“What I Learned”

Part 1: Educated Intro Questions

Directions: Answer these questions THOUGHTFULLY. Each will require a thorough explanation.
Take the first 15 mins to write your answers and the next 15 to discuss in groups.

1.What does it mean to be educated?

To be educated means that you have a solid understanding of most academic subjects such as
English or Math. Most importantly you need to be able to read and do at least 8th grade math
problems.

2. What responsibility do parents have in educating their children?

Parents are in charge of educating their children socially by interacting with them and teaching
them how to do everyday chores. They should send their kids to school but if they choose to
homeschool them, then they must be responsible in assuring their child doesn’t fall behind.

3. How important is it to have an understanding of the world around you (street smarts), or is it
important to have formal or informal (learning from family, friends, experiences, etc.)
education?
Personally, street smarts and a formal education are equally important. Street smarts keep us
safe and help us excel in the world but at the same time formal education deepens our
thoughts and broadens our mental capacity.

4. How much of what you believe is influenced by your parents? What beliefs/values have you
inherited from your family?
Quite a bit, I find it easier to just go along and agree with my parents rather than try to disprove
them. Also I don’t take the time to seek out an unbiased opinion of what is actually happening
in the world so my parents are my only source of knowledge. Resultantly, most of my political
and religious beliefs come from them.

5. Should family values and beliefs go unquestioned or be accepted at face value?

I think all family values should go unquestioned, values are what keep individuals on the right
track and make us feel like we are part of something greater than ourselves. Some values are
harder to follow, but I can’t imagine anyway that values can lead us down a negative path.

Part 2: “What I Learned”

Directions: Use the cartoon linked on the canvas page for the following questions. Be sure to
read the context information on the first page.

1.Identify one part of this cartoon, a single frame or several, that you find to be an especially
effective synergy of written and visual text. Why do you think the section you chose works so
well?
The frames on the first page that talk about the things she learned in elementary school are
especially effective to me because I was able to easily relate to her experiences which aligned
me with her views for the rest of the story. I thought it was funny that she talked about learning
“gum facts” because I distinctly remember having those exact conversations in the 3rd grade.

2. On the second page, the middle frame is a large one with a whole list of what Roz Chast
learned “Up through sixth grade.” Is she suggesting that all these things are foolish or
worthless? Explain your response.
I don’t think that she is implying that these things are foolish or worthless, instead she is listing
random things she's learned to show the range of knowledge that she has. It opens the reader's
mind to the fact that Chast will probably only use half of the information that she learned while
the rest will be forgotten. The humorous list of random facts seems impressive but it’s sad to
imagine how much time she’s invested into learning things like chain stitching.

3. The three-page cartoon presents a narrative, a story. Discuss the extent to which Chast uses
the techniques of a fiction writer, such as plot, character, and setting.
The techniques that the writer uses during this narrative to create a character that everyone
can relate with as they go through the public education system, I learned that I share a lot of
the same experiences as the main character which invests me into the rest of the story. Other
characters such as teachers or depictions of jobs are very stereotypical but I think that's just a
necessity when it comes to drawing cartoons. The plot is not very deep, it's more of an
informational story, the only structure is that as she enters a new school grade, the teacher
shows them the rules and tells them to BE GOOD.

4. Chast subtitles her cartoon “A Sentimental Education…,” which is a reference to a French

novel of that title written by Gustave Flaubert in 1869. The American writer Henry James
described Sentimental Education as far inferior to Flaubert’s earlier and more successful novel
Madame Bovary; in fact, he characterized the 1869 work as “elaborately and massively dreary.”
Why do you think Chast uses this reference to Flaubert’s novel? Or do you think that she is not
specifically alluding to Flaubert but, rather, to more generalized “sentimental” notions of
education? Consider her audience as you respond to these questions.
I think that she references Flaubert’s novel because she wants to remind the audience of
education a hundred years ago in 1869 which was nothing compared to our education today. I
think that it bonds nicely with the overall vibe of the plot which is somewhat unbiased yet
informative on her feelings and thoughts throughout her education.
5. What, ultimately, is Chast’s critique? What is the relationship she sees among learning, K-12
school, and education?
Overall I’d say that Chast’s critique is that schools do not give students an identity or any
direction in life. Instead, it just stuffs random information into their head while teaching them
simple social skills. Throughout the story we never see the main character grow in age, we only
see her confused and tired face going through the motions of attending school. At the end of
the story when she walks away from school we see that school only told her what jobs she
didn’t want to pursue.