Morality

Literary Blog Entry 1

            After reading the short stories “The Metamorphosis” by Kafka, “The Guest” by Camus, “Requiem” by Akhmatova, and “Faust” by Goethe the reader senses  the vulnerability of man's struggle to overcome situations that may or may not be because of his or her fault. One theme that appears to occur in the afore mentioned stories is morality. Many times, people end up in predicaments through no fault of their own and are faced with a choice: either overcome the obstacles faced before them or be overcome by the situation itself.

At the high school age, students are bombarded with temptations. The classroom is a perfect place to teach on how decisions can affect the rest of your life. “Faust” is a good example of how choosing pleasure over the everyday drudgery of life, can lead to dreadful consequences. Students can watch the film and work in groups to answer questions related to “Faust” and consequences. Explaining how sacrificing pleasure for ordinary circumstances is not always beneficial. “The Guest” is a different example about having morals, doing the right thing, and giving people the chance to make better choices in life. There are many online resources available for teaching “The Guest.”

To connect with high schoolers, try bringing popular culture into the classroom, this will make them more likely to listen, and learn from you. “Requiem” talks about war, grief, and choosing to live instead of living in gloom. I would relate “Requiem” to war related video games allowing students to better relate to the poem.

WORKS CITED

Akhmatova. (2013).  Requiem. Norton Anthology of World Literature, Third Edition-Vol.2 New York: W.W. Norton & Company: Puchner.

Book Rags. (2020). The Guest, Lesson Plans for Teachers. Retrieved from: http://www.bookrags.com/lessonplan/theguest/#gsc.tab=0

Camus. (2013). The Guest. Norton Anthology of World Literature, Third Edition-Vol.2 New York: W.W. Norton & Company: Puchner.

Cornell University, (2018). Retrieved from: https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2018/11/choice-may-not-feel-choice-when-morality-play

Forward. (2018). Retrieved from: https://forward.com/scribe/394413/is-morality-really-that-difficult/

Getty Images. (2020). Retrieved from: https://www.gettyimages.co.nz/detail/news-photo/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe-faust-illustration-showing-dr-news-photo/171395945?adppopup=true

Goethe. (2013). Faust. Norton Anthology of World Literature, Third Edition-Vol.2 New York: W.W. Norton & Company: Puchner.

Istock. (2020). Retrieved from: https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/wrong-or-right-ethical-question-gm151514336-17356047

Kafka. (2013). The Metamorphosis. Norton Anthology of World Literature, Third Edition-Vol.2 New York: W.W. Norton & Company: Puchner.

Pruehl, Karsten. (2020). Gothe’s Faust. [Motion Picture]. Germany: Picturus Produktion. Retrieved from https://pro.imdb.com/title/tt3996898?rf=cons_tt_atf&ref_=cons_tt_atf: