This Blog is a resource tool for the students taking the "FACING HISTORY AND OURSELVES" elective at Westborough High School, Westborough, Massachusetts.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
The Bear That Wasn't - PERIOD 5
Today you read The Bear That Wasn't by Frank Tashlin. Please share with the class your thoughts about the story and be sure to post at least one comment on another classmate's reflective post.
After reading "The Bear That Wasn't" I believe it is easy to tell that this book focuses on identity loss. Both in the book and in real life it is apparent that when we are faced with a world of people who are trying to make us into what they want us to be, it is easy to loose sight of what we want for ourselves. Similarly to how the bear forgot who he really was, we can forget who we are and what we stand for when we are surrounded by people that are trying to box us into what is expectable, or likeable.
I have to agree with Kelly when she says that it's really hard sometimes to focus on who we are, not who the world wants us to be. "The Bear That Wasn't" really portrays how easy it is to make a person believe something that's wrong, espeically when authority figures are invovled. It also shows that authority figures should not be followed blindly, because they too can be wrong.
Haha i agree with both of you the reason why it was so hard for the bear to discern who he was was because of the sheer amount of people/bears who kept insisting that he was a silly man who needed a shave and wore a fur coat. When it seems that everyone says you are a certain way it is easy to lose your sense of self and simply fall into that role. But to play devils advocate i have to bring up this question: If the whole world says that something is one way then at what point does the definition of that thing change? since definitions are a result of human interpretation then if everyone in the world agreed that the color of the sky is green not blue then wouldn't the definition of that color change? haha just something to think about
I think that when you are faced in a situation with so much peer pressure it is quite hard to think about the right thing to do, or think about what you as an individual would do in that situation. Because when someone goes against the crowd they are most likely going to be met with ridicule and be cut off from the "in" crowd.
I agree with Alison when she says "It shows that authority figures should not be followed blindly, because they too can be wrong." Just because all of the vice presidents don't recognize his identity doesn't mean that anyone else can't. People should make their own judgments on the identities of others.
I agree with Kelly. The focus on "The Bear That Wasn't" is about losing your identity when surrounded by others. People easily forgot who they are when put into dilemas where they feel uncomftorable and are told differently. After a certain point they give in and start to believe what they never have just to "fit in" and avoid criticism.
I agree with Kelly when she says that the story has to do with the loss of identity. That is the main factor in this story. Throught the story the bear doesnt realize who he is exactly. In scociety as a whole it is hard for some people to find their true inner self. This is due to the fact that peer pressure can hold you back from that. This is what the bear was faced with.
I agree with Kelly when she says the bear's problem was "identity loss". The bear knew deep down inside that he was a bear. However everyone was telling him that he was not and he realized how hard it was to go against a group. The bear gave up and decided to work in the shop for years. The bear was too concerned what others thought instead of just being himself.
I agree with everyone when they say that " The Bear That Wasn't is about the loss of identity of the bear because of the society that encompasses him. The bear is put into a society that convinces himto forget to about who he really is. I agree with what Alison said about the authority figures are not necessarily right just because they have more power over the bear. Society today is represented by "The Bear That Wasn't. Often times people choose to leave their "natural habitat" and become molded into what society wants them to be like. It is especially har for the bear to believe in himself as the book progressed. Each person kept on telling him he wasn't a bear and that he just needed to change to fit into their society.
I agree with Kelly and Mel for the reason that "The Bear That Wasn't" is in fact about identity loss. People with power make those without power whatever they need them to be. So in this story, the president's, foreman, and manager all needed him to be a worker so they could get more work done. They didn't care if he was or wasn't a bear, they would make him what they needed him to be. Also, it's really interesting how the people with power listen to those who have power and not necessarily those who are more trustworthy, which is very much true in our society as well.
I agree with Kelly specifically when she said that like the bear we can forget who we are and what we stand for when when surrounded by people that try to make us fit into what others feel is expected. Like we talked about in class, we as humans have a need to be accepted and loved by society. Even though the bear knows that it is in fact a bear, when winter comes he tries to conform to how a human would typically behave. However, in the end when he is all alone he realizes his true identity once again.
I think this story is a true representation of our society. People are constantly pressured into to being someone they don't want to be just to fit in. In the case of the "Bear That Wasn't" he was being told he wasn't a bear. So, instead of trying really hard to prove he was a bear he just came to terms with the fact that everyone was saying he was a man. He gave up because he realized that when society decides one thing it is extremely difficult to try and prove the opposite. I think it is kind of sickening that society can have such a negative influence on the individual.
I agree with Emma when she says that people are pressured into being someone they don’t want to be to fit into society. After the bear was pressured by everyone telling him that he wasn’t a bear he gave in. he didn’t realize that he lost who he really was until he was by himself again in the wood freezing in the bare winter. i think the story represents the struggle that many people go though in life. However I think the difference between the bear and people in real life is that sometimes people don’t realize that they lost them selves like the bear did.
I agree with Alison when she said "authority figures should not be followed blindly, because they to can be wrong." Society should make there own opinions and judgements on the bear and take what the vice presidents have to say into consideration.
I agree with Emma and everyone else who posted, the bear has so much conflict in trying to show people who he was, so when he was told over and over by people of growing power (worker, 3rd vice president, 2nd vice ect.) He eventually believed them. Though when he did he was stuck cold in the middle of winter because he thought that he did not hibernate but he was unsure of what to do. I think this happens on a daily basis in our society, everyday people are pressured to be what they aren't.
Emma is completely right when she says that the book is a true representation of our society. We focus so much on fitting in, that we loose our true identity. In the book "The Bear that Wasn't," the Bear eventualy stated believing he wasn't a bear and was just a silly man who needed to shave and wears a fur coat. Just like the bear we also stop believing what we know is right and start believing what everyone thinks is right.
I felt as though this book was based on someone who loses their identity because they allow socitey and higher archy people to control them and their thoughts. I agree with alison in that "it is easy to allow people to control how you act and what you do." Some people want something bad enough and will do anything to become part of a group and will believe and do anything the group wants. Sometimes however, it is more important to listen to how you truely feel and what is right not what the group chosses.
I agree with Emma, this story was a reflection of our society today. In our society we have people telling us we are too fat and need to get exercise, but what we really need to do is look at ourselves and determine for ourselves if we need to change. We can't let others decide the path we take. If we allow others to decide what we are for us then we are no longer free, we are bound by the views of others. Break free of those restraints and we can be whatever we want to be.
"The Bear that Wasn't" really showed the reader how easily identity can be opinionated or judged. So many people in this world forget what they want for themselves and focus on what other people think. Identity should be unique and different from everyone. I like how Allison said "..authority figuires should not be followed blindly, because they too can be wrong." That is very true. -Eric Thomas
I agree with Kelly. I also think the bear knew who he really was he was just sucked in by the presidents thinking he was a silly man. This made the bear not able to stand up for himself. The bear didn't entirely forget who he was. -Danielle Allen
I agree with Kelly in the fact that the story, "The Bear That Wasn't" focuses alot on identity loss. Society, the media and authority figures have such a huge influence on everyone that when somebody doesn't seem to blend in, this 'error' is immediately corrected in the way that the person is told to look or act differently. It's sad that this world has become such a place that you either are or aren't. There often doesn't seem to be room for those who fall somewhere in the middle. But truth be told we are all very different, we just change because of our world and its constant demands.
I agree with Kelly when she says that in real life people try to make us into something they want us to be instead of being our own true person. Just like "The Bear That Wasn't" we can have people tell us that we should be one way but, we know deep down inside that we are something else.For an example, some people don't want to be judged so they try to follow what other people believe is correct so they are liked.
I agrre with kelly this bears identity was lost. It wasnt acting like a regular and for that case humans thought he was one of them. The moral of this story is that it is hard to survive out side of your original group
I agree with Kelly when she said that it is easy to lose sight of who we really are when faced with the ideals of others. "The Bear That Wasn't" is just an example of how important personal identity is to an individual and how easy it is to convince someone that they are something else.
27 comments:
After reading "The Bear That Wasn't" I believe it is easy to tell that this book focuses on identity loss. Both in the book and in real life it is apparent that when we are faced with a world of people who are trying to make us into what they want us to be, it is easy to loose sight of what we want for ourselves. Similarly to how the bear forgot who he really was, we can forget who we are and what we stand for when we are surrounded by people that are trying to box us into what is expectable, or likeable.
I have to agree with Kelly when she says that it's really hard sometimes to focus on who we are, not who the world wants us to be. "The Bear That Wasn't" really portrays how easy it is to make a person believe something that's wrong, espeically when authority figures are invovled. It also shows that authority figures should not be followed blindly, because they too can be wrong.
Haha i agree with both of you the reason why it was so hard for the bear to discern who he was was because of the sheer amount of people/bears who kept insisting that he was a silly man who needed a shave and wore a fur coat. When it seems that everyone says you are a certain way it is easy to lose your sense of self and simply fall into that role. But to play devils advocate i have to bring up this question: If the whole world says that something is one way then at what point does the definition of that thing change? since definitions are a result of human interpretation then if everyone in the world agreed that the color of the sky is green not blue then wouldn't the definition of that color change? haha just something to think about
I think that when you are faced in a situation with so much peer pressure it is quite hard to think about the right thing to do, or think about what you as an individual would do in that situation. Because when someone goes against the crowd they are most likely going to be met with ridicule and be cut off from the "in" crowd.
I agree with Alison when she says "It shows that authority figures should not be followed blindly, because they too can be wrong." Just because all of the vice presidents don't recognize his identity doesn't mean that anyone else can't. People should make their own judgments on the identities of others.
I agree with Kelly. The focus on "The Bear That Wasn't" is about losing your identity when surrounded by others. People easily forgot who they are when put into dilemas where they feel uncomftorable and are told differently. After a certain point they give in and start to believe what they never have just to "fit in" and avoid criticism.
I agree with Kelly when she says that the story has to do with the loss of identity. That is the main factor in this story. Throught the story the bear doesnt realize who he is exactly. In scociety as a whole it is hard for some people to find their true inner self. This is due to the fact that peer pressure can hold you back from that. This is what the bear was faced with.
I agree with Kelly when she says the bear's problem was "identity loss". The bear knew deep down inside that he was a bear. However everyone was telling him that he was not and he realized how hard it was to go against a group. The bear gave up and decided to work in the shop for years. The bear was too concerned what others thought instead of just being himself.
I agree with everyone when they say that " The Bear That Wasn't is about the loss of identity of the bear because of the society that encompasses him. The bear is put into a society that convinces himto forget to about who he really is. I agree with what Alison said about the authority figures are not necessarily right just because they have more power over the bear. Society today is represented by "The Bear That Wasn't. Often times people choose to leave their "natural habitat" and become molded into what society wants them to be like. It is especially har for the bear to believe in himself as the book progressed. Each person kept on telling him he wasn't a bear and that he just needed to change to fit into their society.
I agree with Kelly and Mel for the reason that "The Bear That Wasn't" is in fact about identity loss. People with power make those without power whatever they need them to be. So in this story, the president's, foreman, and manager all needed him to be a worker so they could get more work done. They didn't care if he was or wasn't a bear, they would make him what they needed him to be. Also, it's really interesting how the people with power listen to those who have power and not necessarily those who are more trustworthy, which is very much true in our society as well.
I agree with Kelly specifically when she said that like the bear we can forget who we are and what we stand for when when surrounded by people that try to make us fit into what others feel is expected. Like we talked about in class, we as humans have a need to be accepted and loved by society. Even though the bear knows that it is in fact a bear, when winter comes he tries to conform to how a human would typically behave. However, in the end when he is all alone he realizes his true identity once again.
I think this story is a true representation of our society. People are constantly pressured into to being someone they don't want to be just to fit in. In the case of the "Bear That Wasn't" he was being told he wasn't a bear. So, instead of trying really hard to prove he was a bear he just came to terms with the fact that everyone was saying he was a man. He gave up because he realized that when society decides one thing it is extremely difficult to try and prove the opposite. I think it is kind of sickening that society can have such a negative influence on the individual.
I agree with Emma when she says that people are pressured into being someone they don’t want to be to fit into society. After the bear was pressured by everyone telling him that he wasn’t a bear he gave in. he didn’t realize that he lost who he really was until he was by himself again in the wood freezing in the bare winter. i think the story represents the struggle that many people go though in life. However I think the difference between the bear and people in real life is that sometimes people don’t realize that they lost them selves like the bear did.
My thoughts are short and simple. I believe that "The Bear That Wasn't" tells readers that society always judges us by how look and how we act.
I agree with Alison when she said "authority figures should not be followed blindly, because they to can be wrong." Society should make there own opinions and judgements on the bear and take what the vice presidents have to say into consideration.
I agree with Emma and everyone else who posted, the bear has so much conflict in trying to show people who he was, so when he was told over and over by people of growing power (worker, 3rd vice president, 2nd vice ect.) He eventually believed them. Though when he did he was stuck cold in the middle of winter because he thought that he did not hibernate but he was unsure of what to do. I think this happens on a daily basis in our society, everyday people are pressured to be what they aren't.
Emma is completely right when she says that the book is a true representation of our society. We focus so much on fitting in, that we loose our true identity. In the book "The Bear that Wasn't," the Bear eventualy stated believing he wasn't a bear and was just a silly man who needed to shave and wears a fur coat. Just like the bear we also stop believing what we know is right and start believing what everyone thinks is right.
-Andrew Hebert
I felt as though this book was based on someone who loses their identity because they allow socitey and higher archy people to control them and their thoughts. I agree with alison in that "it is easy to allow people to control how you act and what you do." Some people want something bad enough and will do anything to become part of a group and will believe and do anything the group wants. Sometimes however, it is more important to listen to how you truely feel and what is right not what the group chosses.
I agree with Emma, this story was a reflection of our society today. In our society we have people telling us we are too fat and need to get exercise, but what we really need to do is look at ourselves and determine for ourselves if we need to change. We can't let others decide the path we take. If we allow others to decide what we are for us then we are no longer free, we are bound by the views of others. Break free of those restraints and we can be whatever we want to be.
"The Bear that Wasn't" really showed the reader how easily identity can be opinionated or judged. So many people in this world forget what they want for themselves and focus on what other people think. Identity should be unique and different from everyone. I like how Allison said "..authority figuires should not be followed blindly, because they too can be wrong." That is very true.
-Eric Thomas
I agree with Kelly. I also think the bear knew who he really was he was just sucked in by the presidents thinking he was a silly man. This made the bear not able to stand up for himself. The bear didn't entirely forget who he was.
-Danielle Allen
I agree with Kelly in the fact that the story, "The Bear That Wasn't" focuses alot on identity loss. Society, the media and authority figures have such a huge influence on everyone that when somebody doesn't seem to blend in, this 'error' is immediately corrected in the way that the person is told to look or act differently. It's sad that this world has become such a place that you either are or aren't. There often doesn't seem to be room for those who fall somewhere in the middle. But truth be told we are all very different, we just change because of our world and its constant demands.
-Jena Ward
I agree with Kelly when she says that in real life people try to make us into something they want us to be instead of being our own true person. Just like "The Bear That Wasn't" we can have people tell us that we should be one way but, we know deep down inside that we are something else.For an example, some people don't want to be judged so they try to follow what other people believe is correct so they are liked.
I agrre with kelly this bears identity was lost. It wasnt acting like a regular and for that case humans thought he was one of them. The moral of this story is that it is hard to survive out side of your original group
I agree with Kelly when she said that it is easy to lose sight of who we really are when faced with the ideals of others. "The Bear That Wasn't" is just an example of how important personal identity is to an individual and how easy it is to convince someone that they are something else.
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