The Grapes of Wrath Socratic Seminar Reflection

    This socratic seminar influenced my way of thinking, not just about the book but on a lot of issues
in life. I thought that because many people asked great level three questions, we were able to connect
themes in the text to the real world, which altered my perspective on a variety of things. One thing that someone asked that made me think more in depth was about why John Steinbeck has added many parts about animals getting run over or killed. I had not really noticed this before, but when I thought about it more, I realized that the book did have many instances where animals were killed, so I thought that there must be some symbolic meaning relating to the killing of the animals.

      One of my peers made a statement about how even the best of people can let a little bit of power get to the best of them. This person had mentioned reading about an experiment conducted, where ordinary college-aged kids were put into a situation where some would be policemen, while others would be prisoners. Within days, the ones who were, acting as policemen had let the power get to their heads and began torturing the "prisoners". I agreed with what my classmate had said because I had also watched a documentary about this same experiment and basically what the documentary had said, was that anyone has the ability to be evil if they are granted the power to do so. It is in human nature to want to see ourselves superior to others. The statement that I least agreed with was when someone said Ruthie matured the most throughout the book. Although I thought Ruthie matured to some extent throughout the story, I certainly did not think she was the one who grew the most. The characters I thought grew the most were Tom, Ma, and arguably Rose of Sharon. I thought that Tom grew a lot because he had started off as someone who just got out of prison, and in the end, he had managed to lead his family to California, helped provide for his family, and he discovered what he thought was the meaning of life. Ma grew because she went from being in the supportive "housewife" role, to being the leader of the family, and the only one keeping the family together. Rose of Sharon is a more arguable case, but I thought that she grew from being the naive, girl who complained throughout the journey, to stepping into a motherly and responsible role, when she cared for the starving man in the barn. If I had the opportunity to respond to anything during the seminar, I would have responded to the person who said that the function of man throughout the book was more than just working. They said it was providing for your family and trying to give them a better life. I would have said that "providing for your family and trying to give them a better life" goes hand and hand with work. "Giving your family a better life" results from work. Of course the men are working to give their families better lives. So in broader terms, and in general, the function of man throughout the book was to work.

      I thought that us making our own questions for the seminar worked really well. Since we made our own questions, I think it forced many of us to think into more depth about the themes of the book and I thought we had a more thought- provoking discussion than we usually do. Also, making our own questions made the conversation have more variety, since people were original in their questions and did not really ask the same thing.

     Something that needs improvement for the next seminar is maybe not requiring everyone to ask one question because I felt like a lot of people were rushing to get their questions out so that they could get their points in that area. I think the conversation would flow better if we could just talk about a few thought-provoking questions. Maybe the seminar could be graded, by how many times a person participated because I think it is hard for some people to come up with questions and it makes the flow of the conversation choppy and awkward.




   

IV. Chapters 23-27: Family Discussion Reflection

Part II: Research 

Topic: I chose to read an article about the Weedpatch camp that the Joads had stayed at in chapters 24-26 of The Grapes of Wrath.

Summary: This article was about the history of the Weedpatch camp that many migrant workers settled at, during the Dust Bowl Migration. It talked about the quality of life for the migrant workers at the camp, and the camp's historical significance. 

Evaluation: This text connects to the assigned reading because chapters 24-26 in The Grapes of Wrath chronicled life for the Joads, in the Weedpatch camp, that this article is talking about. This article also mentioned The Grapes of Wrath and how the author John Steinbeck, had visited the Weedpatch Camp to learn more about the lives of migrants.

MLA Citation: 
Lutz, Margaret. "History of Weedpatch Campa." Weedpatchcamp.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 
     12 Jan. 2014. <http://www.weedpatchcamp.com/History/history.htm>. 

Part III: Philosophical Questioning

1. Who do you think is to blame for the discrimination and disparity that the Dust Bowl migrants faced?

2. Do you think that during the Dust Bowl era, the U.S. government was trying to cover up what was 

happening to the Dust Bowl migrants?

3. In the article that I read it said that the Weedpatch camp now houses migrant workers from April to 

September? Do you think that this is somewhat wrong or a little primitive?

Part IV: Discussion

Part V: Reflection

The most memorable moment of my discussion that I had with my dad was when he answered question number one. When I asked him who was to blame for the discrimination and suffering that the Dust Bowl migrants faced, he said that the people who were most likely to blame were the locals, who did not accept them. I suppose I agreed with this answer but I was surprised that he did not blame anything on the government. I had thought it was somewhat of the government's responsibility to accommodate the migrant workers because they are Americans, living under the United States' government. The government's job is to protect the people and these migrant workers certainly were not protected. Then again, I suppose it is hard for the federal government to enforce laws protecting migrants in a place as far as California. In my opinion, the local government and communities are more to blame for the suffering and discrimination that the Dust Bowl migrants faced. I was satisfied that my dad was able to make me open my eyes to who was most at fault for the suffering of the migrant workers. I'm glad that I was exposed to that different perspective. I think that I could improve my questions by making them more general and not so specific. My dad found it somewhat hard to answer the questions I asked because answering them required some prior knowledge to the Dust Bowl migration, that my dad did not have.

PIA Socratic Seminar Reflection

The socratic seminar we had on PIA 2 influenced my way of thinking significantly. I learned a variety of ways as to how my classmates were able to answer the multiple choice questions on the PIA and I think it will help me on the future PIAs to come. One thing that made me think into a lot of depth was learning how to identify the "distractor" answer choice in a question. Before, identifying the "distractor" answer choice, was quite difficult for me. Now, after listening to my peers discuss how they identify the distractor answer, I think it has become easier for me to learn how to do the same. 

One statement that I agreed with the most by one of my classmates, was her answer to the question about the theme from the Jane Eyre passage. She said that the theme of the passage was "Life is unfair". I thought that this was the obvious answer to the question and I was glad that she did as well. I disagreed with the people that thought the correct answer choice to question 6 of the PIA was "C" because I thought the clear answer to the question was choice "B" because both FDR and George Washington seemed to convey in their speeches that they thought the government was a vehicle to provide for the people. I do not have anything else that I think should have been said in the socratic seminar because I think our discussion pretty much covered everything, and I learned a lot from it. 

I thought that it was good that during this seminar, we did not have a "half time". Although "half times" can be helpful, especially when people receive constructive criticism from their observer, I do think "half times" take away from the time we have for our discussion. Not having the "half time" I feel, allowed more people to engage in the seminar. 

One thing that I think needs improvement for the seminar, is making sure that the same person is not always talking. I feel like their were some very dominant people in the discussion and it made it harder for other people to engage in the discussion. Overall, though, I thought that the socratic seminar went very well.

III. Chapters 18-22: Family Discussion

Part II: Research

Topic: I read an article discussing the lives of migrant workers who migrated from the Plain States, to
California in pursuit of job opportunities.

Summary: This article discussed the lives of migrant workers who had moved from the Plain States to
California to find work. It discussed the challenges the migrants faced and what life for the migrants was like when they were not struggling to find work. This article also discussed how the American economy began to turn around at the start of World War II.

Evaluation: This article related to The Grapes of Wrath because it talked about how migrants suffered from discrimination and struggled to find work in California, similar to how the Joad family had struggled to find work in California through in chapters 18-22.

MLA Citation: Fanslow, Robin A. "The Migrant Experience." Memory.loc.gov. N.p., 6 Apr. 1998. 
     Web. 19 Dec. 2013. <http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/afctshtml/tsme.html>. 

Part III: Philosophical Questioning

1. Do you think that conditions and opinions of migrant workers in America have changed over the last century or remained the same?

2. Do migrant workers today, help the U.S. economy more, or damage it?

3. Has the issue of discrimination against migrant workers in the U.S., improved or deteriorated?

Part IV: Discussion

Part V: Reflection

     

     I had my discussion with my dad. The most memorable part of our discussion was when we discussed the second question, about whether migrant workers in the U.S., help the economy more or damage it more. My dad had argued that migrant workers, such as workers from Mexico help the U.S. economy thrive. I also agreed that migrant workers help the U.S. economy thrive because migrants often take jobs that are not desired by most Americans. If more Americans were to take some of the jobs that migrant workers take, they would most likely demand higher wages and corporate factories or businesses that own farms would not be willing to pay that type of money. If businesses decided to hire American workers for higher wages rather than migrant workers for lower wages, it would make more sense to export goods such as farm crops from other countries, where the goods are cheaper rather than paying American workers more. This was the most memorable part of our discussion for me because although I agreed with my dad about the fact that migrant workers catalyze our economy, I did question a lot of what he said. I asked thought provoking questions such as "Is it better to hire migrant workers for lower pay so that they can produce goods that are available to those who can afford it? Or, is it better to hire Americans who cannot even afford some of the goods that are produced by migrant workers?" Overall, I agreed with my dad, that migrant workers help the U.S. economy today, but I enjoyed questioning him and forcing him to think. One thing that I found satisfying about my discussion with my dad was the flow of the discussion. It seemed like we both had a lot to say about the questions I raised, which helped me understand certain issues more. One way I could improve my questions is by making them more distinct. For instance, question one seems quite similar to question two.

II. Chapters 10-17: Family Discussion Reflection

Part II: Research

Topic: I chose to read an article relating to the Dust Bowl Migration.

Summary: The article I read was about the Dust Bowl Migration from the Plains States to California. It talked about the economic and social difficulties that migrants faced in California. Interestingly, the article also talked about how once in California, the migrants were faced with a life almost as difficult as the one they had left, and how may of them gave up farming.

Evaluation: This text relates to the assigned reading because throughout chapters 10-17 in The Grapes of Wrath, the Joads have been migrating to California and worrying about what life will be like once they get there. The article even references a few excerpts from The Grapes of Wrath.             

(Migrant mother, aged thirty-two with seven hungry children, Nipomo, CA ) From: Library of Congress

MLA Citation: 
"Mass Exodus From the Plains." PBS.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2013. 
     <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/ 
     dustbowl-mass-exodus-plains/>. 

Part III: Philosophical Questioning

1. Why do you think all the migrants from the Plain States migrated west and not east?

2. When migrants from the plain states headed, west, many of them faced discrimination. 

What other events in history or in the present, are similar to this kind of discrimination?

3. Why do you think people in California showed discrimination towards the people migrating there

from the plain states?

Part IV: Discussion

Part V: Reflection
     
     I had my discussion with my mom. The most memorable part of the discussion was when we were discussing
why people from the Plains States chose to migrate west rather than east. For a long time, I had been wondering 
why so many people living in the Plains States chose to migrate to California to farm when in fact, you could 
grow similar crops like cotton, and peaches in the South. When I posed the question to my mom she said that one 
reason people may have moved out west was because the South at the time, was an economically depressed area. 
She also said that people may have chosen to move to California because they had been hearing such wonderful 
things about the opportunities that California had to offer. Her initial response, however, seemed to me the most 
memorable because I had not thought of this being a reason to why people chose to migrate west rather than east. 
Initially, she said that the people living in the plains states were somewhat pioneers. They moved out west for a 
reason. The east was too crowded and they wanted to explore new lands. I found this response fascinating because 
I had not thought about that and the more she explained it, the more I began to think about how that really could have 
been a contributing factor to them moving to California. One thing that was satisfying about my discussion 
with my mom, was that she offered many ideas and answers to my questions that I had not previously thought of. 
I thought that she and I would have very similar answers to my questions, however, I was pleasantly surprised that 
she posed different ideas and thoughts to the discussion. I could improve my questions by making them a little more 
complex. For example, my last one asked why people were discriminatory to the migrants from the Plains States. For 
many, the answer to this question might not be too hard to find. Next time, I will try to makes my questions more 
thought-provoking.

I. Chapters 1-9 Family Discussion Reflection

Part II: Research

Topic: I chose to read an article relating to the Dust Bowl.

Summary: This article discussed the main causes of the Dust Bowl and how people were affected by it. It talked about how the Dust Bowl took place in states like Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas due to the over-plowing of land, and severe weather conditions in those states. The article also discussed the role that the U.S. government played in the Dust Bowl and how it prompted a cultural response from authors like John Steinbeck.

Evaluation: This text relates to the assigned reading because it talked about how the Dust Bowl forced many people to move out West, similar to how the Joad family, in chapter 9, was preparing to migrate west. Also, throughout the first 9 chapters, there is a lot of imagery pertaining to dust, so it was interesting to find out the actual reason why there was so much dust.

MLA citation: 

 Foner, Eric, and John A. Garraty, eds. "Dust Bowl." History.com. Houghton 

     Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, n.d. Web. 5 Dec. 2013. 

     <http://www.history.com/topics/dust-bowl>. 

Part III: Philosophical Questioning

1. Can you think of other events that were similar to the Dust Bowl? What other events had 

   similar causes and effects to the Dust Bowl?

2. Do you believe that the Dust Bowl truly signified the destruction of the old Jeffersonian ideal of 

   agrarian harmony with nature?

3. Would living under the old Jeffersonian ideal of agrarian harmony be more beneficial to the U.S.

and its people? Would it promote a peaceful way of life or would it have negative effects because our economy would be prone to suffer?

4. In general, do you think that people in the U.S. would trade happiness for money? Or vice versa, (why or why not)

Part IV: Discussion

Part V: Reflection

The most memorable moment of my discussion with my dad, was how he claimed that people in countries that mainly practiced subsistence farming, were generally less happy than people in countries that practice more commercial farming. This sparked a bit of a debate between us because I believe that people in countries that are developing or practice more subsistence farming, generally tend to be happy. It seems like people in the U.S. live a fast-paced life style where they do not stop to take a break and appreciate the simple things in life. I felt like people who practiced subsistence farming, generally are happier with a slower-paced lifestyle where they can appreciate the simplicities of life. However, my dad brought up the point that many people who practice subsistence farming, in China, for example have migrated to the city for work, thus showing they are unsatisfied with their lives. My counter argument was that a lot of the people who migrate to the city do it because they have no other choice, and they need a way to earn money for basic necessities. Anyway, this moment during our discussion was memorable because it sparked an interesting debate. One thing that I was satisfied and surprised about during my discussion with my dad, was that, we were able to maintain a rational tone when we had conflicting views on certain issues. Normally, when he and I disagree on things, we get annoyed and sometimes we bicker, but we were able to maintain a rational discussion, which was nice. One way I could improve my questions is by putting less in one question. I made a lot of questions, that had multiple questions within themselves, so next time when I make my questions, I should be more specific. Lastly, I could improve my questions by relating at least one of them to a theme from "The Grapes of Wrath" and a truth about human behavior in the real world.