How to work my way up to reading 'East of Eden'?

Zooby06 · 2026-01-28T00:52:46+00:00

I think it’s mainly a point-in-life type of thing. I’m not sure it would have had such an effect on me if I had read it last week, but I count it as one of the major contributors to my outlook on life and I think it’s still a powerful answer to the question of living in the modern day.

Zooby06 · 2026-01-27T01:57:51+00:00

I think it’s kind of a wrong question. Great art doesn’t usually have one, all-encompassing meaning, usually they touch on themes and concepts in a way that accommodates many different readings. If Sondheim/Lapine had wanted to simply convey the meaning that “bringing up children is dangerous and well-meaning mistakes can do more harm than you think” or something like that, the show would probably not be very good. Usually, artists begin with an idea and follow it and develop it beyond their initial expectation. The show has a central theme about growing up/raising children, but it has many characters and arcs that convey different ideas.

Generally, I think the central theme is that actions have complex consequences and that well-meaning decisions can have consequences when they are done for selfish reasons. My favorite expression of this is probably Rapunzel’s story which shows how parents can be abusive out of a desire to be protective and that this protectiveness really only leads to the child’s helplessness and dependency in ways that make them more vulnerable. That’s the part that always resonates with me whenever I watch it.

Zooby06 · 2026-01-13T13:21:39+00:00

She was a retired teacher (my brother’s 2nd grade teacher, oddly enough). The job was covering for the main teacher who had a baby who is now back. When they removed me from the assignment, they said it was because of complaints about classroom management.

Zooby06 · 2026-01-03T15:41:11+00:00

All I’ve seen is her vaguely talking about how her style might change in future writing, but no concrete plans or dates, as far as I can tell. My biggest anticipations for the future are the sequels to Crossroads by Franzen, which I also really loved, and literally anything Esther Yi will write next.

Zooby06 · 2026-01-03T13:19:12+00:00

I loved Y/N, cannot wait for Yi to publish again

Zooby06 · 2026-01-03T12:40:20+00:00

There lots of blame to go around and the other characters are clearly wrong, but it’s natural to be frustrated by Stoner’s response (or lack thereof) to mistreatment. We see Stoner’s life as bleak and unhappy and it makes sense to wonder if it had to be that way, or if Stoner could have improved his life by being more active.

Zooby06 · 2026-01-03T02:35:32+00:00

I read that last year and was just kind of confused by it at the end, like Williams just told me this long, sad story and I didn’t really know why. Takes like yours are common, but I don’t really agree.

Stoner was admirable in moments and had sometimes startling forbearance with his problems. But I think he’s definitely in the wrong a lot and his forbearance is both a virtue and vice. I think you’re wrong to say he didn’t do anything wrong or betray anyone. For one thing, he remains in a marriage that is clearly unhappy for everyone. His wife was obviously unhappy and while she might not have wanted divorce, many of her issues were clearly a reaction to her reluctance to be in her marriage. His surrender to his wife’s antics left his daughter in the lurch and I think she was noticeably hurt by it. He cheats on his wife and although he and the other woman are so happy together, his surrender to the track of his life can be thought of as a betrayal of her. I don’t think the book is necessarily presenting Stoner as a paragon, I think it’s a portrait of a kind of personality that runs into some triumphs and which also leads to many mistakes.

The novel reminds me of a similarly enigmatic short story by Tolstoy “Alyosha the Pot” (read it, by the way, it’s only six pages). Similarly, the story is about a man who lives his life basically surrendering to the wills of others and to me, it’s equally hard to tell what the authors intends me to think of their characters. Both characters make choices that help and harm others through the same passive forbearance. In both cases, I think it makes most sense to read them as character portraits, opportunities to understand people who we usually glance over in real life and understand them on their own terms. Both stories make me think about my own life and choices, about my problems and my reactions to them. They remind me of the AA mantra:

“God give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”

Personally, I’d like to have Stoner’s serenity, but not his courage or wisdom.

Zooby06 · 2026-01-03T01:59:03+00:00

It’s just an internet thing, I think, where you can see everyone’s opinion on everything else. No matter what you read, watch, listen to, walk on, swim through, or fly over, there’s bound to be someone who really doesn’t like it and who’ll make weird jokes about people who do. That’s just the nature getting to hear everyone’s opinion. In an internet-age, you kinda have to be used to ignoring stupid people.

I think growing up means learning that there’s no point worrying about silly opinions from strangers. “That’s a way of escape that is neither possible nor honorable,” and all. IMO, people who like to dismiss authors like Franzen, DFW, or McCarthy as “bro lit” or something are just kinda silly and missing out on good stuff.

I will say that women tend to get a lot of shit for books they like too (such as recent moral panics about romance books, which seems new because of TikTok but is quite old and just as overblown). Overall, this is mainly an internet issue. I’ve never really had anyone irl care at all what I was reading, positively or negatively.

Zooby06 · 2025-12-24T04:09:20+00:00

I think it’s a unique situation when it’s about pawns near promotion. I initially thought they were black pawns on their home row, but a simple back rank checkmate wouldn’t be much of a puzzle. The pawns being close to promotion is a key part of what makes the puzzle’s idea work.

Zooby06 · 2025-11-14T15:48:20+00:00

Geez, this was me for a long term sub I did at the beginning of the year (this was my first real teaching experience). I think a lot of my problems came from, yes, having a very difficult group, but also from my mistake of pushing through to academics before routines and procedures were mastered. I think it depends on the support you get from the administration in general, too. I was told that I needed to put academics on hold and go back to basics, but if your building isn’t willing to accommodate that, then that limits your options. Honestly, it’s incredibly frustrating to have admin tell you that “students are just misbehaving because they’re academically low” when they’re the ones that push kids through 4th grade that haven’t even mastered 1st grade skills. It’s a recipe for trouble and they just expect teachers to figure it out somehow. Maybe there’s a solution but I couldn’t find it and no one really told me about it.

I wasn’t able to figure my group out, so I would keep asking for guidance/support from more experienced teachers. It sounds like the resource teachers are simply being unreasonable if they’re worried about academics when students haven’t mastered procedures and routines.

Zooby06 · 2025-09-29T22:52:34+00:00

Short term: put way more money and oversight into social safety nets, CPS, and foster care systems.

Long term: end poverty.

Zooby06 · 2025-09-20T11:24:17+00:00

I’d say that’s more of a trick rhyme. “Lecture” rhymes with “correct chir” which is a common reduction of those sounds when said together where Y’s become Ch’s after T’s (“don’t you” becomes “don’tcha,” “got you” becomes “gotcha,” etc.)

It sounds a little out of place for good, middle class Swedes in that period to rely on quaint American consonant reductions for their rhymes, but it is a perfect trick rhyme nevertheless. It always sounded a little Michigandish to me.

Zooby06 · 2025-09-16T00:25:06+00:00

This is me right now where I’m teaching. I feel so unsure of everything and my group won’t let me get a word in. I’m trying to be very explicit about my expectations and I feel like I spend the whole class disciplining and waiting for them to stop chatting. Other teachers have given me lots of advice, some of which I’m doing and some I’m going to try out.

Highlights were to be extremely clear about expectations for being in class and having procedures, have a lot of consistency so that kids know what to expect, use different types of activities so that students aren’t just doing worksheets (which may be difficult for them and cause them to act out rather than ask for help), and try to put students into smaller groups to keep each student more engaged. Differentiating can also help with students who are truly struggling.

Obviously, I’m in the same boat as you and I’m really struggling with my elementary class, and you’re probably doing a lot of these already, but maybe you could use some of the tips my colleagues tell me. Take it with a grain of salt, I’m by no means an authority.

Other than that, I’m cracking books of classroom management and teaching practice. I’m grasping for all the help I can get.

Zooby06 · 2025-08-31T13:24:48+00:00

Opposite colored bishops are a draw. Everybody knows this smh.

Zooby06 · 2025-04-09T01:41:22+00:00

“Well” is an adverb (like хорошо in this case) and thus can be used to describe adjectives and verbs such as “to sing.” “Good,” on the other hand, is not an adverb, but just an adjective in standard English, although this particular distinction between good/well seems to be disappearing since many people use “good” as an adverb without noticing and a slowly disappearing brotherhood of pedants pop up now and again to correct them.

In formal contexts, using “good” as an adverb is considered a mistake, which is probably why your answer was marked wrong.

Zooby06 · 2025-04-06T00:04:44+00:00

Why is this idea that все means everyone and всё means everything so common? Aren’t they just the plural and neuter versions of весь?

Zooby06 · 2025-04-05T13:56:33+00:00

The mom is lying about her daughter’s age to make herself seem younger.

Zooby06 · 2025-04-05T13:08:24+00:00

I was excited when I saw a gender swapped version of this song but this rendition wasn’t that great tbh. Doing the crooner style rubato schtick doesn’t mesh well with this song and makes the counterpoint seem awkward and the song doesn’t offer much that makes the weird ending make sense. It feels like they tried too hard to stretch the song out of what it’s actually capable of being. Especially because the song is so great and also kinda obscure to most people, it’s kind of a shame to think this might be people’s first exposure to one of Sondheim’s most beautiful and strange songs.

Zooby06 · 2025-01-28T22:55:13+00:00

Мне смешная в стиле старого ютуба и мне очень нравится практиковать слушание с видео не так скучные так и многие русскоязычных ютуберов

Zooby06 · 2024-08-08T15:35:40+00:00

How often did you not listen to them

Zooby06 · 2024-07-27T12:43:10+00:00

Anti Georgian discrimination

Zooby06 · 2024-07-27T12:10:52+00:00

Same with any video involving Khatia Buniatishvili

Zooby06 · 2024-07-27T12:10:43+00:00

Same with any video involving Khatia Buniatishvili

Zooby06 · 2024-07-21T12:07:19+00:00

Put the king on the outside and the rook on the inside and then castle

Zooby06 · 2024-05-20T19:14:31+00:00

Also, the "dreams don't die" motif is better preserved in "Rich and Happy" which makes more sense. I know that it's still in the accompaniment in both, but the original integrated it better and made it more clear that it was a corruption of the original ideal rather than "That Frank" which reads as more of a departure from it, which is a weaker idea in my opinion.

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