week 3: chapter 19-27

[Tracey]

1. Chapter 19, Eugene on the subject of automobiles states; " With all their speed forward they may be a step backward in civilization-that is, in spiritual civilization. It may be that they may not add to the beauty of the world, nor to the life of men's souls....You cannot have the immense outward changes that they will cause without some inward ones..."

Do you agree or disagree?

2. Chapter 20; what is happening between Isabel and Eugene? Is Georgie beginning to realize?

[Tracey]

Chapter 21: Is Fanny justified in her accusations against Georgie of how he treats her?
Was it his mother's reputation that Georgie is concerned about or in truth, some other reason he is acting as he is?

Chapter 22: Do you think the state of the Neptune statue is symbolic? What of?

Chapter 23: "Gossip is never fatal...until it is denied. Gossip goes on about every human being alive...and yet almost never does any harm until some defender makes a controversy. Gossip's a nasty thing, but it's sickly, and if people of good intentions will let it entirely alone, it will die.
Nobody has a good name in a bad mouth."

Chapter 24: what do you think of Georgie's behaviour towards Eugene at the door? Will he live to regret this?

Chapter 26: Eugene writes to Isabel; "At 21 and 22 so many things appear solid ad permanent and terrible which 40 sees as nothing but disappearing miasma. 40 can't tell 20 about this...20 can only find out by getting to 40.'
How true is this? Will Georgie learn to regret what he has done and said at 20?

[Rosemarie]

It is really too bad that Georgie seems to be the main character in the book, since he is such a selfish child. But then Isabel is an enabler.

[Tracey]

Rosemarie wrote: "It is really too bad that Georgie seems to be the main character in the book, since he is such a selfish child. But then Isabel is an enabler."

Yes we are a consequence of our experiences until we go out into the world and hopefully get those rough edges knocked off us.