Entry 1
Good afternoon, readers! In the last week, we’ve read our way through four stories from different cultures: Faust by Goethe, The Guest by Camus, The Metamorphosis by Kafka, and Requiem by Akhmatova. And we have examined them to deduce common themes. One of the common themes that one could place is the prevailing theme of powerlessness that permeates much of all four stories. Powerlessness is a sensation that is prevalent in just about every human being’s lifetime at some point. While it is not a particularly positive theme, it is a theme that most certainly could resonate well with high school students. Though this does depend on the level of personal independence each individual student has actually achieved and would be better served early on. For teaching the topic, creativity might be necessary. Alternatively, talented oration would be a sufficient replacement. Ask students to imagine losing a beloved family member or pet...