Class Discussion Reflection, Laura Boleyn

The final class on December 6 was probably the most interesting and fun discussion of the course. I especially enjoyed the discussion on the unfiltered experience and identity and on how people relate to things that are physical.
We discussed how changing the name given to you by your parents is a symbolic gesture of being free. You no longer belong to your parents and you have a different identity and are able to start over new and as you want to be. Crafting your own identity gives you a blank slate, or “Tabula Rasa, “ as we learned in class and in the book on page 239. I have wanted to be called “Liesel” by my parents, not to escape them and what they gave me but rather to give me the chance to leave everything behind and start fresh. I’m not exactly happy with the way things are in my life and would love to be able to go somewhere totally different and be a totally different person and just change everything and start all over again. I can understand why Chris wanted to be called Alex Supertramp and go to a totally new and different experience for change.
Another part of the class discussion that I could relate to was the part on the magical library and that people relate to things that are physical. I have been in the library too, and have heard the books speak to me. I was looking for a book on San Francisco and on my way found a play that I found to be very interesting. I have also had this same experience in a grocery store. I was going shopping for fruit and vegetables for my parents and I was walking through I saw this strange fruit that I had never seen before and I couldn’t help but buy it. As I was picking up that particular fruit, there were other exotic fruits and couldn’t help but buy one other different kind. I had never heard of these fruit, and because of it I don’t remember their names but they were really interesting and a nice change that made the evening interesting.