Gamma. We went to a concert yesterday, me and my folks. And I just listened to the music and liked it mostly, and didn't like some. And then we got out and I forgot it and was thinking how I would play freeciv at home. Dad was discussing the concert with mom, and my aunt started to argue, and all that was pretty annoying, but I jumped in at some point, I don't know why. We were arguing all the way down to our house, and I almost got in a fight with Becky (Gamma's kid sister-A.V.), and we all couldn't stop. Mom wanted to cool us down, but dad couldn't stop either. In the end, all of a sudden, I felt a huge drive to go back and listen to it again! It's like Beta said, I felt like it became alive in my mind! I mean, all those things I was imagining while I was arguing: people, feelings, actions, you know... They kind of crowded my mind, while I was trying to make my point, ...maybe because of that...
Alpha. I don't follow you. What does it have to do with our today's question?
Kappa. I know how that feels! That's exactly what happens every time we go to a movie! We always argue afterwards, and Jimmy (Kappa's kid brother-A.V.) always speaks against me, because he likes to tease me, and mom tries to cool us down, and dad jumps in. Dad tries not to take sides, but he can't help it. And then we go to watch it again sometimes, not the entire family, but who can or wants to, you know, and we often buy the video as soon as it comes out. And I am starting to understand now, all of this argument is the best part of it. I think, I wouldn't pay much attention to many of those movies, if not for this argument! But I can write books about them now!
Alpha. Wow, what a story! A family fight! How does this relate to our subject?
Gamma. Don't you see? It's all the same.
Alpha. No, I do not! It's all different! In a movie, you see what you see. In a book, you can't see it, but have to imagine all of its heroes, and landscapes, and action... Everyone imagines it their own way! It's like everyone reads a different book while we all read the same The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. And when you listen to music, you don't even know whether you think of it the same as its composer does. How can you say it is all the same?
Teacher. If I ask now, why do we read books, watch movies, listen to music, the answers will be different?..
Alpha. ...Well, that's not what I meant. I don't know why we do all those things. My point was that they are very different, that's all.
Beta. Thus, you don't know any more?
Alpha. What do you mean?
Delta. Beta is reminding you that you had the answer about books, remember?
Alpha. Actually, I think that books, and, movies, and music...
Kappa. And fashions?
Gamma. Hold it!
Alpha. ...do the same thing to us. They teach us, but in different ways... And everyone learns what they see, or can see, or...
Delta. Or want?
Beta. Well, if you learn from Tom Sawyer how to defend your girl, and the other guy learns to smoke, and someone concludes that Indians are bad guys because there was a bad Indian Joe there... Then how can we tell that books teach us?
Alpha. I told you, everyone learns what they see.
Delta. Listen, Alpha, if books are to learn from, then writers are to teach?
Alpha. So?
Delta. Is that a yes, or a no?
Alpha. Come on, we're not in a court room.
Delta. Why don't you answer?
Kappa. OK, OK. Suppose they are to teach us, what is your point?
Gamma. Delta is just picking up on what Beta is getting at: if books are to learn from, their authors are to teach, but if everyone learns different things, then what are the authors teaching? Did I get it right, guys?
Beta. Well yes, you're even getting ahead of me now.
Kappa. Well, I don't know what Mark Twain was trying to teach us, but I was never the same after I read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
Beta. I have a feeling that I'll never be the same after this discussion.
Teacher. Me too, I think.
Alpha. What are you guys talking about? Are you going to paint fences from now on?
Gamma. Oh very funny, Alpha. Everyone is laughing.
Alpha. Gamma, you may cry, if you want to.
Gamma. Well, thank you! Now I feel like I live in a free country.
Kappa. Oh there it goes again.
Delta. But, we were being all deep about these ideas and I don't get why Alpha has to play it down like that.
Alpha. Oh, so Delta can be serious too!
Teacher. Can we do a little summary now? It won't look like final answers, and I cannot even say we have some answers, but certain things were definitely said.
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