These five exercises are designed for flexibility. Larger groups may find that one exercise is enough to fill their time. Smaller or more ambitions groups may want to try more than one. The exercises are arranged in sequence from the simplest and easiest to the more complex. The fifth exercise on story making will involve individual work prior to the group discussion. The material in the third and fourth exercises are closely related and may prove to be a good combination for groups that wants to take on more than one.
1st Exercise: The Name—9 questions.
- Read the dialogue and Angie Torre’s comments on signifying and naming on pages 81 to 82. (Read the shaded areas only.) Also, if helpful, look up the definition of Signifying in the Glossary, page 307.
(1) Based on Angie’s comments, what is the purpose of a name?
- Think about your name.
(2) Is it possible to think of your name as the summing up of who you are? If so, can you give some description of the person your name signifies?
(3) Did you change your name at some time in your life? What were the circumstances surrounding your name change?
(4) Did your name change represent a change of your identity i.e. of who you are?
(5) Are you now (or have you ever been) stuck with a name that fails to express the person you are?
- Read what Angie says on page 39 regarding the meaning of one’s name.
(6) Why do you think our friend in Notes from the Flesh has no name?
(7) Does it bother you that he has no name?
- Read page 218. Here our character imagines that Angie Torres, if given the chance, would rename him.
(8) Can you explain how this name that he imagines meshes with the content of the story?
- The implication of his imaginings is that her name for him could apply to each of us.
(9) Do you agree or disagree that this name could apply to each of us?
2nd Exercise: Morism—8 questions.
(1) Think about your day tomorrow and what you will do. Does it include getting, or acquiring more of something; something beyond the necessities for your existence? What is it; what will you pursue?
(2) Now think about your life ambitions, same question: do think of your life as involving the pursuit of more? What are you pursuing?
- Read the definition on Morism on page 306 and our friend’s rantings about Lunatic Angie on pages 272 to 279.
Discuss Morism:
(3) What is it and what are the two parts?
(4) Other than material objects what other accumulations does it include?
(5) According to the story, how does it happen that one’s destiny contributes to, or causes one’s Morism?
(6) Do you agree or disagree that our destiny is the driving force for our accumulations?
- At the top half of page 62 Angie tells our friend why we rationalize or justify our pursuit for more. Later, he also will mention this rationalizing (bottom of page 283 through the first half of page 284).
(7) Can you describe any of the common rationalizations we (meaning our society) give ourselves to justify the pursuit of more?
- Read the second half of page 284 and note what our friend says about confusion.
(8) How would you describe this confusion that arises from our justifications for pursuing more?
3rd Exercise: Learning from Grief—6 questions. Read pages 121-127.
- In these pages Angie Torres describes what she terms, The Sign of Size and Distinction. The sign, she says, is the physiology of grief—the physical upheaval we experience when we lose someone to death. (The Glossary also mentions Size and Distinction on page 307.) In the group, read her list of physical manifestations of grief on page 121.
(1) Has anyone in the group lost someone recently?
(2) Did you experience any of these symptoms?
(3) Did you experience other physical symptoms that are not on her list?
- For the sake of getting everyone on the same page, have someone in the group read the dialogue that includes Angie’s explanation of “size.” Start at the middle of page 122. Stop at middle of page 123. (Read the shaded areas only.)
From study, researchers have learned much about grief. For example, some animals also grieve upon losing a mate, or an offspring. So we know who grieves. And we know what happens when we, or animals grieve. But, what does grief mean?
Some would claim we should understand grief as a “survival mechanism.” They assume any behavior common to all members of a species must somehow relate to the survival of that species. This is the only meaning they would attach to grief. In this view, grief says something about the natural world as a whole.
(4) Do you agree with this view?
Another way to understand grief is that our individual existence is weighty and substantial—you and I are sizable and distinctive. Therefore grief should be understood as our physical revolt against the extinction of something of immense value. (This was Angie’s view of grief). In this view, grief says something about our individual specialness and uniqueness.
(5) Do you agree with this view?
Within your group, allow everyone to express their answers to questions (4) and (5) above. For the sake of discussion, it would be helpful if everyone gave their reasons why they agree or disagree.
(6) How do our answers to these questions affect the way we view the human race, and ourselves as a members of the human race?
4th Exercise: Distinction and whether it matters—5 questions.
- For the sake of getting everyone on the same page, have someone in the group read the dialogue that includes Angie’s comments on “distinction” (from middle of page 124 to middle of 127). (Read the shaded areas only.)
- On page 127, Angie concludes her description of “distinction” with a question: “Do you feel the weight of what I’m saying?”
(1) Why do you think she phrases it this way, using the term “weight?”
(2) Do her words feel weighty to you?
(3) Do you feel weighty to you?
Or, do you feel your existence as something light, like a feather?
Or do you feel invisible, as if your existence does not even register with others?
(4) If you do not feel very weighty, what would have to happen for you to start feeling as if your existence was more substantial?
(5) Would this be something that happens within yourself, originating from your own thoughts and feelings? Or would it be something that happens to you; something that comes from outside yourself?
5th Exercise: You, as a living narrative—5 questions.
We love to tell stories, read stories and watch stories. But what about understanding ourselves as living out, or living within, a story? See if there are at least a few in the group willing to do the exercise and answer the first four questions below (Hint: it might be better to ask members to consider these questions before meeting together. Some will need time to think about their answers):
- Prior to the discussion everyone should get familiar with Bill’s description of storytelling from the bottom of page 21 to the top half of page 25. You can have everyone review this before meeting, or read it silently at the beginning of your meeting, or have someone read it aloud to the group.
- For those who are able and prepared, tell the group about a project you will soon undertake. We will call this your “story.” It can be something as simple as tearing out and re-planting that overgrown corner in the backyard, or something more complex like teaching a classroom of elementary school children for the upcoming school year.
- The End.
(1) Can you describe the “end” of your story? This will be the purpose for all the actions. List a few things that you expect “to see,” or “to happen,” or “to change” when you have completed this project.
- Your practices.
(2) A story will always include the necessary actions steps that must be undertaken so that the characters can complete their purpose. Can you describe for the group those actions steps for your story? And, related to this: do any of these steps have to be repeated, over and over?
(3) A story sometimes includes character actions that give expression to the end before they reach the end. In other words, in the case of your story does anticipation for your arrival at the end change how you act now? Make a list of these practices if you have them.
Example: Suppose the purpose of your project is to make money. An expression of your anticipated success could be that you buy a new car on credit before that money comes in.
Example: Suppose the purpose of your project is to get certified at a level of proficiency in your profession. An expression of your anticipated success could be that you join a professional organization for those who are thus certified, even before you complete the classwork and take the exam.
- Virtues.
(4) What kind of person will you need to be in order to stick with these practices, maintaining them all the way to the end? List the character traits. (The list can be as short or long as you like.)
There. You have a story, and it is you!
- Question for the group as a whole. At the bottom of page 23 and top of page 24, Bill describes the Meander and warns our friend to avoid it. But Angie Torres (pages 66 and 91) claimed the Meander was an illusion—no such thing. (You can find the definition of the Meander in the Glossary on page 306.)
(5) Do you agree or disagree with Angie, that the Meander is an illusion? Why?