Welcome FHS students! Please check your FHS gmail! We'll use this blog to talk about our summer readings. Sign into Google with your Fairview Schools login. Speak, Never Fall Down, and The Age of Miracles discussion questions are all on this page. Scroll down to find each novel's questions. Then, click on Comment link following the questions you wish to answer. Click on the page links on the left to access additional information.
Discussion Questions for All Novels
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Never Fall Down 1: Music
1. Early in the book Arn says, “Music is like air, always there” (p. 3). How does music affect his life? Would he have survived without it?
Music definitely had affected Arn's life. Without Arn volunteering for him knowing to play an instrument, Arn never would have been the star among the Khmer Rouge's soldiers. Arn had been caught several times sneaking around at night by the soldiers, which could have gotten him killed, but they let him go because they knew he was the star performer in the band. Also, he had gotten more food from the woman cook once he became a star so he may have starved without getting extra food. That is how music had affected Arn's life and saved his life.
Mrs. Stevens, I feel that without music, Arn would have survived fine. Music saved his life when he had gotten into situations because he wanted to get more food or to answer to his curiosity. So without music I feel that he would have been fine if he just didn't do stupid stuff and would have laid a little lower. All he would have had to do to survive, more than likely, is just to live lower
I agree with you Nolan. Music was like his gardian angel, without it he wouldn't have been seen by the guards that much because after the first time sneaking out he would have been killed. Without the music, he would be like everyone else. They had no purpose to live anymore (no family), they were just waiting to die (to stop the pain of everyday), and they were getting weaker every day closer and closer to death (all the work they did with little food).
Early in the book Arn says, “Music is like air, always there.” Music affects Arn’s life throughout the whole book. He would not have survived without it. It made him famous around the camp. Many times in the book the Khmer Rouge would catch him sneaking extra food to other people. Because Arn was becoming famous and so good at playing Angka’s music, they kept letting him live. When Arn teaches Sombo how to play the music it, saves his life many times. Sombo favored Arn and during the war with the Vietnamese Sombo was constantly saving him. If he sensed a bomb was coming he would push Arn out of the way. In one scene in the novel their squad was eating in a circle and they heard a bomb whistling through the air. Sombo pushed Arn out of the way and the kid next to Arn was blown into pieces. Without music Arn probably would have died the first time he was caught sneaking out because the Khmer Rouge would have killed him. During the first time he was caught sneaking out he didn’t know they would let him live for being in the band. His mindset when he was sneaking out before he got caught was to not be seen or you die. I think he would have taken the same risks without the band and would have been caught and died.
I agree with Nolan and Gabe for most of the stuff. Nolan was right in saying how without volunteering and learning how to play the instrument Arn would have never became famous among the Khmer Rouge. Arn was caught many times sneaking around at night for food and other things. When the guards catch him sometimes they would have never let him live, but because of the band they let him. I also, agree with Nolan when he says he may have starved without the extra food the women cook gave him because he was a star. The only thing I disagree with is when Nolan says Arn would have survived without the band. When Arn was caught sneaking out for the first time he never knew they would let him live because of the band. If Arn wasn’t in the band and was caught the guard would have killed him. That makes me believe Arn would have died without the band.
Music definitely had affected Arn's life. Without Arn volunteering for him knowing to play an instrument, Arn never would have been the star among the Khmer Rouge's soldiers. Arn had been caught several times sneaking around at night by the soldiers, which could have gotten him killed, but they let him go because they knew he was the star performer in the band. Also, he had gotten more food from the woman cook once he became a star so he may have starved without getting extra food. That is how music had affected Arn's life and saved his life.
ReplyDeleteNolan, How might Arn have survived without music? What might Arn have had to do to survive?
ReplyDeleteMrs. Stevens, I feel that without music, Arn would have survived fine. Music saved his life when he had gotten into situations because he wanted to get more food or to answer to his curiosity. So without music I feel that he would have been fine if he just didn't do stupid stuff and would have laid a little lower. All he would have had to do to survive, more than likely, is just to live lower
DeleteI agree with you Nolan. Music was like his gardian angel, without it he wouldn't have been seen by the guards that much because after the first time sneaking out he would have been killed. Without the music, he would be like everyone else. They had no purpose to live anymore (no family), they were just waiting to die (to stop the pain of everyday), and they were getting weaker every day closer and closer to death (all the work they did with little food).
ReplyDeleteEarly in the book Arn says, “Music is like air, always there.” Music affects Arn’s life throughout the whole book. He would not have survived without it. It made him famous around the camp. Many times in the book the Khmer Rouge would catch him sneaking extra food to other people. Because Arn was becoming famous and so good at playing Angka’s music, they kept letting him live. When Arn teaches Sombo how to play the music it, saves his life many times. Sombo favored Arn and during the war with the Vietnamese Sombo was constantly saving him. If he sensed a bomb was coming he would push Arn out of the way. In one scene in the novel their squad was eating in a circle and they heard a bomb whistling through the air. Sombo pushed Arn out of the way and the kid next to Arn was blown into pieces. Without music Arn probably would have died the first time he was caught sneaking out because the Khmer Rouge would have killed him. During the first time he was caught sneaking out he didn’t know they would let him live for being in the band. His mindset when he was sneaking out before he got caught was to not be seen or you die. I think he would have taken the same risks without the band and would have been caught and died.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nolan and Gabe for most of the stuff. Nolan was right in saying how without volunteering and learning how to play the instrument Arn would have never became famous among the Khmer Rouge. Arn was caught many times sneaking around at night for food and other things. When the guards catch him sometimes they would have never let him live, but because of the band they let him. I also, agree with Nolan when he says he may have starved without the extra food the women cook gave him because he was a star. The only thing I disagree with is when Nolan says Arn would have survived without the band. When Arn was caught sneaking out for the first time he never knew they would let him live because of the band. If Arn wasn’t in the band and was caught the guard would have killed him. That makes me believe Arn would have died without the band.
ReplyDelete