Then, in your opinion, what is this story's theme, or message, about assertiveness and cooperation?
Make sure to explain with evidence from the text--remember, quotes are stronger than paraphrases.
Consider:
- How do different characters assert themselves?
- How effective are the assertive acts in this story?
- How do the men cooperate at the end of this story?
How could this theme transfer to Fallen Angels or any other text we have read about a soldier's conflict or the experience of war? For instance, on page 654, in the paragraph at the top of the second column, Bessie Head writes, " The battle was entirely pyschological." What do battles fought with actual weapons and psychological battles have in common?
I liked the story. It was very descriptive. I think the story's theme is that you have to go along with what you are given in life if you want to survive. You need to have a say in what you want or else you're never going to get it. When Brille says, "We want you on our side. We want a good warder because without a good warder we won't be able to manage the long stretch ahead." he is telling his warder that he his group needs him for survival in the prison and if he doesn't then things will continue on the way they were.
ReplyDeleteIn Fallen Angels the soldiers have to cooperate with their leaders and do what they say or else they might make a mistake and die.
I thought that "The Prisoner Who Wore Glasses" was an interesting story and I like how sort of the underdog of the story came out on top. I think the theme or message was that having patience and a certain amount of assertiveness and the way you use it will work in your favor. Characters assert themselves differently, like Brille used it at the right times, like making deals with Hannetjie when he caught him doing something he shouldn't. He didn't over use it either and it wasn't overpowering and threatening. On the otherhand, Hannetjie assertiveness was too forceful and threatening. His asertiveness wasn't very effective even though it sounds like it should've been. When he punished Brille and isolated him, it didn't really scare Brille that much and didn't really effect him. But Brille's assertiveness worked very well becausen in the end, he got Hannetjie to be on his side and sort of make him surrender. In the end Brille won him over and got him to help the guys out and not be so harsh on them. This could connect to "Fallen Angels" because Brille and the other prisoners are sort of fighting their own pyschological war with Hannetjie. Even though it wasn't a physical war, it was a fight for respect because they didn't think they should be in jail because of their political views, so they didn't feel guilty. Because they didn't feel guilty, they fought against Hannetjie and didn't just let him step all over them.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading the "Prisoner Who Wore Glasses" as is was different from anything I've read lately, and was short, yet powerful. The prisoners who had done nothing wrong, knew they were innocent and powerful and intelligent, and exerted that over the higher authority who was treating them unjustly, conquering him and putting themselves on top. The fought not physically, but psychologically, though both tactics are similar. Sometimes, just like in physical war, you have to attack the other's mind and conscience, and at other times you have to defend your own,
ReplyDeleteI thought that "The Prisoner Who Wore Glasses" was an enjoyable read. I liked it because I thought it was cool how it was different from a literal war, it was a psychological war. I thought that one of the underlying pieces of advice that the author had was that "in times of struggle having people who work well with you will make your life easier. There were many things in the text to back this up. I thought that Brille was probably one of the more assertive characters in the story, along with Hannetije. Brille asserts himself by making shady deals with Hannejite and therefore making the lives of his cell mates better. Also Hannetije is assertive because he uses actual force against a political prisoner, which up to that point had not been done. This assertiveness was extreme and unneeded seeing how those prisoners were not in jail for doing something wrong, it was for their thoughts, which means that the abuse will hardly effect them, because they know hey didn't do anything wrong. I think that this story can be related to Fallen Angels because in any battle there are both psychological and physical aspects, and in this "battle" there were more physiological than physical, and it is reversed for Fallen Angels. Although in Fallen Angels the soldiers also had a lot going on in their minds.
ReplyDelete"The Prisoner Who Wore Glasses" I though was a good story. I really liked that Brille stood up to the Warder, it reminded me of a sort of rebellion and it turned into a small war of sorts. Even though the war wasn't physical, it still had the properties of a war, a group of people fighting for what hey believe in. Just like Vietnam
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I thought "The Prisoner Who Wore Glasses" was an interesting story. The political prisoners, which included Brille, controlled and manipulated their guards. I think that is one of the themes of the story, to be able to stand up for what you believe in. The prisoners were imprisoned for that reason, and they were able to stay strong in jail because of this. They were able to withstand punishment and being restricted of needs like food through what they believed was right.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't a fan of this story compared to fallen angels. Its story and theme about a mental war verse a real physical war with battles like those in fallen angels. I Belive that the theme is that having someone to relief on is never a bad thing.. even in a place like prison. Also that sometimes you have to fight for what u want to survive. If you want to survive that is.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading "The Prisoner Who Wore Glasses" becaise it allowed me to view the different kinds of struggles people face other than a physical war.So rather than a physical war, it was a phychological war between the political prisoners and the guards assigned to them. This is most clear when Brille begins to manipulate and basically control Hannejite after black mailing him. I think the underlying message was that for people to be successful and to maintain control of their situation they must work with others around them and make assertive decisions. Brille was probably the most assertice character in the story as he was the one who basically made Hannejite become cooperative, and greatly improved his groups quality of life. His acts of assertiveness are quite efficient as it gets him basically everything he and his group wants.
ReplyDeleteI am pleased with your coments and your openness to a different type of story. I , too, like the underdog aspect, and the understanding that a free mind can never be imprisoned, even if the body is. Everyone's quality of life improved as a result of this assertiveness, didn't it? I wonder how we can use the message of this story in our own lives.
ReplyDeleteConsider reading memoirs and stories and novels about political prisoners... you will be pleasantly surprised at what you learn there.
I did like this story. It was descriptive but not too long or tedious to read. It related to Fallen Angels because, like Lindsay said, its theme was that it was a mental war rather than physical. Whent the prisoners got the warden that they didn't like, there was nothing they could do. But when the prisoner that saw him stealing fertilizer he asserted himself and confronted the warden. Overall, this benefitted the prisoners because they had something over the warden and the warden would do anything for them so they wouldn't tell.
ReplyDeletei also thought that this was a very good and interesting story. Although the guards were there to keep control of the prisoners, in reality the prisoners were controlling the guards by using the blackmail they have against them.Also its more of a mental and physcological war than a physical war with the other stories we have read. They were able to have somrthing on the guards and get less cruelity.
ReplyDeleteI liked "The Prisoner Who Wore Glasses" because it was intresting reading about a mental war verse a physical war. I also like the idea that even though you are in prison you can never imprison your mind. The theme I thought the author was trying to display is that thoughts are just as strong as actions.
ReplyDelete"The Prisoner Who Wore Glasses" was interesting becuase it was about prisoners in control of the gaurds that were there to conrol them. I think the theme of the story is that if enemies work together they can both make the best out of their situation. I don't see how that would work in "Fallen Angels" as it would be impossible for both armies to win.
ReplyDeleteOverall I though "The Prisoner Who Wore Glasses" was pretty good. It was descriptive and interesting. I think that the story was also ironic because like Manley said, the prisoners controlled the guards rather than the guards controlling the prisoners. I mostly enjoyed it because it was not just a literal war story, but it was about phycological war. I think the theme of this story is survival of the fittest. In the real world, you take what you get and use it to your advantage. For example, when Brille finds the Warder stealing fertilizer, he uses that information to control and blackmail him. He used that information to get what he wanted. I think that the theme of this story could transfer into "Fallen Angels" because is physical war, people use information and tools to their advantage.
ReplyDeleteI liked the story "The Prisoner Who Wore Glasses" because it was interesting and different from other stories we have read this year. I think that the author was trying to show the theme that people should stand up for what they believe in becasue if they dont, then nothing will be changed. I also agree with what Marianna says. I think that it is important to take what you have in this world and use it to your advantage and this story expresses that in many ways, in one way being the fertilizer.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the selection of "The Prisoner Who Wore Glasses" because it was a nice and interesting twist on the normal authoritative power over captives and prisoners. I like how it showed the prisoners point of views and how they went about life and daily routines as a captive in a "camp".. it was a different experience. I think the theme of this story was that do not take "inferiors" or underdogs for granted because they can fight back and come out on top and dictate outcomes depending on how they want to act. Battles fought with weapons and others fought with psychological "warfare" have one thing in common. . . they both can do serious damage to any one person, one mentally and physically.
ReplyDeleteI neither loved the story nor hated it, yet I found it interesting. It's strange to think how a group of captives can overrule the authority of a warden who has more authority in this case. This would be like a handful of corporals overpowering the decisions of a colonel or commander during battle. I believe a theme of the story is that in some cases majority rules, and trying to fight this system will only make one weaker.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading this selection because it was different from the other stories we have been reading, but had a similar theme. In the story the main character has power because he is a smart, political man. I think one of the themes shown by this is that men who have no guilt will never back down frok a challenge and will end up beig the most powerful men in the end. The warder, who had been caught by Brille stealing fertilizer, so he had guilt within him and he was able to be taken advantage of by Brille.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading this story, It was very descriptive and went into detail. It gave me good mental pictures and mental expierences of the man. The story is different than other stories which is why I think I like it. Like what Joe said, i also find it interesting how a group of people could over rule an authority.
ReplyDeleteI liked it. I just think that it was way too short in the book. First Brille was being beaten down, but the the guard is. I just wish that there was more. I liked how at first Brille considered the guard a child that he can control and thought it was a good thing, but then at the end he saw the guard as just that, a child who doesn't know right from wrong. Nit an older man who can be controlled by blackmail.
ReplyDeleteI also enjoyed "The Prisoner Who Wore Glasses". I learned a lot about South Africa, too. For instance, I did not know they spoke English there. I liked the story itself a lot too. I thought it was very straightforward and easy to comprehend. The theme was similar to other stories we have read. The main character, though imprisoned, is very intelligent and ironically somewhat 'controls' the guard by lecturing him almost as if he is a child.
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