Subject: Re: Rites of passage
From: Steve Gallagher (sgallagher@lasersedge.net)
Date: Tue Jun 17 1997 - 12:35:08 GMT
Jon Tveite wrote:
> I might be nice to have some ritual rite of passage in our society, but my
> question is this: exactly what are we passing *into*? In other words,
> what does it mean to be an adult in our society? I usually associate
> adulthood with having a "serious" career, buying houses and cars, raising
> children, perhaps -- but I have serious problems with the way we go about
> all these activities.
> So I don't think Holden is lacking a rite of passage. What he lacks,
> rather, is faith that passing into adulthood is a good thing. He sees how
> phony and cold adults can be, and he doesn't want to join that particular
> club.
There are remnants of ritual and the celebration of passing into a
"next" stage of your life everywhere. The first that comes to mind is
convocation. I almost didn't go to mine. The whole phoney idea of it
repulsed me. But one day, late in fourth year (after reading much JC),
it just dawned on me. No, Steve. This is important. This will have an
affect on you. Soon I had myself believing that my convocational
experience would have a profound psychological infuluence on me and I
would walk off campus a changed man. (I should say that I had had
enough, anyway. Too many bleeding hearts. My writing workshops had
become group therapy sessions, I'd met just one English prof who's heart
was in his work and my feet were itchy.) So, completeley prepared for
the sacrifice, I attended my convocation. What a fucking joke. Sure it
was all there, laid out and official as hell, but there was no heart,
absolutely untouching. Thinking of it now reminds me of Holden's
description of Pency and "parent day" or whatever, where the Dean is
running around shaking the golden hands and passing over the
"not-likely-to-donate." I guess those thoughts just reinforce my belief
in the need for ritual and, more importantly, the need to believe in it.
It's existed since time immemorial, how can I fight it? Holden is wiser
than most. He has the ability to see beneathe the superficial acts and
masks that surround him. He refuses to play along. That's why CITR was
such a hit. So many people said Yeah, I don't like it and I don't want
to play anymore....I think. I'm not sure. I just read what I typed and
fear I'm getting a little preachy.
-- SGallagher
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