In Richard Ford's "The Sportswriter," the character reflects on the nature of teachers, describing them as skilled deceivers driven by a yearning for eternal youth and freedom from time's constraints. This desire leads them to engage in significant self-deception and distortions of reality, as they grapple with their own aspirations and the limitations of life.

Literature, according to this perspective, serves as an escape for teachers, offering them a lasting refuge from the challenges of their existence. It allows them to connect with the essence of youth that they long for, providing a means to navigate the complexities of their truth and aspirations.