QUOTES - SIGNIFICANT QUOTATIONS AND EXPLANATION OF THEIR MEANING

(Continued)

It's worth noting that while race is one of the most important issues of the book, there are very few times that anyone is actually called racist - even when they clearly espouse racist ideas. This reflects Cedric's own desire to be judged for his abilities and not the color of his skin. However, the frustration he felt throughout the weeks of the summer program and at being dismissed in such a casual fashion by Trilling - the quote "not MIT material" shows how little this matters to the man, and how belittling it is to Cedric - come to a head here. He shouts the word, emphasized in all capital letters, to vent and find a reason for his dreams being crushed.

The complexity of this accusation is felt by Cedric - the word is "not right", but he also can't resist using it. Trilling isn't a racist in the sense that he doesn't like people of other races; rather, he refuses to consider Cedric's education and social background (which is tied into his race) when deciding if Cedric is capable of attending MIT for college. He is unable to admit that the opportunity given to Cedric by the MIT summer program is an incomplete solution, that more is needed for the underprivileged students of any race to succeed academically. Trilling sees minority students as a means to show the progressive nature of MIT, but different skin color is his only concern. Actually helping minority students in need is beyond his chosen purview, which is what makes him a racist in Cedric's eyes.

Returning to Washington, D.C., Cedric comes to a crucial decision about his Senior year in high school:

Then suddenly, he smiles, a funny grim smile with his lips tight together. Of course he's decided. He's going back to Ballou. All he has to do is to talk himself through it. The scenes instantly take shape in hi mind - the graffiti in the hallways, Mr. Taylor's classroom, the bus stop on Martin Luther King. At least at Ballou, he knows where he stands. Not much of a place, but at least it's his. And maybe being back there will help him get his bearings back, give him something to push against. People are comfortable with what they know, and, in an odd way, he feels sort of comfortable there, at his miserable old school.

"Comfortable," Cedric Jennings whispers in disbelief through the dusty white blinds. "Comfortable in this place that I hate." (100)

The sentence, "At least at Ballou, he knows where he stands," shows that Cedric is in need of whatever measure of stability he can achieve. This is especially true for his sense of identity, as it's been compromised by his failure at the MIT summer program. There is a glimmer of hope when he considers that returning to Ballou will "give him something to push against". This shows how the familiar setting allows him the comfort to resist - he understands what he faces in Ballou and can defy it more readily as a result. This was not the case for MIT, nor for any alternatives he could consider for his Senior year. The irony of this choice is clear to Cedric, as evidenced by what he whispers in the second paragraph.

However, he does make another attempt for the peaks of academic achievement, as he applies to Brown. When he writes his personal essay in his Brown application, we find this passage:

"When people come in contact with me," he begins writing, "I want them to see that Godly love. I am very religious, and I know that the only reason I have achieved so much is because I continued to put God first in everything that I do."

"It is he who brought me through many situations in my life that could have been my downfall. I could have dropped out of school or gotten into all kinds of trouble. But with the Lord in my life, I realize He has a greater work for me to do." (107)

The manner in which Cedric places religion at the center of his essay is revelatory in itself. The term "Godly love" is freighted with great meaning and runs counter to the secular concerns that define academic life. It isn't that religion is forbidden or outright dismissed, but it is often spoken of in a conditional sense that tries to respect the differences in opinion people hold about the topic. There is fear of offending people of other religions by being too strident in one's beliefs, a neutering of the power of faith in favor of high-minded tolerance. The sincerity of Cedric's statement is obvious in the simplicity and confidence it conveys; however, that only makes clearer the clashes between his values and those often professed in circles of higher education. This unwitting defiance against conventional wisdom in higher education is voiced in this passage as he continues to write his essay:

"I realize that I used to be into grades and test scores and awards, but if I strip myself of all these things and look at myself in the mirror, can I honestly say that I know who I am and where I am going. Getting straight A's, having 1400 on the SATs, and getting a lot of awards is great. But if these are the only things that can say good things about me, as a person, then there's a problem. I would need to reevaluate myself. Because if I can't interact with people and be able to deal with different personalities, all of these things are futile.

"Yes, success depends on how hard one works. But individual advancement and continuous progression depend on one's ability to deal with different people." (107)

The grades and SAT scores are certainly one key measure by which students are measured for their academic aptitude, though colleges often point out that there are other factor that are just as important. Cedric, however, disavows the measure of grades and test scores completely, choosing instead to focus on other ways in which he is a good person. The measure he chooses is being "able to deal with different personalities" - that is, to adapt to different situations and people. It is Cedric's "ability to deal with different people" that will prove most difficult for him in Brown, as it was in MIT.

However, he is already making progress and the changes he undergoes are noticed by those around him, particularly his mother Barbara:

By the end of February, she can already feel him moving ahead, his eyes now locked on Brown. Sure, he asks her about this and that, but she finds she hasn't much to say. She's learning, day by day, just how little guidance she can offer for that journey. When he comes home one night in early March and asks if LaTisha is right in worrying that Cedric may lose his identity at Brown, Barbara shakes her head noncommittally. She roots through some well-worn references - a little New Testament, a little self-help. She has no idea what a large, distant, mostly white university looks like, what sort of challenges Cedric may face "up there." (115)

She is clearly out of her element with the encroaching departure of her son. Up until now she has provided advice from the Bible with a clear authority, but here its importance is diminished by the casual way it is described and apportioned: "a little New Testament, a little self-help". The last sentence is an outright admission of the disconnect between the life she and Cedric currently lead and the life that Cedric will be pursuing at Brown, which is described in a fearsome manner as a "large, distant, mostly white university", thus diminishing Barbara even further.