?ASSIGNMENT # 2 : LITERARY EXPLORATION ESSAY ( Suggested time : 75minutes ) Read the following excerpt and complete the assignment . from IT WAS ON FIRE WHEN I LAY DOWN ON IT During the Second World War , the Germans and the Greeks were mortal enemies . In the years following the war , Dr. Alexander Papaderos , a Greek philosopher , teacher , and politician , established a conference centre on the island of Crete . Here he worked to promote an attitude of understanding and forgiveness between the Greeks and the Germans . He hoped that the success of this endeavor would serve as an example to the rest of the world . In this excerpt , Robert Fulghum describes his experience as a student of Dr. Papaderos at this conference centre . At the last session on the last morning of a two – week seminar on Greek culture , led by intellectuals and experts in their fields who were recruited by Papaderos from across Greece , Papaderos rose from his chair at the back of the room and walked to the front , where he stood in the bright Greek sunlight of an open window and looked out . We followed his gaze across the bay to the iron cross marking the German cemetery . He turned . And made the ritual gesture : 1 ” Are there any questions ? ” Quiet quilted the room . These two weeks had generated enough questions for a lifetime , but for now there was only silence . ” No questions ? ” Papaderos swept the room with his eyes . So. I asked . ” Dr. Papaderos , what is the meaning of life ? ” The usual laughter followed , and people stirred to go . Papaderos held up his hand and stilled the room and looked at me for a long time , asking with his eyes if I was serious and seeing from my eyes that I was . ” I will answer your question . ” Taking his wallet out of his hip pocket , he fished into a leather billfold and brought out a very small round mirror , about the size of a quarter . And what he said went like this : ” When I was a small child , during the war , we were very poor and we lived in a remote village . One day , the road , I found the broken pieces of a mirror . A German motorcycle had been wrecked in that place . ” I tried to find all the pieces and put them together , but it was not possible , so I kept Continued Iritual gesture – non – verbal signal ; in this case , to convey openness to questions by extending arms , palms up ?only the largest piece . This one . And by scratching it on a stone I made it round . I began to play with it as a toy and became fascinated by the fact that I could reflect light into dark places where the sun would never shine ?in deep holes and crevices and dark closets . It became a game for me to get light into the most inaccessible places I could find . ” I kept the little mirror , and as I went about my growing up , I would take it out in idle moments and continue the challenge of the game . As I became a man , I grew to understand that this was not just a child’s game but a metaphor for what I might do with my life . I came to understand that I am not the light or the source of light . But light – truth , understanding , knowledge ?is there , and it will only shine in many dark places if I reflect it . ” I am a fragment of a mirror whose whole design and shape I do not know . Nevertheless , with what I have I can reflect light into the dark places of this world into the black places in the hearts of men and change some things in some people . Perhaps others may see and do likewise . This is what I am about . This is the meaning of my life . ” And then he took his small mirror and , holding it carefully , caught the bright rays of daylight streaming through the window and reflected them onto my face and onto my hands folded on the desk . Robert Fulghum THE ASSIGNMENT When we think about our lives , we often realize that certain people and experiences have influenced our understanding of what is important to us ?what has meaning for us . What is your opinion of the idea that certain people and experiences influence us in important ways ? You must : ?Discuss a character from literature or film that you have studied in English Language Arts 30-2 . You may choose to discuss more than one character . ?Ensure the details you select support your opinion of the idea that certain people and experiences influence us in important ways . ?Present your ideas in prose . You should : ?Reflect upon your own knowledge and / or experience and / or the reading selection provided . ?Plan your response . Carefully consider your controlling idea or how you will create a strong unifying effect ?Select a character who is relevant to your ideas about the topic and interesting to you from the short stories , novels , plays , poetry , nonfiction , or films that you have studied in English Language Arts 30-2 ?Organize your discussion so that your ideas are clearly and effectively presented .Arts & HumanitiesEnglish
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