Do you want to be like your friends? In what ways?.What do you admire in your friends? Name a friend and one thing you like about them that’s also true about you, and one thing that you like about them that is not true about you.If being funny is a good thing, should the other elephants be as funny as Elmer?.
Why do the other elephants look up to Elmer? Why does Elmer like the other elephants?.If Elmer had promised to be the community jokester but then realized he really didn’t want to, or even couldn’t, would it be OK for him to stop? Questions for Philosophical Discussion Differences and Friendship Though Elmer did not agree to entertain the other elephants, it would be fruitful to explore the relationship between promises and obligation.
A police officer, for example, swears to serve their community. Some argue that the assumption of obligation relies upon some sort of contract or promise. It’s unclear, however, if Elmer is obligated to fulfill this specific role of the jokester. In the book, the elephants only laugh when Elmer is around in a sense, they rely upon him. For example, does someone become a class clown by making a lot of jokes, or by having their jokes laughed at by the class? This discussion can help students reflect upon what social roles they play amongst their peers and to what extent they can change these roles. You might ask students whether they can decide how they’re perceived by their peers or whether the community determines what role a person might play. But if Elmer doesn’t want to be funny anymore, could he change, or is he stuck in the role? Perhaps he cannot change that he is funny, but he can downplay that quality. Perhaps he told enough jokes that he simply became a jokester, or perhaps the elephants’ belief that he is funny makes him a jokester. Importantly, Elmer did not decide to be his community’s entertainer. Is Elmer simply a jokester, fulfilling a specific role in his community? Is it OK to laugh at all your friend’s jokes but never make any of your own? Social roles and obligation As an extension of this line of inquiry, one might ask if being friends with somebody changes who you are.Īnother question that arises from Elmer is this: should the other elephants be as funny as Elmer? Perhaps some virtues, such as having a good sense of humor, are not universal but instead define specific social roles. As such, you might ask students why they look up to their friends, and, subsequently, which qualities they would like to adopt for themselves. You might appreciate your friend’s musical talent, for example, but feel no inclination to imitate it. Surely, however, friends do not try to resolve all their differences. You might ask yourself what you admire in your friends, such as kindness or generosity, and whether or not you ought to aspire to the same virtues. You can analyze yourself by comparing yourself to your friends. Aristotle quantified the value of differences between a pair of friends as a kind of mirroring effect.
Many ancient philosophers saw differences between two friends to be essential for their friendship. Elmer raises questions about the value of diversity between friends and in communities, as well as the nature of social roles and whether or not you can decide to accept or abandon them. But one day, Elmer stops having fun playing with the other elephants and decides to leave. All the other elephants laugh at his jokes and enjoy the games that he comes up with. In Elmer, Elmer, the patchwork elephant, enjoys the role of being the clown of the elephant herd. Read aloud video by Dramatic StoryTime Theater Guidelines for Philosophical Discussion Will his community ever accept him? Will he ever learn to accept himself? But his appearance isn’t the only unusual thing about Elmer–he’s also got a different sense of humor. Questions for Philosophical Discussion » Summary Elmer explores questions like “How do differences impact friendships?” and “Must we fulfill our social roles and obligations?”Įlmer the elephant is covered in a colorful patchwork pattern.
0 kommentar(er)
