How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Why did he always feel so guilty whenever he looked at Playboy and other magazines? (3.2)
One reason Jerry feels guilty is because he's still developing his ideas about sexual morality. 1970s counterculture would say that we should look at sexual images. Some 1970s feminists might say that such images objectify women. Moral standard bearers might say that such pictures are immoral. What are some other viewpoints? What's yours?
Quote #2
"Go get your bus, square boy. […] You're missing a lot of things in the world, better not miss that bus." (3.19)
The random guy is questioning the morality of living what he sees as a mechanized, overly ordered life.
Quote #3
The Vigils kept things under control. Without The Vigils, Trinity might have been torn apart like other schools had been, by demonstrations, protests, all that crap. (4.23)
The Vigils, and the administration which allows them to exist, take away students' rights to organize to create a better school environment for themselves.
Quote #4
"You turned this class into Nazi Germany for a few moments." (6.55)
As we discuss in "Characters: Gregory Bailey," Brother Leon models Nazi techniques for his students and then accuses them of being the immoral ones.
Quote #5
He saw Brother Eugene still standing there in the midst of the shambles, tears actually running down his cheeks. (11.23)
Brother Eugene seems to think that if the students would destroy his classroom, they'd really like to destroy him. The Goober learns that by going along with the assignment he commits a moral crime against himself and against Brother Eugene.
Quote #6
Worse than that […], he had allowed Brother Leon to blackmail him. If teachers did this kind of thing, what kind of world could it be? (16.45)
David feels awful because he takes Brother Leon's bait. That he could be so easily swayed from his principles makes David doubt his worth as a person.
Quote #7
"It's more than fun and games Jerry. Anything that can make you cry and send a teacher away—tip him over the borderline—that's more than just fun and games" (23.37).
The Room Nineteen incident awakes sensitivity in The Goober. He realizes that seemingly small acts of cruelty can have huge ethical consequences.
Quote #8
"Would you ask Renault why he isn't selling the chocolates like everybody else?" (30.21)
Minor character Harold Darcy feels that Jerry is committing a moral crime against his fellow students, who are all working hard to make the sale a success. They believe this is for the benefit of the whole school. Darcy feels that Jerry will be reaping the rewards, but not doing any of the work.
Quote #9
A new sickness invaded Jerry, the sickness of knowing what he'd become, another animal, another beast, another violent person in a violent world, inflicting damage, not disturbing the universe, but damaging it. (37.28)
Jerry is really disillusioned at the end of the novel. He knows he's gone against his own moral code by lashing out violently at Emile Janza. What do you think?