Lens / Artifact Essay using Call Me American and Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" Writing Prompt In this essay, you will analyze Abdi Nor Iftin's Call Me American using Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" as a lens. Plato's "Allegory" describes Socrates' metaphorical story about becoming educated or enlightened. Iftin relates his own powerful journey of how he learns English in a society that heavily discouraged using the English language and influence from the Western world. Iftin's learning leads him to intense, sometimes disheartening epiphanies, and it also creates obstacles for him in life. These texts relate in their examination of education or enlightenment and their challenges and triumphs. You will need to identify key ideas in "Allegory of the Cave" and use them to analyze Iftin's experiences in Call Me American. In other words, you will use Socrates theory as a lens to analyze Iftin's life experiences. Like wearing a pair of glasses can clarify the world for those with imperfect vision, wearing a pair of Socrates' "glasses" will clarify (or illuminate, or enrich) your understanding of iftin's journey. Questions to consider Some questions that may help you formulate ideas for this essay are listed below. These questions are merely to inspire--they do not imply an outline or a list of questions that you must answer in your paper, How does Socrates describe the process of learning and attaining knowledge? Does this process ring true for iftin? How so? Who in Call Me American are like the prisoners in "Allegory"? Consider the myriad symbols in Plato's text. What do the shadows on the wall represent in iftin's world? The fire? The puppeteers? The rocky ascent up the cave? The sun? How does iftin feel about his newfound knowledge and language skills? And how does . . . Lens / Artifact Essay using Call Me American and Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" Writing Prompt In this essay, you will analyze Abdi Nor Iftin's Call Me American using Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" as a lens. Plato's "Allegory" describes Socrates' metaphorical story about becoming educated or enlightened. Iftin relates his own powerful journey of how he learns English in a society that heavily discouraged using the English language and influence from the Western world. Iftin's learning leads him to intense, sometimes disheartening epiphanies, and it also creates obstacles for him in life. These texts relate in their examination of education or enlightenment and their challenges and triumphs. You will need to identify key ideas in "Allegory of the Cave" and use them to analyze Iftin's experiences in Call Me American. In other words, you will use Socrates theory as a lens to analyze Iftin's life experiences. Like wearing a pair of glasses can clarify the world for those with imperfect vision, wearing a pair of Socrates' "glasses" will clarify (or illuminate, or enrich) your understanding of iftin's journey. Questions to consider Some questions that may help you formulate ideas for this essay are listed below. These questions are merely to inspire--they do not imply an outline or a list of questions that you must answer in your paper, How does Socrates describe the process of learning and attaining knowledge? Does this process ring true for iftin? How so? Who in Call Me American are like the prisoners in "Allegory"? Consider the myriad symbols in Plato's text. What do the shadows on the wall represent in iftin's world? The fire? The puppeteers? The rocky ascent up the cave? The sun? How does iftin feel about his newfound knowledge and language skills? And how does
