Read the following article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/25/opinion/sunday/nicholas-kristof-wheres-the-empathy.html?ref=opinion
Answer the following questions:
1. Where did Kevin and the author of this article grow up? What type of community was it?
2. What sort of man was Kevin's dad? What sort of teenager was Kevin?
3. What are some of the factors that caused others to look down on Kevin before he died?
4. What are some of the ways that Kevin tried to make money when he couldn't work?
5. The author claims that a lack of empathy is what really killed Kevin. What is empathy? Do you think that Americans, as a whole, have a lack of empathy? What about the people you are around most often? Do they have a lack of empathy?
6. Compare Kevin with George or Lennie from Of Mice and Men (your choice of which). How are their views of the American Dream similar? How are they different?
Kayla Fincher
ReplyDelete1.Yamhill
2.uneducated but had a decent job earning minimum wage and never had trouble with the law.
3. his weight and medical issues
4.selling home-grown pot. and earning from disability
5.empathy is the experience of understanding another person's condition from their perspective. i think lack of empathy from others around him did a factor in a bit with emotional health especially but it was also a lot of physical health issues also.
6. Kevin and George are similar in many ways because they both just want to live on farms, they both have also been through alot of obstacles along their journey.
Emily Keller
ReplyDelete1) a rural town in Oregon called Yamhill
2) he was very hardworking and he made sure his kids were too. Kenny was very cheerful and helpful
3) he was obese, didn't have a job, and lived off of disability
4) he sold home grown pot, and sometimes collected cans
5) empathy is the ability to understand others feelings. i believe this isn't something we can judge Americans on a whole about, our country is too diverse. of course every country is going to have people who are extremely kind and others who aren't. i choose to surround myself with empathic people because that was i know ill always have someone to share my thoughts with.
6) both Kevin and Lennie wanted to live on a farm, surrounded by people they loved. they are different mainly because Lennie was sort of oblivious to the real world and Kevin had to face the hardships of reality every day.
Shalyn Dale
ReplyDelete1)Yamhill, Ore. It was a rural community.
2) Thomas was a good man, but basically uneducated. Kevin had a high school education, and was active in sports.
3)His weight and facial features.
4) Growing and selling marijuana
5) Empathy is the ability to understand someone's feelings. I do believe that Americans as a whole have a lack of empathy because we are so quick to judge others w/o knowing their story. The people around me have somewhat of a since of empathy, we try not to judge and understand what others are going through.
6) Kevin and Lennie had similar views of the American dream, they each just wanted to be happy. Kevin wanted to be happy with his two sons, his wife, and a paying job. When he lost all three things at once it was a huge blow. Lennie wanted to be happy with mice, and he killed them all. Other than those things, I don't see a major difference, besides the way they died.
1. Yamhill, Oregon. it was very rural or country.
ReplyDelete2. Kevin's dad was very hard working and responsible. Kevin was also a hard working teenager and was very helpful.
3. His weight and his government assistance.
4. When he was unable to work he made money selling marijuana.
5.Empathy is the ability understand other people's feelings. I feel that America as a whole does indeed lack empathy. There are people that aren't trying to help themselves, but the people that are truly doing their best and are really trying to help themselves deserve help. Americans believe that every person that is poor, or gets food stamps or other government assistance is a freeloader or a moocher and aren't putting in the effort to do for themselves. even though that may be true for some people that are poor or unemployed, it's not true for all. About half of the people I am around most often do have views like this that are kind of prejudice but the rest of my friends try to view each situation with empathy and share the feelings of others.
5. I see some similarities in Kevin and Lennie. Kevin's story shows him as trying his best to do for himself and those he cares about. But obstacles keep getting in the way and hindering him from reaching his goals and eventually killing him. Lennie did his absolute best to reach his dreams but due to his disabilities he wasn't able to make it and was eventually killed. They both just wanted to be able to be free and provide for themselves without having to rely on others. However Lennie wanted to be able to just live off of the farm and literally do for himself not having to work for other people. Kevin just wanted to have a good job and do well for his family.
Carter Billings 3rd (1 They grew up in Yamhill, Oregon in a small rural community. (2 Kevin's dad was a hardworking man, but was not to smart. Kevin was happy, cheerful, and helpful. (3 The fact that he was overweight, old, unhealthy, and could support himself or his kids is why he was looked down upon. (4 He sold pot, grew vegetables, and fished. (5 Empathy is the ability to share feelings with someone. I think that Americans as a whole do have a lack of empathy and tend to look down on one another. People I am around most of ten usually look after one another and help each other. They connect and share their feelings it is because of this I think that they do have empathy. (6 Kevin, in his ideas of the American Dream, represents Lennie from Of Mice and Men. Kevin loved to please everybody and it made him happy in doing so. He has this goal which is be successful, but things hinder the progress to the goal. Things start to spiral and it ends in a tragedy like Lennie in Of Mice and Men. Lennie has a goal, messes up, and his life spirals like Kevin's.
ReplyDeleteMakenzie Taylor
ReplyDelete1) Yamhill, Oregon. It was a small, rural area.
2) He wasn't very educated, but he had a good job and worked very hard. Teenage Kevin is described by the author as "sunny, cheerful, and astonishingly helpful".
3) Kevin was obese, gray-bearded, and poor.
4) Kevin tried to sell home-grown pot, to work for a construction company, and to work as a shift manager for trailer homes.
5) Empathy is to share or recognize emotions experienced by another. I don't really think that Americans can empathize with people very much because America has so many things sort of given to them and don't really have to experience the turmoil or struggle that people in other countries have to go through. I'm not trying to say that working-class Americans don't struggle or work hard, but the bottom 5% of Americans are richer than 68% of the world. But there are good people in America who are very compassionate. As long as a person knows how to give love is all that matters. The people I'm around most often are pretty empathetic towards others. We try to treat everyone with respect and remain open-minded, so we aren't too quick to judge.
6) Kevin and George both have similar ideas of the American Dream. They both think that if they work hard and play their cards right, then they will live a good, simple life. In the end they recognize that the American Dream will not come true for them, and they accept the tragic fact; i.e., Kevin writes his will, and George has to shoot Lennie. Their views differ because George has this type of unrealistic, child-like belief that they'll be able to achieve their ultimate goal. Kevin wanted to achieve that, but he recognized the obstacles he would have to overcome and was sort of becoming discouraged.
MacKenzie Jones
ReplyDelete1.) Yamhill, Oregon. It was rural
2.) He only had a 3rd grade education, had a union job as a cement finisher, and had no trouble with the law. Kevin was a hard worker, earing his diploma, and he was always willing to help others when needed.
3.) The fact that he was obese and they thought he didn't care about his health.
4.) Empathy is basically someone being able to understand what its like for someone else because they as well have been through that situation. A good bit of Americans lack empathy, just due to the fact that they judge someone without even thinking. Some people around me deffinatley lack empathy, because I know some of the things some of them have been through yet they look down on or judge someone based on their aditude, actions, appearance, etc. even though they've been through the same thing so they should know what its like to be in that position. People probably do certain things for certain reasons and will probably get judged just from lack of empathy from people today.
6.) Kevin and Lennie have the same views of this because they have felt the judgement and hatred that comes from others just from being themselves. Also theyre different because Lennie lean more toward a positive outlook on life and he keeps on trying and going not giving up unlike Kevin who more so has a negative outlook on life after everything went downhill; he felt like he couldn't get back up on his feet and keep going so he basically gave up at one point or another I guess.
Alex Turner 3rd period
ReplyDelete1. A small town in Yamhill, Ore sort of poor
2. Undereducated hardworking man. Kevin attended welding classes and participated in sports
3. Self farmed drugs, not a stable job, was on welfare
4. Sold drugs
5. the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. Yes. I feel that everyone around us has a lack of empathy
6. I feel that lennie and Kevin are alike. They both have a set back Lennie being his lack of intelligence and Kevin being his lack of recourses in early life and later having back problems that stop him from being able to work.
Grace Singley
ReplyDelete1. Yamhill, Oregon. It was a rural community.
2. His dad was a man with only a 3rd grade education, but was hard-working, had no trouble with the law, and wanted the best for his kids. Kevin was a happy and helpful teenager who earned a high school diploma.
3. His lack of a job, diabetes problems, obese, not paying child support, and being arrested for drug offenses.
4. Grow marijuana to sell it and disability benefits.
5. Empathy is putting yourself in someone perspective and understanding their feelings. Yes, I feel that a lot of Americans lack empathy because we are selfish and always judge before we know what a person is going through or feeling. Most of the time I think that my closet friends and family do actually care for me and have empathy for me, but sometimes they can also be selfish.
6. Kevin is like Lennie in a way because they both have a problem- Lennie being mentally slow and Kevin having disability problems. People are always judging them; however, they both just want to have a good life with people that care about them, and no one seems to show empathy for Lennie or Kevin.
Josie Parham
ReplyDelete1- Yamhill, Oregon; a rural farm town
2- His father had a third grade education, a union job, and urged his kids to work hard; Kevin was sunny, cheerful, and astonishingly helpful
3- He was overweight, lost his girlfriend and his kids, and he was living off government checks.
4- He would sit by his trailer and collect cans and earn 20 dollars
5- The ability to share the feelings of one another; as a whole I think many Americans lack empathy because we judge so much and have so many stereotypes. The people I hang around with do have empathy and care for others around them.
6- I’m comparing Kevin with George. Their views on the American dream both included some farm land where they could make their own living. I was different because Kevin incorporated having kids into his dream and teaching them to work hard.
Troy Banks
ReplyDelete1. Yamhill, Oregon & it was a farm-town.
2. Kevin's father had a third-grade education and couldn't read; he worked for everything he had. Kevin shared the same "working-man" attitude as his father. He was generous and quick to help someone in need.
3. He was obese, unemployed, and he drew a check.
4. He had a garden and sold crops, he sold fish that he caught, and he sold weed that he grew.
5. Empathy is an understanding of another's situation. Yes, the majority of Americans have a lack of empathy,and not only empathy, but intelligence as a whole. I think the same of my fellow students.
6. Kevin and George's view of the American Dream are similar in that they both seen it as living off of the land and being reliant on themselves; they are different in that, in George's case, the American Dream didn't necessarily apply to all races and sexes.
1. YAMHILL, Ore.
ReplyDelete2.his dad was hardworking but he was lazy
3. He was lazy overweight and a drug user
4. He collected cans on the side of the road
5. Empathy is basically feeling sorry for someone and no I think in some causes some Americans have to much empathy and I think that and I think that the people around you most often are around know you situation and act opropriate to
6. Kevin and Lennie Are alike because they both wanted to live in a simpler world but lennie was very hard working and due to un normal cirrcumstances Kevin is not as much
Reagan Ross.
ReplyDelete1) Yamhill, Ore; I would say very small due to the fact it mentioned he lived on a small farm.
2) I assume Kevin's dad was hardworking due to the fact it mentioned he had a good job, but his father only received a third grade education. Nicholas claims "Kevin was sunny, cheerful and astonishingly helpful."
3) he was heavy {weight}; he received help from the government; he had children outside of marriage; he was seen as lazy, etc.
4) I know ways he made money included collecting cans, or when he was older and his life went downhill, selling pot.
5) empathy is having the ability to understand others and the situation they are in. I also believe people lacked empathy for Kevin and failed to see his situation for what it really was. I do believe Americans as a whole have a lack of empathy, as do the people surrounding me. I feel that we as humans all do at some points in our life. we are all so quick to judge without actually understanding a situation, and though I try my hardest to understand some people and have empathy towards them, sometimes I fail.
6) I can't exactly see a set comparison to be made between either George or Lennie with Kevin, but I'll give it my best shot. the thing Kevin had in common with George was of course the fact they both had {or dreamed of} a farm. they were both smart and attempted to work hard, although they faced hardships. the similarities between their american dreams were they both had love for a farm and also tried to do work in order to live the life they wanted. even though Kevin had a hard time finding work, we were told he was hardworking and would fix anything. but again, he was injured, so he resorted to getting money in other ways.
Lynsey Simpson:
ReplyDelete1. Yamhill, Oregon; a small farmers town
2. Didn't have much of an education but works hard and makes sure his kids do the same.
3. He used food stamps, disability, and weighed 350+
4. selling fish he caught, and homegrown pot and vegetables
5. Yes, us Americans are quick to judge and have a huge lack of empathy, because we can never see what its like on someone else's side of the bargain. Not everyone around me isn't empathetic, but not everyone around me is, either. most of the people I'm around have a lack o empathy, because some people are taught to not have empathy.
6. Kevin is like Lennie, because they both have big dreams, but both of them were kind of 'crippled' because Lennie wasn't all there, and Kevin didn't have the resources to get a job, they both had crutches, Lennie's was George, and Kevin's was his disability check and his food stamps. They aren't alike in the sense of Kevin was physically disabled, and Lennie was mentally disabled.
Ke-Anna' Rich: 1. Yamhill, Oregon; Small tight knit community
ReplyDelete2. He was a hard working, law abiding citizen; He was hard-working, athletic, and considerate
3. He was obese, didn't have a job, and had two kids with someone he never married.
4. He collected cans
5. The ability to experience another person's feelings; I do think that people have some empathy, but they don't go about showing it to strangers. Most peolpe only show empathy to those they know, which is why you can see the people you know empathize with you more than those who don't know you at all.
6. Kevin is like George, because he had this goal, but during his lifetime something kept getting in the way of him reaching that goal. Both of them had a dream of being able to do for themselves or for their family. One wanted security and peace of mind, while the other wanted happiness.
Lorenzo B. Winston:
ReplyDelete1. Kevin and the author of this article grew up in Yamhill, Oregon. The community was a small farm with cows, hogs, chickens, etc.
2. Kevin’s dad was trouble-free, hard working, had a good job, and paid high above the minimum wage. He also had a third-grade education and couldn’t read. Kevin as a teenager was sunny, cheerful, and very helpful.
3. Some factors that caused others to look down on Kevin before he died is that he was obese with a gray beard and he lived on disability and food stamps.
4. Some of the ways that Kevin tried to make money when he couldn’t work is he used to ride his bicycle to collect cans by a roadside and would make $20 a day.
5. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. I do think that Americans as a whole have a lack of empathy. I think that the people I am around most often as a whole have a low average of empathy. And they will get their point across during ANY situation.
6. I think that Kevin and George have similarities and differences of the American Dream. Their similarities are that they both think that everyone has a shot at achieving and succeeding at anything they can put their minds to. The differences are that Kevin will achieve the American Dream, but if not that, at least he can rise from the low class to the high class. George, on the other hand, is not letting anything get in between or stopping him until he can get what he has always DREAMED of.
Sydney Emmons
ReplyDelete1. Yamhill, Oregon. which was a rural area.
2. Kevin's dad was well off and had a nice paying job. Kevin participated in many school activities and had many different jobs.
3. Obese, poor, and fathering 2 children without marriage.
4. Food stamps, and selling home grown pot.
5. Empathy is knowing how someone feels, and understanding it. As a whole. I think Americans are lacking empathy because, we are quick to judge, and don't understand what others are going through. Majority of the people I am around most often seem to have empathy. They make others feel better and relate to people and take others peoples feelings into consideration.
6. Kevin's views on life were happy ones at first. He looked up to his dad that had a nice job, fell in love, had kids, and thought everything was going to be okay. Just like Lennie. Because Lennie always looked on the bright side of things and thought that he was going to get his own land with rabbits, and freedom. But, he never thought about the bad side, and never thought that his life was going downhill. But it was, and he eventually died like Kevin did. They both died due to inequality and lack of empathy. :(
Emily Perry:
ReplyDelete1. Yamhill, Oregon on a farm; rural community
2. Kevin's dad wasn't well educated but was a hard worker, cared for family; Kevin was happy, could fix anything, and ran cross-country.
3. He was overweight, unhealthy, poor, unemployed, and was arrested on drug charges. He was also on food stamps, he lost his drivers license, and was behind on child support.
4. Sold pot, vegetables, and fish
5. Empathy is the ability to understand and feel what someone else is going through. As a whole, America lacks empathy. For example, people on the internet are very hateful toward celebrities. They comment some of the meanest things and don't even worry about the celebrities' feelings or what they may already have going on in their life. People I am around have empathy for their friends and the people they know well but some of them can be very prejudiced toward people who are not like them. They sometimes lack empathy.
6. Kevin wanted to have a happy life and a good job that would enable him to care for his family. But like Lennie, he wasn't able to keep a job and always struggled financially. Also like Lennie, Kevin always cared for people. They were both disabled but Kevin was physically disabled and Lennie was mentally disabled. Lennie was strong and able to work, unlike Kevin, who was unable to work.
I- Yamhill, Oregon/ a rural place, Hillbilly's Paradise
ReplyDeleteII- Kevin's dad was a hard working man. Kevin was the same way.
III- His downward spiral into obesity, loss of love, lack of money, and a dark Breaking Bad-ish set up.
IV- Collecting cans on the side of the road.
V- Empathy is the emotion felt for another person/thing. I don't feel like there is a lack of empathy, other people who /do/ care help to balance out those who don't. Some the people I associate with have empathy for various things and some do not. I find that many people don't show empathy for most things unless it hits them directly on a personal level.
VI- I'm gonna say what everyone else is gonna say and compare him [Kevin Green] to Lennie. I compare him to Lennie because of both their helpless natures.
Leigh Davis
ReplyDelete1. Kevin and the author of this article grew up in Yamhill, Oregon. It was a small-town community with farmers and other things like that.
2.Kevin's dad was pretty much living the American Dream, provided for his children, and made sure that him and his kids worked hard for what they had. Kevin was hardworking, always wanted to be helpful and was very giving and caring.
3.They looked down on him because he was obese, living off of food stamps, and they thought he gave up on his children.
4.He sold home-grown pot, built a vegetable garden, and fished in the Yamhill River.
5.Empathy is the ability to be able to get someone's specific situation and feel for them. Yes, personally I think that many Americans definitely have a lack of empathy, not all bust a good percentage of them. The people I am around most often normally have a decent amount of empathy for others.
6.Kevin and Lennie definitely have similar views but at the same time, they are different too. They want the best for the people around them and they feel for other people. They are different in the way that Kevin was an extremely hard worker and worked for what he had and taught his children the same thing and Lennie wasn't always like that all the time.
Olivia LeComte
ReplyDelete1. A small rural town called Yamhill.
2. Kevin’s dad was nice and hard working. Kevin was hard working and responsible. Also he was in good shape.
3. He was overweight, he had two children out of wedlock, he didn’t have a job, he was living off of disability, and he had trouble with the law.
4. He would collect cans off the side of the freeway and he would sell marijuana
5. Empathy is the ability to feel sorry for other people’s circumstances. I believe we have a lot of trouble understanding what other people go through. But I do believe that we do have empathy. The people around me the most are the kids at Hillcrest. They are adolescents with forming minds and most teens do have trouble with empathy. They will eventually grow up and their empathy will start to take hold again.
6. Kevin and Lennie are both alike in that they believed that if they just worked hard enough that they would be able to make a decent living and have a good comfortable life. Both of them were then killed by the hardships of this dream. A difference however is that Lennie held out childish hope till the very end when I am sure Kevin eventually faced the awful truth of the so called “American dream”.
James Smelley
ReplyDelete1. Yamhill. It was rural.
2. They were both hardworking.
3. His medical issues and unemployment.
4. He sold marijuana and collected cans.
5. Empathy is feeling bad for someone. Americans have enough, if not too much empathy. The people around me are about half and half on the subject of having empathy. This is most likely because of their age.
6. Kevin and Lennie are alike in the sense that they both just wanted something to make them happy, they took it too far, and then lost everything. They are different because Lennie didn't really know what was going on and Kevin did.
Abbye Blocker
ReplyDelete1. Kevin Green and Nicholas Kristof grew up in Yamhill, Oregon. It is a small farming community.
2. Kevin's dad only had a third grade education, but had a good paying job as a cement finisher. Kevin was a cheerful, happy, and hard working teenager that would help anybody.
3. His rapid weight gain, his kids and girlfriend left him, and he lived off of disability benefits and food stamps.
4. He grew pot and a huge vegetable garden; he also fished in the Yamhill River.
5. Empathy is the ability to understand what the other person is feeling. I think Americans as a whole are empathetic to a standard. Yes, we help others and build them up; but we also break them down by judging them when they do things like grow pot, instead of getting them help when they need it the most.
6. I think that Kevin could be compared to George by George's view of the American Dream being owning a farm and living off the land; where as that is what Kevin was living like but he didn't like living like that. Kevin's view of the American Dream was being successful and having a job.