood to manhood. His father believed he could show him this lesson the same way himself and his own father were taught as children, using hunting. His mother however, I believe believed Steve was still much to young for this lesson. She thought that the action of having him actually go hunting was much to complex for him to handle. Steve however didn't learn what his father was expecting out of the experience, instead the learnt that he doesn't have the same beliefs as his father. As for me, I learnt that it's much harder to go against you beliefs to someone you are constantly used to having to make them proud.
In "After thw Firth" Steve learned some valuable life lessons.His mother wanted him to learn to be responsible and to take control of his own decisions. He wanted him to make his own choices. Steve's father was showing him how to become independent.But Steve did learn a lot whit his father.
I acree whit joy.nduati. Steve's father wanted Steve to learn responsibility and move from the passage of childhood to manhood.
I think that Steve's father wanted to teach his son the "cycle of life" and how hunting can be a passage of childhood to manhood, such as accepting the "cycle of life". As for Steve's mother, I think she knew it was time for her son to take this passage but still wants to hold onto his innocence as a child. If she didn't want his father to take him, she wouldn't have let him.
Steve did not handle it well. I think he realized that he doesn't know much about the world and was frightened at the sight of the dead animal and actually killing one too.
We know the mother's feelings because she is extremely uneasy about letting her husband take out her son to hunt. But the fact that she let them go shows that there was at least an ounce of her gut that felt it was right. Every boy and girl has to grow up at some point and somtimes it's just hard to face it and allow it to happen than to hold onto innocence and denying their right of passage.
In "After the First", Steve goes hunting with his father. Steve's father wants him to be exposed to what he was exposed to as a child, so Steve's father brings his son to the same spot that he was taught how to use a firearm. His father also has his son shoot a rabbit. It is clear that Steve regrets this. His father said that he felt the same way after his first shot. This attitude reveals that he (Steve's father) thinks of hunting as a way of life and a natural action.
Steve's mother, on the other hand, was not enthousiastic about letting her son and husband go hunting. However, she did allow her son to go out with his father. I agree with Katie when she said that his mother saw this hunting trip as a right of passage for her son.
I learned that admitting to fear or doubts is hard when under pressure from someone you care about and in the end, you immediatey feel guilt if you now that you made the wrong choice; just as Steve did after he shot the rabbit.
Max Kruse:
In the film "After the first" Steve's father wanted to teach his son to learn the responsiblity of wielding a firearm as well as teach him the joys of hunting so that Steve would both begin his transition into manhood as well as become closer with his father. His father attempted to do so by taking his 12 year old son hunting. His mother believed that her son was too young to take on the responsibility involved in hunting, and also seemed to think her son too innocent to take a life. Initially, Steve seemed eager to please his father and was enthusiastic about shooting the gun. As soon as his father shot an actual rabbit, however, Steve's attitude towards hunting were drastically changed. Steve realised that he was uncomforatable with taking the life of an innocent rabbit and ultimately learned that it was better to voice his beliefs than to go against his morals to please his father.
MAX KRUSE:
I agree with Joy in the fact that it is very difficult for a child to go against someone's beliefs, especially if that person is a parent who they are eager to impress.
In "After the First" Steve's father believed that it was important for Steve to know how to use a gun. He has turned 12 so he feels he is mature and responsible enough to take on the challenge of firearms. His mother is less enthusiastic about it than Steve's father because she is worried for her son. Steve was very excited to learn how to hunt. After he witnesses his father shoot and kill the rabbit he is less enthusiastic about hunting. When his father gives him the chance to shoot the rabbit he hesitates and does it anyway. This taught Steve that death/war isn't as exciting and as good as he had hoped for. This taught me that you don't have to do something just because someone wants you to, even if they are your parents. If your uncomfortable doing something just say so.
I agree with Lyndsay when she says that under pressure its a lot harder to make decision, especially one in front of your parents. Also i agree that you will feel guilt after doing something someone else wanted you to do and you didn't want to do it. Sometimes you have to make choices in life that will satisfy you rather than another person. Especially situations that don't benefit the person telling you to do so in any way.
In After the First, Steve's father wants him to learn to be responsible. He tries to teach him that through hunting, and learning how to weild a fire arm safely. His mother also thought that it was time for him to become more responsible, however she beleives in the preservation of life, so she disliked the idea of hunting. You know her feelings through her arguments with Steve's dad and her body language. I think Steve actually learned to stand up for what he believed in. He was all excited at the beginning of the story to hunt,but there is a point in the story where he doesn't want to hunt any more. He is pressured into it by his father. I think the dead rabbit showed him the results of giving into pressure. I learned from the film that it is hard to go against peer pressure and stand up for what you believe in, however there are serious consequences to just following peer pressure.
I agree with Katie, that there was a passage from childhood to manhood in this story. This whole story helped Steve grow up, seeing death for the first time, even just a rabbit while hunting changed him and made him more mature. He will probably think about his decisions more after seeing the consequences of bowing to pressure.
In "After the First," Steve's father so desperately forces hunting upon his son in order to teach him to be more of a man and let him experience the hunting life that he loves. However, his mother is skeptical of having his husband take his son out hunting. she expresses her feelings by explaining her fears to her husband in the kitchen. When Steve pulled the trigger and shot the rabbit, rather than feeling excitement and pride, he was overwhelmed with a fear and guilt. Therefore, he should've gone with his gut feeling and simply said no to shooting the rabbit. However, this is hard at times because it would mean he's going against the beliefs of his father and disappointing him which may be hard. This film taught me that it is important to first do what is best for you even if that means going against the crowd. I agree with what Eric said and that after he saw his father shoot the rabbit, he instantly became less enthusiastic and realized that war and guns are not what he originally thought.
Steve's father wanted Steve to learn how to shoot a firearm and hunt, which teach the lesson of responsibility - both for being in possesion of the firearm and for taking an animal's life. Steve's mother also wanted him to learn this lesson, but thought it could come from a different medium or perhaps when Steve was a little older. Her views are expressed in the scene in the kitchen. The lesson that Steve actually learned was that he didn't like hunting and taking an animals life. Even though Steve wasn't ready for that responsibility, he went through with shooting the rabbit because his father wanted him to do it. What I learned from the film comes from that: you don't have to do something just because a person you respect and look up to wants you to do it.
I agree with what Chris said about peer pressure and how it's difficult to go against it. However, I think that it's easier said than done when it comes to going against peer pressure.
In the film "After the First" Steve's father wanted him to learn repsonsibility through teaching him how to hunt. Steve's mother, however, wanted her 12 year old son to learn that lesson, but through a different medium. I also believe that she wanted to hold on to his innocence. From this film i learned that it is much harder to stand up for what you believe in and go against a group than it is to just give in to the opposing beliefs. Steve learned this lesson himself as he decided whether or not to shoot the rabbit. The moral delhemma he faced was greater than any 12 year old should have to confront.
Marisa Gaspar
In "After The First" I think that Steve was pressured to assure the coming of his "manhood" by learning to use a riffle and to go hunting with his dad. In my country that's a custom also, both for boys and girls. It's actually an important day because it symbolizes that you are becoming less dependent of you parents and that you're growing in a good way, you'll be able to handle and defend yourself. The rabbit, for me, it's just a demonstration as if you'd have to defend yourself or your own agaisnt something, that you would have been able to do it. Steve's mother doesn't think he is ready for such a thing, that's what she says in the kitchen, basically. Steve did prove his "manhood" or the fact that he is growing up, but he didn't accept it the way his father probably did considering the difference in generations.
I approve his actions because it is our "duty" as good sons and daughters to make ourselves and our parents proud. As Steve's father said, the first one is the hardest.
Marisa said...
I agree with Joy, just like I said in mine, Steve has to learn the responsibility of becoming a grown man and the ending of his childhood.
in after the first, steve learned some lessons that i felt are valuable to learn. such as knowing that killing things that live life is a sad thing to do.
steve did not want to dissapoint his father and wanted him to be happy that he was growing up to be a man, but sadly he didnt like the prices that hjad top be paiud. he didnt want to kill a living breathing animal to just become a man, he wanted to let it live. you could see it in his eyes when he was aiming for the rabbit he reallty did not want to go through with it but i feel like his fathers acceptance was more important
I agree with Joy as well because it is very hard not to want to make your father proud of you.
In the short film " After the First", Steve and his father venture off on a hunting trip. In the beginning we are shown that Steve's mother is very reluctant to allow this to happen because she doesn't want her son to see death, to witness killing or as we later see become "used to" killing innocent animals. Steve's fathers objectives for the trip in my opinion were to show him the responsibility of wielding a fire arm, passing down the tradition, and the cycle of life, but of the three above lessons, he only learns how to wield the weapon properly. At the end of the film he had decided to make his father proud through killing the rabbit, yet he has gone against the correct/ ethical decision making.
At first, i could not comprehend what the movie's point was. when the kid saw his dad shoot the rabbit it became apearent that he was only hunting to make his dad happy and proud. He obviously is too young and/or hates hurting animals just for the sake of having a hobby. When the boy acually shot the rabbit was an example of how hard it is to stand up for yourself.
i think that this film had a deeper meaning then just the little boy not liking hunting i think that it showed how values are instilled when you are only little and they come from your parents . even though the little boy ddnt enjoy hunting the father will most likley take him back again because thats what his father did to him . i agree with joy this just shows how hard it is to stand up against someone you respect even if u think what they are doing is wrong
Nimish Sahani
i think by watching "After the First" i learned how you cannot change anyone habbit. by making what you are best. i think everyone has there pros and cons and hunting was not his thing. i think i agree with joy that u cannot be perfect if u dont desire too.
If Steven didn't shoot the rabbit and instead missed on purpose, i think he could have felt better about himself afterward and still not make his father angry.
that is a silly post dave, steven didnt feel bad untill after the rabbit was dead, and than he would have continued hunting untill he shot something. it is a good life lesson to learn.
I think Steve's father wanted him to go hunting with him to make him more resposible and as kind of a right of passage but Steve didn't really want to because he felt like it was wrong to kill an animal but he was pressured by his dad and wanted to impress him. I think the moral is that when people pressure you into doing something you don't want to do, even if they have good intentions, it's usually something you'll end up regretting. I agree with Erin that he felt like killing the rabbit was wrong even before he did it but he put his dad's opinion before his own and then ended up regretting it and feeling guilty. I also agree with Lyndsey that he should have just admitted his fear to his dad and told him we wasn't ready.
thats silly dave. clearly if he hadnt shot the rabbit he would have had to keep hunting untill he hit something. also, he didnt feel bad untill after he shot the rabbit so he would have no reason before hand to purposely miss
This movie is based on teaching a lesson. Steve’s father decided to teach his son how to use a gun. When Steve turns 12 his mother disagrees with his father taking him hunting but still his father says he feels he is mature enough and old enough. At first Steve is excited to go, but a lot changes during this little hunting trip. At first when Steve is told to shoot a rabbit he hesitates and thinks about it, but still shoots the rabbit in the end. This teaches Steve the lesson that shooting and killing isn’t as exciting as he wished for. I do agree with Jesse that Steve had to go against his own believes by killing that rabbit only because his dad told him to. This movie just showed me even more that it is important to make your own decisions and do most importantly, do what you believe is the right thing.
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