Jack A. Hardin
English 1109 at 6:39, Sun
Sept 4, 2020
Journal 4
A theme that was made predominantly in chapel ten was injustice and the abuse of power. Before the nation championship game, Clarett called out Andy Geiger for being a liar because of his rejection to let Clarett pay respects to a very close friend. Before spring-ball, a car that Clarett loaned from a friend was broken in and had 800 CD’s stolen. It wasn’t really much of a big deal for Clarett, but it became a huge deal for the NCAA when Geiger caught wind of it. It was estimated that each CD was worth $15 and said that Clarett lost $12,000. The investigators speculated that there were these people just passing out money bags to Clarett and his fellow players. As the investigation went on, they started asking about things that were not related to car break-in at all. It got out of hand for Geiger because if the investigators concluded that Clarett was a dirty player, the university would have to hand back there trophy. It was made indefinite when Clarett said, “ I still don’t know what the hell Geiger was thinking, to this day, other than he was going to show the scared from the streets of Youngstown he was the master of the plantation” (Clarett 158). This really shows why people could take such little things and make it into a big deal to appease them. I thought that the comparison of Geiger’s actions to a plantation master was brilliant.
Another sentence that I thought really showed the difference between Geiger and Clarett then and now was when he reflected on this event, saying, “I recognize now when I see An Andy Geiger in front of me. I was just a young kid playing checkers and he was playing chess, but now I am playing chess too” (Clarett 161). Those sentences really showed how far Clarett has come and how much he has developed. He realized that they were both players that playing different games, but for the same reason: for their ego and personal gain.
Other than my sweet sister, Anisa, and my World Mythology English teacher, Mr. Myers, there was one person who I went to for comfort and positivity: my photography and brief art teacher, Mr. Webber. He was always there for me whenever I needed him. Mr. Webber and I would take a lot of time during and after school time talking about life and my book. He was a friend that I could depend on to make my life better. Mr. Webber would always come into class with a smile on his face. He could turn strangers into friends. He wanted to be a part of your life and wanted to make your time in his class to be the best time in school. He indirectly taught me how to be positive towards my classmates and teachers, he taught me how to engage with my peers, he taught me things that I will carry with me throughout college.
I hadn't heard the abuse of power used as a theme, even though it is very clear and apparent. The quote you choose is a very powerful comparison and I think that was the best one for that instance. Clarett tends to use very strong metaphors when it comes to injustice and the abuse of power, like you mentioned. It is really cool to see someone also have a impactful photo teacher. My photography teacher, Ms. Strohl was basically like your Mr. Webber. She taught me more than just photography and I feel like it definitely changed me as a person. It is really cool to see someone have a similar experience.
ReplyDeleteI agree 100% with all the themes you listed in your post. The abuse of power at OSU has been evident throughout the book but it really does shine its best in chapter 10. I also agreed that the use of Geiger owning a plantation was an amazing comparison. Since we went to the same high school I can definitely back you up on saying that Mr. Webber was probably the best, most caring teacher at Olentangy. I never even had him but he would always say hi or compliment me while walking by his room. He' such a people person, and it rubs off on you by, like you said, making you engage with other people on different levels.
ReplyDeleteHi Jack, I think that what happened was definitely unfair for Clarett, and it definitely showed the corruption and injustice that took place. I love the quotes you picked they were also something I marked in my active reading, I think that they articulate the situation perfectly and give an accurate representation of who Geiger is as a person. Grieger wasn't looking out for anyone on the football team but himself. The fact that Clarett called Geiger a liar infuriated him which led to his actions.
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