You're a Failure: Fate and Grades

We are discussing “The Judge’s Wife” and it’s prophecy that Nicholas Vidal is destined to lose his head over a woman. He does: he falls in love or in lust (take your analytic choice) with the widow of his nemesis, and refuses to flee from his fate of capture and execution. Such is the power of love. Or of the cages of custom and society (as Heiko points out) that populate the story. Or of belief in self-fulfilling prophecy.

One of my relatives was greeted by the teacher the first day of class with, “Sit down. I can see you’re going to be trouble.” Now, this was not in a small school where everyone knew everyone. This was not a person notorious by second grade. No, it was a bright, articulate person, who was apparently typed by his teacher the first day. By what he wore? How he walked? His name?

Certainly, teachers do talk with other instructors for survival, basic information, helpful interactions, to be alerted about students’ particular issues. Also certainly, with our students, our friends, our loved ones, we don’t want to touch the points that hurt.

Vidal's prophecy and its fulfillment reminds me uncomfortably of some religions that state the believer’s fate is predestined. If we are bound to fail, then why try. But in a universe that encourages choice, if we don't try, we do fail. What kind of universe do we, or Vidal, believe in? Fate? Calvin had one monopoly on it, or believed he did. Hitler and his followers had another. Did Dick and Jane have a third? Or nth?

Last week I shared another of those Let’s look at where your grade is for the semester talks with a student. He initiated it. His analysis was, “I’m twenty-one. I screwed up once. I don’t want to miss this chance. How can I do better?” My answer was, “Follow directions. Get your assignments in on time. Participate in class. Let us see the thought you seem to have put into your essays when you take part in the class discussions and in-class writing.” Is he capable? I think so. Will he produce the above average work he says he wants to display in the class? I hope so.

Who succeeds? Getting where we want is not only turning it stellar work; it’s staying the course. Literally the course: 17 weeks at 3 hours of seat time per week, 2 potential hours of homework time per week; it’s showing up on time to hear those announcements that happen in the first five minutes of class.
Figuratively the course: this course, and the next, meeting the deadlines for registration, returning those library books, showing up for labs and exams.

Long ago someone said, “When the alarm goes off in the morning, nobody has a career. Everybody has a job.” It’s only when we’ve gotten ourselves out of bed and bleared at the mirror, that we remember we do have a career, life goals, and inspiration. There are mornings I heartily disagree with the career and job assessment; there are mornings when I’ve been up with children several times during the night, that I need to agree. I don’t want to go to work; I want to go back to bed. Instead, I go to work.

There are no fated failures. There’s only potential. Some exceed it. Some use it. Some put it under the alarm and choose not to set the clock.