1.
How is
Jonathan different from the other seagulls?
•
Other seagulls main focus is food
•
JLS’s main goal is to fly
2.
What is
Jonathan’s “experimenting” (39) with?
Trying to fly higher, lower, faster
3.
Why couldn’t he “make it work” (40)?
Understanding that he is just a seagull and not made to fly like
other birds. (falcon)
4.
How does
Jonathan feel “limited by [his] nature” (41) after the accident.
Seagulls are limited —not designed/built to fly like falcons
5.
What epiphany does Jonathan have
while flying home in the dark?
Better for him to conform.
6.
How is the
dark symbolic?
Ignorance and fear, death
Self-doubt, hesitation, hardships and difficulties—facing while
trying to accomplish something
Darkest hour of all is before the day
How does Jonathan “touch excellence in his learning” (43)Trying to
figure out whether trying to figure out whether to conform or not
accomplished what he set out to do. Excel at flying and be the
best flying seagull
Learning in general is seeking out excellence
making sacrifices to become better while all other seagulls are
happy with the status quo
Is better by virtue of wanting to learn
7.
What new outlook on life does
Jonathan have at the end of the chapter?
Conformity —he gets kicked out of flock
quality of life improves
already good flying but lonely
starts to feel that as he gets older—everything he learns will die
with him
Succeed at his tests—they want to touch excellence with him—say
come back to the flock—more open to learning—if you want to learn you can
follow me —becomes more about
learning/teacher —
is happier and can pass on contributions to next generation
Seagulls came for JLS to take him home —same beliefs —purpose for life than just survival
Their flying skills have surpassed his—the students becoming the
teachers
Building on top of what came before
Flock symbolizes society —seagulls are meant to only catch food—he
wanted to be different —found his
purpose and wanted to excel
Myth of Icarus:
Hubris : Too much Pride (God-like Arrogance) Pride in the face of
the God’s.
Living vs Existing
Loren Eiseley Passage
Above all, some of them, a mere handful in any generation perhaps,
loved – they loved the animals around them, the song of the wind, the soft
voices of women. On the flat surfaces of cave walls the three dimensions of the
outside world took animal shape and form. Here — not with the ax, not with the
bow — man fumbled at the door of his true kingdom. Here, hidden in times of
trouble behind silent brows, against the man with the flint, waited St. Francis
of the birds — the lovers, the men who are still forced to walk warily among
their kind.
Maya Angelou:
Media pressure on us to conform
—tap into our fears of not belonging:
Money does not buy happiness (rich people)
Brand new house and phone —will it make you happy?
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