Harbor. The uninterested and mindless students stare at the instructor, hypnotized by her actions and words. "On December 7, 1941," the teacher continues, "The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor." Jot that down, the teacher commands and the students instinctively comply. They will most assuredly see this on a test in the future. While the students will more then likely remember the date, so they will pass their test, they most certainly will not be able to recount the historical significance bound to this event. How did this event impact our relatives? How did its consequences reshape our nation forever? These are just a few of the critical questions that will be left unanswered by our younger generation; they know only what has been told to them by their instructors. They are unconscionable objects. They do not have the ability to realize the horrible consequences of such a devastating event. They weren't born in 1941 when this event occurred, so as far as they are concerned, it never happened. They cannot venture beyond this realm. Retaining anything more then what they need to know to pass a test would be beyond their scope of comprehension.
             Accurately addressing these reality - based questions involves critical thinking. Petrosky and Bartholomae believe that in Freire's mind this involves the ability to understand a concept in its historical and social context (259). These are skills that the students are agonizingly deficient of. As Freire writes, "the teacher is the subject of the learning process while the pupils are mere objects (261)." Primarily, this statement is proven true by the students whose behavior is characteristic of a dog, having been trained by their teachers to listen, memorize and finally recall the answers upon command. Similarly, dogs are not cognitive learners. They are only capable of doing what they are trained to do because they do not know any differe...