In Chapter 2, Albert Knox states that "It seems as if in the process of growing up we lose the ability to wonder about the world." What does he mean? Do you agree with him? Explain why or why not, using examples from this first section of the novel (pp. 1-120) and your own life experiences.
To tell the truth I am not very sure that all people actually loose the ability of “wondering” about the world as Alex Knox had said from the book. In my opinion, it's actually we, grown ups are only stereotyped of loosing ability to wonder about the world and are following this because to hide our wondering about the world even though we actually have them deep inside. In my opinion, we are purposely doing this to control the ones who have less experience and knowledge, especially children.
Yes, people do absorb and crave a lot for knowledge and experiences so we get to answer our curiousness about the world but we cannot memorize lots of things mechanically like computer does; when our brain once memorizes them at the same time it forgets half of which was memorized already. Let’s refer our absorption of knowledge and experiences to a sponge. When a sponge, absorbs the water, it actually absorbs most of them into the sponge, however, as it’s pulled up, there are waters dripping out constantly as the sponge cannot stand the amount, it’s trying to hold on. The water that is absorbed is all knowledge which is memorized however the dripping water is the one which are unfortunately forgotten. Some left over which is left inside the sponge is the fortunate ones which are memorized; our brain is the same thing as it cannot hold on the whole knowledge which is memorized once. We, people cannot be having the whole range of knowledge within short time; it takes a great amount of time to gain whole lot of them.
Therefore, people who are growing up are still actually “wondering” about the world rather then loosing ability to wonder about the world. For example, there is an eleven year old child suddenly confused about this geography question, such as, “how does the earthquake happen?” and decides to ask his father for an answer. However, his father now is has a master degree of medicine and now currently has a job of a doctor. Do you think, the father would possibly know the grade seven’s geography which he had only had learned for few years from last few decades?
No.
He would definitely not recognize the answer but instead would say, for example “It’s very easy. Just find them from the text book.” He wouldn’t possibly say “I don’t know this question.” It would be very embarrassing for the parent to tell their children that they actually don’t know the answer which they had done when they were grade seven. After that he would possibly try to find the answer out by himself individually and secretly so incase if the child asks the similar question again next time. As a person gets older, it will be pretty hard for the person to show his/her wonder about the world; they would think it is embarrasing to actually acknowlege on wondering about the world.
Overall, Alex Knox’s statement on ‘It seems as if in the process of growing up we lose the ability to wonder about the world’ is not really true. I would say, as we are growing up, we are only acting as if we are loosing our ability to wonder about the world. I would think that even an old person just a second ago would actually wonder about the world happening around them.
4 comments:
Well if the Father did not know why earthquakes occur, do you think he never wondered about why they happen? If he did, surely he would have found out by now, and if he didnt, well, he has just lost his faculty to wonder.
Why is it that we hide the questions we want to ask as we crave for answers to even the most obscure questions?
In previous times, questioning such general questions can be dangerous. Think about why Socrates died. The senate thought that he was corrupting the minds of the young as they began to question to ideals of the Greek Religion. Today, possible situations of question specific events and ideas could be equally dangerous, yet would the government send an assassin to hunt me down because i opened myself to the public and asked "Why is there evil in the world"?
As you believe that people tend to hide their 'wonders' of the world and not lose this "faculty of wonder", try to evaluate as to why people hide their ideas.
Why do you think that we hide our sense of wondering inside us?
In what sense are we controlling the ones who have less knowledge?
I like the way you used a sponge as an example of how our brain memorizes and forgets things.
Why do you think that a person would find it embarrassing to acknowledge about wondering about the world?
Overall, good points were stated. However, some of the points were not clearly stated. It was a little confusing to read.
The situation, about the father being a doctor, even though, it could happen, it can’t always be true. So, next time, maybe give a better example. The way you explained how the example was relevant to the assignment was good.
Hi sharon,
I like your idea of how you think human's are stereotyped of loosing ability to wonder about the world. Come to think of it, it is true, when we are babies we do wonder and as we get older we get used to the world and its like a habit and so we are stereotyped of losing the ability to wonder.
I also like the way you used a sponge to describe the brain and how it remembers and forgets things.
One last thing, if the father did not know anything about the earthquake question, would you think that he has the ability to wonder about the question or isn't curious enough to wonder and has lost is ability to wonder.
I think the father
would actually find for the answer
so to
get back his pride over his son(?)
i think all adults want to be more mature than their children. And the world's rule is like that
adults, or older people are more intelligent than the younger ones.
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