The mornings this week at good ol' WCHS have been testy. And by that I mean full of tests. On-Demand Writing, pre-ACT, other random writings, and assuredly four or five others in this place of assessments bouncing off cinder-block walls. And today we ended up meeting for the two afternoon classes only.
After assuming my hallway post, I cracked open a folder-full of journal entries that my 6th period freshmen had turned in the day before. In addition to exploring "The Gift of the Magi" and some of their insights, I gave them the opportunity ask me a question if they desired. Most of the questions were simple: What's your favorite color? What's your middle name? What position did you play in baseball? But one of them stuck out from the rest and gave me a chance to practice what the State calls enrichment; the student, after composing one of the better journal entries in the class, asked, "What are your thoughts about the story?" Here's what I wrote to him:
What are my thoughts? That's a great question: so here they are....
I like the irony of the name "James Dillingham Young." The name sounds like it could belong to a millionaire, and the narrative tells us that he once was financially successful. Perhaps his family well-to-do, or perhaps he merely aspired to wealth and privilege and was at one time on his way. Either way, he is now stripped of all worldly success.
In addition, I find it significant that the name is fading from the inside-out. Worldly ambition -- the desire for fame, riches, and privilege is ultimately a problem that comes from the center of a person -- from the heart. It seems, then, that the fading name is a symbol of a fundamental change in his heart; and we can see that change evident in his selfless love, care, and sacrifice for his wife, and his surrendering of worldly possessions. Because of this heart-level change, he is no longer "James Dillingham Young"; rather, he is Della's beloved "Jim."
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