I JUST WANNA BE AVERAGE 2

I JUST WANNA BE AVERAGE

1. “Some people who manage to write their way out of the working class, describe the classroom as an oasis of possibility. It became their intellectual playground, their competitive arena. Given the richness of my memories of this time, its funny how scant are my recollections of school”
2. “Budding manhood. Only adults talk about adolescence budding. Kids have no choice but to talk in extremes; they are being wrenched and buffeted, rabbit-punched from the inside by systematic thugs. Nothing sweet and pastoral here. Kids become ridiculous and touching at one at the same time; passionate about the trivial, fixed before the mirror, yet traversing one of the most important rights of passage in their lives~liminal people, silly, profoundly human.”

 

QUESTION

1. People usually defend themselves from the things they feel threatened by because if we are thinking in broad terms, it is human instinct to protect oneself from something that may hurt you or when you feel threatened. In the case of Mike he has a rough upbringing anyway so somethings he already has labeled as a threat because of past experiences.