Oliver Wendell Holmes Once Said That “Man’S Mind, Once

Oliver Wendell Holmes once said that â€Å"Man’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.† When I first heard this quote on the 29th of August, 2016, I wondered why Mrs. Robinson said this was our â€Å"essential question† of the year, now I understand. In class I learned how to dissect and analyze quotes well enough to the point that I can associate three different sources with each other and find a common theme. Through reading East of Eden by John Steinbeck, Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, and watching the video Waking Life, a common theme is recognized, alienation. Whether it be from family or society, they are all displaying, alienation as a common theme within the characters, and today alienation is†¦show more content†¦Following that idea, it later states in the book, â€Å"Abra, my mother is a whore.’ ‘I know. You told me. My father is a thief.’ ‘I’ve got her blood, Ab ra. Don’t you understand?’ ‘I’ve got his.’ she said†(Steinbeck, 596). When Cal says â€Å"My mother is a whore. I’ve got her blood,† Cal reveals that he is ashamed of his mother by calling her a â€Å"whore† and is ashamed of his heritage when he says â€Å"I’ve got her blood,† so he isolated himself due to the fact that he is ashamed of his mother and feels as if he is alone. Abra then says â€Å" I know. You told me. My father is a thief,† and â€Å"I’ve got his (blood),† to display that Cal is not alone in being ashamed of parentage and afraid of one’s parents’ sins will taint them. Overall, Cal similar some children today isolate themselves because of parental issues such as favoritism and preference, and embarrassment of their parents life and choices. Next, in Crime and Punishment, the main character Raskolnikov alienates himself before and after he murders the old pawnbroker Alyona Ivanovna and her sister Lizaveta Ivanovna. Before the murder, the book, states â€Å"(Raskolnikov) kept aloof from everyone†¦ he was very poor, and there was sort of a haughty pride and reserve about him†¦ he seemed to look down upon(his comrades) as children, as though he was superior in development, knowledge, and convictions, as thoughShow MoreRelatedOne Of The Most Valued Amendments Written In The U.S. Constitution1463 Words   |  6 Pagessafety of their students (Darden). Colleges should restrict hateful speech on campus regardless of what rights are written in the United States Constitution, in order to protect students from being mistreated. Students have the right to speak their minds on school grounds, but when they are wrongfully speaking down on others a line must be drawn. Americans may state that freedom of speech allows people to hear new opinions, rather than focusing on their own points of view. 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