Old School: Analysis of the Theme
This book parallels much of Wolff's life, and so it may be a work of fiction, but it has real roots, and that may make its theme even more compelling. Wolff writes, "I understood that nothing stood between me and my greatest desires --- nothing between me and greatness itself --- but the temptation to doubt my will and bow to counsels of moderation, expedience, and conventional morality, and shrink into the long, slow death of respectability" (Wolff 68). This shows the core theme of the novel - that anything is possible, even after facing adversity, and that dreams can really come true. However, that is not the only theme of this book. Underlying the coming of age anything is possible theme is the theme of literature and writing that permeates the book. Wolff states this early in the novel when he writes, "If the school had a snobbery it would confess to, this was its pride in being a literary place-quite aside from the glamorous writers who visit
Wolff writes about character as it appears in literature, but also the character of the boys, the teachers, and even some of the writers that the narrator worships. It also shows that wanting something so much can lead to disaster, and so, you should be very sure what you want before you sacrifice to get it. The book is also about character, and character flaws, and this becomes evident as the narrator steals a piece of writing in order to win a meeting with Ernest Hemingway, and the character of the other boys, many of whom are wealthy and snobs, even though they do not admit it. The narrator comes of age, attains his goals, and discovers that being a writer may not be everything he thought it would be. The narrator desperately wants to meet with and become a famed writer himself, and yet he commits plagiarism, indicating that he does not respect the institution of writing nearly as much as he thinks he does. The author shows they were real people, with real flaws, just like the rest of the people of the world. The narrator, rightly so, questions his own character, especially after the plagiarism event comes to a head. This theme of literature and great writers continues throughout the novel, even if some of them (including the narrator) are exposed as frauds by the novel's end. The book is about literature and character, and it shows how character develops to develop a writer, and how that character can alter a writer as they receive fame. (Like Ayn Rand, who turns out to be a huge disappointment to the narrator, proving a great writer does not always have the best character. The narrator is never introduced or described, so clearly, that is not the real focus of the novel. He so wants to be a writer that he will do anything to make it come true, even commit the cardinal sin of writing, and that says a lot about his character, and how much he wants to "fit" into the school society. ) Wolff writes, "But Ayn Rand jolted me into taking sides. The book also celebrates literature itself, and some of the greatest writers of all time, making it an interesting "inside" look into the world of writing and literature, and what some of the great writers were actually like in real life.
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,
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