Philosopher's+Island+4

=Island Reflections Number 4=

Peeling Potatoes and What Makes a Friend...?
//Source:www.comicartfans.com// || //Source:www.artbydebandreggied.com.au// || //Source:fineartamerica.com// ||
 * [[image:envy3.jpg width="319" height="225"]]
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//the English Roses invite her over for a cup of tea?"//
|| Envy in Art //Source: Joanne Helman// //www.art-mine.com// ||

associated with digestion),giving the skin a green tint.

 * Hmmm... **

Jealousy involves three people, envy only two.
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is not nearly as enviable as it had seemed. This awareness prompts the girls to accept Binah as a friend.
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 * [[image:eng_rose.jpg width="275" height="341" align="center"]]

//Dear Peggy//

//The initial reaction to today's book (and thank you for your reading Lily!) was that it was about "appreciating your life"// //and not taking it for granted, combined with the need to "imagine how another person feels", and the dangers of// //"judging a book by its cover".//

//We discussed the impact our behaviour can have on others, and Elizabeth noted that a lot of criminals// //"turn out that way because people are mean to them".// //Do they have any choice about this? Some people are treated badly, but still turn out to be kind people.// //What makes the difference?//

//Leah drew some interesting links to books we have read in past weeks. She saw Binah's sadness expressed as// //"darkness around her" whereas there was "light around the roses" (similar to the Sad Book), and she commented// //that part of what made Ramon (Ish) happier was his little sister's respect for him.//

//I have been wondering about the reasons the book offers for the English Roses befriending Binah in the end.// //The Roses were initially jealous of Binah's beauty, and assumed that she "had everything" and so they would not// //be her friends. When they find that she in fact has a "horrible life" (hmmm, more on that shortly), they are happy to// //be friends with her. Why do we become friends with others?// //Are the Roses being kind to her because they feel sorry for her? Is that 'friendship'?// //Do we have any sort of obligation to be friends with others, even if we don't particularly enjoy their company,// //just to ensure they are not friendless? Isn't that dishonest?// //Are we obliged to be actively nice to others? What obliges us? Or do our obligations only extend as far as not being// //mean to them? Does it make a difference if we know people, or have a lot in common with them?// //Do we have obligations to treat strangers well? Do we have obligations to people who haven't been born yet?//

//What do we think of the English Roses' behaviour? Were they wrong not to be friends with Binah at the beginning?// //If being friendly toward her was the 'right' thing to do', what do we think about the fact that they couldn't manage to be// //nice by themselves, or with prompting from one of their mothers, but needed the magical intervention of a fairy godmother?// //Why do they all do the same thing, and have the same opinions? (Does this remind us of The Big Orange Splot?)// //Without the pictures, could we tell the four English Roses apart? Why are appearances so important in this book?// //How much of a difference does it make that Binah is beautiful? Would we care less about her if she were ugly?// //Would the English Roses? Does the book suggest that she is beautiful because she is nice? (Is this implied by// //the fact that people perceive the English Roses as more beautiful by the end of the book? Do they actually look// //different, or do people just see them differently because of the way they are behaving?)// //What does this say about ugly people? Who decides whether we are beautiful or ugly? Does this change over time?//

//The group felt very strongly that Binah's life was "horrible" primarily because she had to do so much work,// //as she didn't have a mother. Interestingly, Jordan felt Binah's sadness came from not having enough time for herself,// //but the overwhelming response was that Binah would have been happier if she had a mother, because then her mother// //would be doing the jobs instead. We tried, not very successfully, to question why it would be okay for Binah's mother// //to spend all her time doing those jobs, when it wasn't okay for Binah.// //(There was a similar disconnection here to the Sad Book discussion - the students sympathised with Binah, but their// //sympathy seems to have an age limit.) The distinction offered was that Binah hadn't chosen to do those jobs.// //(I'm not sure many adults could recall a point in time when they chose to take on similar jobs, but a final note from// //the smaller inhabitants of the little house on the island. They felt that kids should do some jobs and have responsibilities,// //and even suggested it was fun (I'll remind you of that next time you complain about putting the recycling out, Hamish!),// //but added that: "Mums and dads don't mind doing lots of jobs, because they love their kids and want to look after them."// //So where does this parental love come from? Do we feel it because society expects us to?// //Because babies con us into loving them, with their big eyes and tiny fingers? Is it all a trick of hormones?// //Do we choose to love our children? (Why are we happily peeling potatoes for you, you little fiends?)//

//Off to peel some spuds now! Looking forward to Toni's book next week.//

//Michelle//