"Self-Actualizing and Beyond"/ Sonny's Blues Connections
The American Psychologist Abraham Maslow developed what he referred to as the Hierarchy of Needs. This hierarchy lays out stages of personal security, fulfillment and growth that lead ultimately to self-actualization.
According to Maslow, self- actualization is the attainment of the highest level of personal growth, a realization of one's true identity. As a class, we will be looking closely at Maslow's text "Self-Actualizing and Beyond," and drawing connections between it and James Baldwin's "Sonny's Blues." For this assignment, I am asking that you do the following:
1. Read and annotate Maslow's "Self-Actualizing and Beyond" located under Course Readings on Brightspace. (YOU ONLY NEED TO READ UP to PAGE #443 on the document) 2. Choose four behaviors of the self- actualizing person, from the section of Maslow's text entitled "Behaviors Leading to Self- Actualization" and in writing: A. Explain what you understand the behavior to be. B. Explain how Sonny or the narrator in "Sonny's Blues" either display that behavior or fail to do so. Be sure to give examples from "Sonny's Blues" to support your response. You should quote directly from "Sonny's Blues" in your response. Each response should be roughly 200-250 words.
This assignment IS NOT asking you to write an essay or develop analysis/synthesis paragraphs. Instead you are gathering and outlining ideas for a future essay. Use the following outline to complete this assignment: Behavior #: Connection to "Sonny's Blues":
