Author: Alexis Deacon with illustrations by Viviane Schwarz
Plot Summary: I Am Henry Finch tells the story of Henry, a member of a community of finches, all of whom think and act alike. The flock is always together, and they do the same things, day after day. They are never quiet; in fact, they “make such a racket all day long, you really could not hear yourself think.” One night, Henry wakes up and it is quiet. For the first time, he has a thought of his own, and he becomes aware that he is able to think. “I am Henry Finch,” he thought. “I think.” This leads to a series of revelations that change Henry’s life and the life of the finch community.
Posted In: Epistemology, Ethics, Metaphysics
Plot Summary: I Am Henry Finch tells the story of Henry, a member of a community of finches, all of whom think and act alike. The flock is always together, and they do the same things, day after day. They are never quiet; in fact, they “make such a racket all day long, you really could not hear yourself think.” One night, Henry wakes up and it is quiet. For the first time, he has a thought of his own, and he becomes aware that he is able to think. “I am Henry Finch,” he thought. “I think.” This leads to a series of revelations that change Henry’s life and the life of the finch community.
Posted In: Epistemology, Ethics, Metaphysics
Discussion Questions
Ethics
- What is courage?
- Is it wrong to eat other living creatures?
- What do we owe to our communities?
- How do we balance the importance of individual choice and the need to conform to community norms?
- What does it mean to belong?
Epistemology
- How do we gain knowledge?
- What do we need in order to think for ourselves?
- Is there a connection between solitude and independent thinking?
- What can we know about the world?
Metaphysics
- What is the relationship between identity and thought?
- What is the purpose of existence?
- What does it mean to be authentic?
- How do we define freedom?
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