The book is really about the development of ethical awareness. At the beginning, Jack and Damon date every skirt that walks. They switch dates, they make up their own rules as to how to treat dates, they banter with each other in a denigrating way, yet still remain friends. When they put themselves in a different setting from high school, they act the same way because there was no reason to change. But, in college there was no protection. They did not go home to their parent's house at night. They lived outside their familiar bubbles and found that others had rules that had to be observed. Sherry learns these ethical rules and has a reaction against Jack and fiercely takes him to task for his previous behavior.
When Jack contracted AIDS, he went into denial, but came out of it once he understood about violating some ethical rules that lead to "cleaner" living. He still did not learn his lesson, though, as was evidenced by his attitude toward Joni. And leading Jan on even after learning of his disease was unconscionable. Damon reasoned with him and finally experienced breakthrough because Jack opened up to Jan.
Damon seemed to have a better sense about ethics. How did he get his? Why did he stick to his ethics in a high school environment that was not conducive to maintaining the ethics Damon had developed? How did Jack develop a conscience after all? Can someone influence another to have different ethics, or is experience the only teacher?
3 comments:
Well, I guess Damon was just a strong person who knew who he was, was secure with it, and wasn't willing to compromise his ethics for anyone. Neither was Jack, which is evident seeing as how when Jack and Damon go to college Damon tried preaching to Jack about monogamy and changing his party ways and Jack would'nt hear of it.So then I guess I'd have top agree with you on this one. Experience is the only teacher. I know it is in my case anyway. I'm a stubborn person and whenever my parents try giving me advice since "they know exactly what I'm going through," ""We've been there," and on and on, it goes in one ear and right out the other. It's not until I've actually been in the situation and experienced it that I swallow my pride and say "Hey Dad... you were right." Or "Mom, I should have really listened and taken your advice." Same case with Jack and Damon. Damon told Jack time and time again what was going to happen to Jack if he kept on with his crazy ways and Jack never listened. It wasn't until he was in a sticky situation that he thought "Hmmm, maybe Damon's onto something." So my answer to your question? Yes, experience is the only teacher. You don't know it until you've lived it.
I agree with you to a certain extent esmer. There are certain things which experience is the only teacher. We have this belief that we're different and maybe...just maybe..what ever it is that people are warning us about won't happen to us. But you don't have to experience everything in order to be taught a lesson. Damon definitely learned from Jack's experience, not his own. And even then, Jack didn't even learn from his OWN experience. He went into denial. Every person is different so it's different to understand how everything works! Some people have their faith strongly in their lives and don't experience things because they are aware they might hurt God and prefer to not do something dumb that can affect them for their whole life. Some just have their fun and some just don't care about anything. My answer? Both experience and influences from another person can change a person to have different ethics. There is no one answer.
I could have written Jack's character differently. I chose the idea that experience is really a person's only teacher. But, I wonder how it would have turned out if Jack had allowed Damon's advice on several occasions. Would the impact of the events been the same if Damon had influenced Jack?
In our real lives, I wonder also about the give and take of influence and experience. They seem to be complementary at times. And at other times they seem contradictory. So, I don't know. I chose experience for Jack to get the point of the book across more clearly.
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