Group work on Rebbe Nachman's "The Turkey Prince"

Break up into small groups. Then discuss the following. Delegate one or more members of your group to prepare a summary of your group's discussion. If you were not present in class for this exercise, you may complete it (in less than 2 pages)
as a typed assignment. A copy of the tale can be found online at http://www.breslov.org/rebbe-nachmans-story-the-turkey-prince/.

Who are the heroes or great-souled people in Rebbe Nachman's "The Turkey Prince"? What makes them heroic or great-souled?
Did any members of your group think anyone in the story was lacking in heroism or greatness of soul? Why or why not?
What is a parable? What is this parable about? If we suppose that characters in the story represent people in our world, which characters represent which people ?
Why do you think Rebbe Nachman told this story?
Bonus question: Can anyone in your group relate this tale to the bodhisattva ideal? How?

Michael Kagan, COR 400G

Heroism and the Human Spirit
Le Moyne College, December, 1998
Updated November 16, 2009, March 14, 2016. Minor edits, May 15, 2017.

Back to Kagan's Homepage (http://web.lemoyne.edu/~kagan/index.html)
Other materials for COR 400G/PHL 403, Senior Seminar on Heroism and the Human Spirit (http://web.lemoyne.edu/~kagan/403index.html)