• Frost's The Road Not Taken
• The Struggle Between Performance and Authenticity

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Brian's Wed. April 19, answer to jeanne's question:

In response to question number 3 from Jeanne: The struggle that we have seen between performance and authenticity is very natural in a democratic society.  Especially in the United States where government is founded on the ideas, beliefs, and changing political views of citizens.  Habermas uses his Discourse Theory as a way to solve resolutions so that society can be one as a whole.  In our society today demonstrations and protests are how people present their opinions on statues and laws that they are opposed to.  The problem with demonstrations are they sometimes become violent, resistant to police, and they can affect the flow of a city by blocking streets or standing in front of entrances to buildings.

Brian

On Thursday, 20 April, Susan wrote:

that's well and good, brian, but what happens to those who have historically been disenfranchised (the poor and powerless) who have been oppressed by these laws (the laws advantage the rich and powerful)? then what?

susan

Also on Thursday, 20 April, Susan wrote:

wasn't it Marx who said "the" only solution is revolution and anything short of radical, revolutionary change will not affect the system? if voices need to be heard, is violence then the last resort (legitimate so to speak)? susan

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Frost's The Road Not Taken

On Thursday, April 20, 2000, Ann wrote to the poetry listserv:

Still working on a lesson for "The Road Not Taken" (I am preparing for a job interview.) The way I interpret the poem, the poem is a study on the nature of choice. The 2 directions indicate the choices we face and in the poem no one direction is absolutely the best. Although the last 2 lines indicate that one choice implies more individuality, early in the poem, it is questioned whether one path is in fact less worn. The bottom line is, there are no guarantees. If this is the angle I want to pursue, I have 2 questions for you teachers - 1) Is there another poem about the nature of choice (uncertainty, chance, risk, etc.) that you know? 2) Do you have an idea of an initial activity that could lead students into a discussion of choices we make in life? THANKS SO MUCH! - Ann

jeanne forwarded this to the research team.

On Thursday, April 20, Susan wrote:

this is one of my all-time favorite poems; in fact, i bought a framed piece with the poem but it still sits in a box. at any rate, i interpret "... took the road less traveled by... and that has made all the difference" to mean that i took the unusual, nontraditional, less trodden path; maybe being more venturesome; a little daring; more bold; a risk-taker. in fact, i look at my own life situation as taking the road less traveled by when the traditional Japanese American role expectation is to get married and have kids, but i decided i'd rather have a career first and then a family. Now, that's rather radical in my father's mind. Hence, the "road less traveled by."

On Thursday, April 20, jeanne responded:

Susan, how wonderful that we were led to that poem on the site. this whole project has gone "the road less traveled by . . ." Yo, research team, jump right in, for I figure that peacemaking and love will be found along just such a road . . . love and peace, jeanne susan

On Friday, 21 April 2000, Donna Maria Woods wrote:

Hi Jeanne,

Robert Frost was a great choice. I find his imageries delightful. Choosing what we think is best for us, as an individual,is very courageous.  Especially when all those about us want us to fall in line, and follow the tried and true.  I am a black female artist from a poor family,and I was ridiculed for the path that I chose. I was expected to get a government job,have children,and work in the post office. What I chose was a road, "grassy and wanting ware." I have walked the streets of Spain and stood naked in a forest... what freedoms I have known by walking a ,"Road Not Taken."  Thank you Susan for choosing this poem.

Peace, Donna
Jeanne,sorry that I won't be able to make San Diego.

On Friday, 21 April, Susan responded:

i didn't choose the poem, but it is one of my favorites. as i thought more about this poem and what it means to me, i think of the virtual academic community that has brought us all together. we come from diverse pathways to get to this same place/time. curious, isn't it? we're certainly not mainstream. we're different.

susan

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