Christina,
A few classes ago, when we were discussing Never Let Me Go, you compared us as a class to the students in Hailsham. I distinctly remember you asking the class “Aren’t we all just like students at Hailsham?” I’m not quite sure if it was the question of the way you asked it that stuck with me. In your voice there was a sort of matter of fact quality, as if it was obvious that this was the case. Maybe that’s why it affected me, because I didn’t think it was that obvious.
Regardless of whatever it was, it made me think about the book in a different context: our own. For me, this was important because often times I find it difficult to compare literature to everyday life. I focus too much on the story itself and what’s going on with the characters that I forget to step back from it. In this case specifically, I think it hit me harder because of its implications, which I hadn’t considered. If we are just like students at Hailsham, then we are just being created and molded to fit into our respective places in society. It does not matter what we study, how we study or what we do in our free time. Our education is just an exercise to prepare us for our positions. While I don’t believe this is the case, the idea of it does freak me out. Without purpose there’s no responsibility and no consequences. It would be chaos. But then there’s the whole Matrix idea that reality is just all in our heads and none of this shit really exists.
At the end of the class, I can’t say I really have the answer to this question or many of the questions I’ve had. I have however, because of comments like yours, been able to challenge my own perspectives. I’ve been able to step outside of myself and look at things in a different way. While I think that some people would argue that not having the answers means that you didn’t really learn anything, I don’t agree. If anything, I think that me still having questions is better, because having answers means the end of discussion. Although I don’t think we’ve finished our discussions in this class, I think that’s the point. Throughout the semester I’ve learned how to think critically, challenge myself, and keep questioning things. If I can continue to do that, then I think that we’ve been successful.
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I remember Christina’s question and it also made me think. It is scary to think that we are all being ushered through life with little to no power in how our lives turn out. We are taught when we are younger to believe in the American dream. American is the land of opportunity. People are able to go beyond the circumstances they are born into. People are supposed to have possibilities.
ReplyDeleteAre we being molded in order for us to fit into society a certain way? If we are just being papered for our future positions then what ever happened to the American dream. It seems to me that I have spent most of this class having childhood beliefs being challenged. All the things I was taught to just expect have been questioned. Capitalism is it good or bad? What makes a hero a hero? What involvement should an audience have with the performers? After reading your post I will try to put myself more into the books I read and relate them to my life.