Everyone suspected that the rigors of a good school would have the desired, dulling effect on Noah and Simon-Gravesend Academy would assault them with a host of new demands, of impossible standards. The sheer volume {if not the value} of the homework would tire them out, and everyone knew that tired boys were safer boys; the numbing routine, the strict attentions paid to the dress code, the regulations regarding only the most occasional and highly chaperoned encounters with the female sex … all this would certainly civilize them. Why
In "A Prayer for Owen Meany" by John Irving, there is a prevailing belief that the challenging environment at Gravesend Academy will have a taming influence on boys like Noah and Simon. The assumption is that the rigorous academic demands and strict rules will wear them down, making them more compliant. The community feels that this exhaustive routine, with its arduous homework and strict dress codes, will help instill discipline and civility in them.
Additionally, the limits placed on their social interactions, particularly regarding contact with girls, are seen as protective measures. This structured environment is expected to dull their wildness and steer them towards becoming more respectable young men. Ultimately, everyone hopes that through this demanding education, the boys will learn to adhere to societal expectations and grow up to be more responsible and subdued individuals.
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All the things you can talk about in anyone's work are the things that are least important.
Race of Cain, ascend to heaven, And cast God down upon the earth!
