Can we call ourselves honorable?
One of Quentin's biggest fears is dishonor. He sees it in his family, in his schoolmates, in the whole world around him. Society as he knows it is going to ruins. Is there such thing as honor like Quentin imagines? These days there are so many crimes and sexual acts that happen....are we able to say that we are honorable being? Especially being in Madison, how would our parents look upon our actions? Maybe there is no such thing as honor anymore. Maybe all the Quentins in this world are gone.
4 comments:
I think that although Quentin has a very misguided view of honor his heart is still in the right place. He love his sister perhaps too much but wants the best for her. I personally believe there is such a thing as honor, that it presents itself in the little moments of life such as when you find a wallet full of money and return it or making sure to open the door for a sickly old woman. That is just what my version of what honor is, of course it is subjective.
People can be honorable in a sense similar to what Quentin considers admirable. Honor comes down to the individual and his or her personal behavior. Quentin's disgust is clearly directed at promiscuity, and perhaps the cronyism and debauchery of the college men he knows. What motivates them is not altruism or consideration, but simple self-concern. There's nothing saying being at Madison forces you to do any of those things. Now granted, Quentin does go a bit far by claiming incest and suicide are the best answers to the problem. However his idea of virtue and honor doesn't have to be compromised, just because television and peers would make it seem outdated. And honor is more than just a small kindness or social courtesy; it’s behaving in the way that’s difficult but right, even if you’re the only one willing to admit it.
"Mine honour is my life; both grown in one; Take honour from me, and my life is done."
(Shakespeare's Richard II; I,i)
This accurately sums up Quentin's attitude regarding honor and suicide. Since he was a child, his mother has imbued him with such southern ideals as chivalry and honor. Hence, honor is how he defines his life; without his honor, he feels aimless and without purpose. As he so closely ties himself to Caddy, the loss of her honor, as both he and society see it, is equivalent to the loss of his honor as well. This, then, is his justification for suicide.
In regards to being a college student in Madison, I wholeheartedly disagree with the suggestion that there isn't honor here or that everyone doesn't want their parents to know how they act here. While many may not care about such ideals as honor or integrity, many, including myself, still do. I also agree that honor constitutes more than politeness or doing what is socially expected; one's sense of honor is deeply rooted and personal, and often isn't obvious to others.
It is interesting that you should say, "what would your parents think" about honor. Sometimes behaviors don't fit with what one's parents felt it was or was not and in this case, one usually perceives themself as dishonerable, yet honor is such an abstract and subjctive concept that one can hardly say that this is appropriate. Is there perhaps a better question to ask than is this honorable? Is it appropriate to ask "does this hurt someone?"
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