The Dreamer Mentality

Please respond to the following questions-make sure to give a thorough response and respond to at least one other person's comment.
Idealism has always been a way for people to escape reality. If you are a dreamer, do you have to be more careful? Nick says to Gatsby, "You can't repeat the past." What do you think? Are there repercussions?

Money, Money, Money

Please answer the following prompts in a detailed, fluent response. Make sure to comment on other people's views within your own response. Take your level of thinking higher. Make sure you are being thorough and honest.

What are your perceptions of material wealth/money? What is "wealth"? Do we see too much excess today? If your financial status a reflection of how successful you are? What is success to you? Are we always wanting more? Do we "want" too much? Is being content or fulfilled enough? When is enough, enough?

Happiness

Please respond to the following prompts: I expect you to to ask an open-ended critical level question at the end of your response that may prompt someone else. I also expect you to react to one other's comment within your own reflection. Make sure you are being thoughtful and discerning.

What constitutes happiness in life? What do you need to be happy? What should drive and push us? What might blind us from becoming happy?

The Racial Mountain

After reading Langston Hughes' manifesto for the Harlem Renaissance, please respond to the following questions with thoughtful analysis and use textual reference to support your assertions.

1. What is Hughes' main argument about one's culture and heritage, and do you agree?

2. What is the racial mountain he refers to? Comment on Hughes' thesis in this essay?

DO NOT merely repeat what someone else has written. You need to read, analyze and speak for yourself.

Race, Class and Gender Response

Please write your response to the following-when you are done, ask a strong question that starts a discussion thread. Comment on other people's ideas and questions. I want you to be thought-provoking and challenge one another.

What was illuminated to you in this reading? Use 2 quotes to support your response;
Did this reading give you any new ideas? If so what were they? How might YOU change your perceptions based on this reading?

Introspective Glimpse Into Thoreau

Please respond, individually, to the following prompts. When you are finished, please ask a question. As you are writing your discussion thread, make sure to use specifics from the text to back up your responses and to keep questioning, challenging other people's thinking. I would like our discussion to talk not only about the text, but its application to contemprorary society.

Please write your favorite quote and analyze its significance. (What intrigues you about Thoreau's perspective of living?) Also, Thoreau went to Walden to find out what was necessary in life and what could be done without-he claims a more fulfilling life is simpler. Do you agree? Leave us with an interpretative or critical level question.

Actt 2 Crucible Discussion Thread

Today we are going to have a discussion thread based on Act 2 of The Crucible. I want you to respond to others, make comments, using textual support and I always want you to end with a question-intepretative or critical. I do not want one word responses; I expect formal writing and intelligent thought showing your discerning observations and analysis. Please keep in mind the ideological statements and central questions as a means of helping you analyze further. To start:

How far reaching has this epidemic become? Everyone should start here with comments and then take the thread where it will...