Name: Period: Date:

Matter of Life or Death Socratic Seminar Questions

We will be using the following questions in our Socratic Seminar. The Socratic Seminar is one of your summative
assignments for this reading unit. Come up with assertions (verbal topic sentences/claims) that directly answer
the question. Write notes with evidence to support your claim. The evidence is REQUIRED because it will help
back up your assertion and it will help keep the conversation centered around the issue of survival. The talking
points are equally important. They allow you to elaborate on the so what of your assertion and evidence.
Without this verbal matters, your conversations will seem flat and boring. Not all of the questions will be used
but you need assertions, evidence, and talking points for each one. If needed, you may use a separate page to
answer the following questions. You will submit this for a grade!

1. Based on all the information we have read in A Matter of Life or Death, explain your reaction to Victor
Frankls quote: But what about human liberty? Is there no spiritual freedom in regard to behavior and reaction
to any given surroundings? Most important, do the prisoners reactions to the singular world of the
concentration camp prove that man cannot escape the influences of his surroundings? Does man have no choice
of action in the face of such circumstances?
Assertion (Topic Sentence) Evidence (Says-quotes) Talking Points/Matters

You have the power over how
you react to a circumstance.
Everything can be Reactions can help make the situation
taken from a man but better or worse, it depends on how the
one thing to choose person reacts.
his attitude in any given
set of circumstances to
choose is even way.

2. Words have a major impact on the individual. The power of words can both hinder and motivate individuals
to react or commit to certain ideological principles. Explain your thoughts and use textual evidence to explain.
Assertion Evidence Talking Points/Matters

Different types of words have Someone has to get People will always have negative things to
different impacts. A hurtful mired in scum and say, it is our reaction that makes a
word will have a much ashes, sofa springs. difference.
different effect than a kind one. Splintered glass and
bloody rags.
(The End and The
Beginning, Szymberska,
9-13).

3. Selfish or not? By providing textual evidence explain your reactions to the concept of if ones personal
Name: Period: Date:
survival over the lives of others is considered selfish or not.

Assertion Evidence Talking Points/Matters

Survival is selfish
After realizing that the She could have thought the problem
people were too through and realized that she could help
paralyzed to react, she save more lives instead of just her own.
took direct action,
crawling over several
rows of people to get to
the exit. (Wersel, 49-
51)

4. Elie Wiesel explains his view on oppression with: We must take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor,
never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When
human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become
irrelevant. Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that
place must - at that moment - become the center of the universe. Explain your reaction to Wiesels view and
support your reasoning with examples for this collection.
Assertion Evidence Talking Points/Matters

I agree we must stand
together to help each victim
and make it known that we
are willing to fix the problem.
A guy who provides People have different reactions to
survival training for situations, but we can still work together to
pilots told me once that form a united front and fight against
the number one problems in the world.
determining factor for
survival is simply
whether people hold it
together in a crisis or fall
apart. (Wiesel, 40-43)

5. Explain how motivation plays an important role in encouraging a reaction from the individual. Based
on our study and personal experiences, what have you learned about motivation.
Assertion Evidence Talking Points/Matters

Motivation encourages
reactions and can either help
an individual fix the problem,
or create more problems.
My only pride in the He was able to channel his motivation to
matter is that I stayed at create a positive influence and save many
my post and continued to peoples lives.
do my job as manager
when all other aspects of
life vanished. (An
Ordinary Man,
Rusesabagina, 21-23)

6.
Name: Period: Date:
Question:

When given the same shot at survival, what causes a person to survive or die?