I know this is a very late response, but hey, better late than never.
I recognize that it seems simple to act as though a college acceptance letter can change a life, but I do feel there was a little more at play for Jenna. Columbia, for Jenna, was less about getting into an ivy league school and more about achieving a long-held dream. Jenna doesn't have a lot of true successes in her life--partly because she's never worked for them, and partly because she's had a pretty bad life overall, so my line of thought that finally having a big one might inspire her to try for that more often. So, the whole acceptance thing was less about actually getting in, and more of what it would symbolize.
and I know what you mean about the poor, but on the other hand, doesn't that kind of thinking lead to devastating apathy? At the point at which we consign ourselves to the belief that we can do nothing, we've damned these people to a fate that maybe doesn't have to be inevitable. I know there's only so much we can do, but that line of thought also frightens me because of it's potential repercussions.
With Ryan, we know he's made his choice and that it is his choice, but that won't stop us from worrying about him. And honestly, we're not sure how much he grasps the consequences...maybe this is just a girl thing to worry about this so much. The fact that we can't change something won't stop us from worrying about it.
I recognize that it seems simple to act as though a college acceptance letter can change a life, but I do feel there was a little more at play for Jenna. Columbia, for Jenna, was less about getting into an ivy league school and more about achieving a long-held dream. Jenna doesn't have a lot of true successes in her life--partly because she's never worked for them, and partly because she's had a pretty bad life overall, so my line of thought that finally having a big one might inspire her to try for that more often. So, the whole acceptance thing was less about actually getting in, and more of what it would symbolize.
and I know what you mean about the poor, but on the other hand, doesn't that kind of thinking lead to devastating apathy? At the point at which we consign ourselves to the belief that we can do nothing, we've damned these people to a fate that maybe doesn't have to be inevitable. I know there's only so much we can do, but that line of thought also frightens me because of it's potential repercussions.
With Ryan, we know he's made his choice and that it is his choice, but that won't stop us from worrying about him. And honestly, we're not sure how much he grasps the consequences...maybe this is just a girl thing to worry about this so much. The fact that we can't change something won't stop us from worrying about it.
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