"He felt sorry for the people who found themselves trapped in such arid surroundings. Even as a small child he was absolutely clear the he would never, ever enroll at one himself. In universities, people forgot how to live. Even in the middle of a music library, they had forgotten what music was." (p.407)
This passage stood out in my mind, since we were asked what would Bloom think of this book. Levi and Bloom both do not agree with the university in its current condition, but on much different grounds.
Levi obviously does not feel that college is a place for self-adventure that Bloom so strongly believes is what has become one of the main problems of the institution.
Would Bloom agree that people forget how to live in universities or do you think he feels that your time in the university is when you truly begin to live and embrace the world around you?
How would Bloom feel about Levi describing the university's arid surroundings?
Do you think that Levi feels he will learn more about culture by participating in these marches with Haitians and "hustlin" on the streets then he ever will in a university?
Would Bloom think Levi could truly be cultured without ever attending a university?
1 comment:
"Do you think that Levi feels he will learn more about culture by participating in these marches with Haitians and "hustlin" on the streets then he ever will in a university?
Would Bloom think Levi could truly be cultured without ever attending a university?"
I think that Levi and Bloom are using alternate definitions of culture. Levi is much more interested in the anthropological definition of culture, black culture, Haitian culture, etc. while Bloom is much more interested in Culture, as a transcendental body of knowledge that comprises of ultimate truths. Bloom believes that all educated people need to attend university and learn these truths to become cultured, and the way Levi is going about becoming 'cultured' would not even be considered a decent way of life to Bloom. Bloom's idea of an education is reading the classics, whereas Levi's is learning about yourself through the interactions with other groups and their ways of life.
"Choo clasped his friend around his shoulders and had the gesture returned. 'Your brother' he said affectionately, 'thinks of all his brothers. That's why we love him-he's our little American mascot. He fights shoulder to shoulder with us for justice.'" (404)
This quote demonstrates Levi's contentment with being successfully integrated into the Haitian-in-America 'culture.' Levi obviously feels that he can learn more about culture on the streets and that it is more relevant to his life than even the small (according to Bloom) amount of Culture that universities impart.
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