Ray Bradbury's Short Fiction: "Murder" vs. "Kill"

First, I asked classes to clarify the shades of meaning that separate the verbs "murder" and "kill". This was very hard for most students to do, as almost nobody had taken the time to look these words up.

• The definition of KILL
• The definition of MURDER
• Degrees of MURDER in US Law (Margot asked about this, as well as "manslaughter", which is in the Wiki)

Then classes attempted to draw parallels between the world of "The Murderer", and our own modern lives. Excellent responses included the following insights:

• In the story-world, people communicate by wrist-communicators (phones). In our world, we have seen some rudimentary wrist-phone technology announced (behold Samsung's Galaxy Gear, as well as some reviews of leading competitors)
• Music, in both the story-world and our own, is pumped into large interior spaces (next time you're in the mall, ESPECIALLY around the winter holidays, listen to your shopping environment.)
• In both worlds, phones CAN BE handy communication devices, but also CAN work against you by stripping personality, emotion, and nuance from conversations.
• Psychiatrists have a great deal of say in WHO is "crazy", as well as WHAT constitutes "crazy".
• Sean in 5th period pointed out that our TV's have progressed past CRT monitors (or, cathode ray tubes). They've gotten flatter. The TV in my classroom is a prime example of a CRT.
• IN GENERAL: The more devices that we have to keep us in touch with others generate increased expectation of keeping in touch, even if you don't want to.

Also, there was a reading quiz. Almost everyone did poorly, but there was at least one 100 in each class period.

Tonight's HW is to read, and answer the questions regarding Ray Bradbury's "The Pedestrian".

That link will take you to the word file.

I also distributed the MLK Summer of 2014 Summer Reading Guidelines