Interview Essay

The Chocolate War is a story about a boy named Jerry, who stands up for what he believes in, against a group of trouble-makers at his school known as the “Vigils.” This book is very thematic, and I was asked to interview four people within my community certain questions regarding these themes.

I interviewed:

Mr. Infante – Literature teacher
Mr. Hendrix- Biology teacher
My Grandfather
Devin Drury- Classmate

1. “What does the following quote by T.S Elliot mean to you: Do I dare disturb the universe?”

For this question, I got many unique responses that all basically strived to say the same thing. The Glynn Academy counselor Mr. Dittmar said that the universe has a component of chaos and control, and that disturbing the universe refers to leaving your own mark on it. I got a similar answer form Biology teacher Mr. Hendrix, who stated that the universe has been here for a long time, and it will be here for a long time after he is gone; so he needs to try his best to leave as small of a footprint as he can on the world. My literature teacher Mr. Infante expressed that the word dare implies that an aspect of courage is involved. He said that this quote asks, can I stand up for myself or others in the face of opposition, even if it involves losing everything I have? My classmate Devin Drury described “disturbing the universe” as either a positive or negative thing. She proposed that if you are trying to make a positive impact on something, then you are obviously making a small mark on someone’s life. She said that if something is already in full motion, and is in no need to be bothered, then people should just let it be. In my opinion, these were all great answers. Everyone I interviewed essentially broke the question down into a different question: What can I do to show that I am here to make a difference?

2. “What does it mean to you to do the right thing, and in what circumstance would you be willing to NOT do the right thing?

In my opinion, this is a very controversial and difficult question to answer. Everyone is raised in different backgrounds, and doing the right thing isn’t exactly the same to all people. There is definitely a common ground for everyone though, when it comes to being a good person. For the most part, every human with a justifiable conscience knows the difference between right and wrong. Mr. Dittmar said that our conscience comes from the things that socially mold us, such as family, school, friends, and even media. A quote that really stood out to me was an excerpt from Mr. Infante’s interview in which he stated, “I think doing the right thing all comes down to, what is the unselfish thing for me to do?” As simple as the quote may seem, it is very true. In our society these days, people don’t always look out for one another, which plays a big role in many financial and social problems, as well as personal issues. Selflessness always falls under positivity, and doing the right thing. He also went on to say that it is human nature to want to get revenge, and treat someone badly if that is how they treated you; but the right thing to do would be to kill them with kindness, and always be there for them no matter what. Another thing that stood out to me is when Devin said, “Doing the right thing is very important, even when no one is looking.” Many people will just steal and cheat their way out of things when they have a guarantee of not getting in trouble, but doing the right thing when no one is around to see you do it is a very selfless and moral principle that everyone should take part in.

3. In your opinion, what concerns you most about this generation?

Devin Drury told me that the media has given the teenage population a mold of what a person should look like, and that many people are trying to be something they aren’t; a lack of individuality so to speak. This is a very true statement, and in my opinion, people should want to stand out more than they want to fit in. Mr. Dittmar said that every generation has had concerns, and used the Beatles influence in the 60’s as an example. Mr. Hendrix said that his main concern was the overall decline of the family unit. He expressed that it has caused a much a much angrier generation, and is causing kids to be more careless and less compassionate toward others. Mr. Infante also said that the generation is very “me” centered, and people care less about others as well. The main response I got to this question was technological influence. Every person I interviewed mentioned that kids these days are very hooked on technology, and are lost without it. My grandfather said that every kid now has access to any bit of information they need, due to the internet, and in turn that causes decline in educational integrity. He stated that most kids don’t read anymore, and don’t take the time to actually do research on things. Instead, they go straight to a search engine, and the information is right in front of them. It’s that simple. Every response I got was very straightforward, and sincere. In my opinion, all of the answers I received were very true. Since the 1970’s, divorce rates have shot up from about twenty-five percent, to now around sixty percent. Also, the technological rise in the past ten years has been absolutely outrageous, leading to the start of a new era, and in essence, a new generation.

4. Conscience and empathy, as human qualities, seem to be eroding. Do you agree, or disagree with this statement, and why?

Mr. Dittmar disagreed with the statement, stating that every culture has their standards of right and wrong, and that it isn’t changing any time soon. He says that although these qualities aren’t eroding, there is much more we could do to nurture these attributes as humans. Mr. Infante believes that conscience is related to empathy; both men stated that empathy is the ability to step outside of ourselves, and feel what another person is feeling from their perspective. Mr. Infante used the “lunch line” question as an example. He said that in all of his classes, about two thirds of people would immediately give five dollars back to someone if they happened to drop it in the lunch line. He stated that about one third of the people said they would give it back depending on how close the relationship between themselves and the “money-dropper” was. And then he said there was a portion of the classes who said that they would take it under any circumstance, no matter what. It’s very sobering to know that there are people among us who have no empathy or concern for others, and that makes it hard to trust people in today’s society. Mr. I even asked some of these kids what would happen if he told their mother about them taking money, and some of them responded by saying “she would give me a high-five.” That’s even more alarming to know. My grandfather said that basically, people are just becoming careless. He didn’t agree with the statement, but stated that although people have a justifiable conscience, and the ability to empathize, they just don’t care anymore, which is very evident in many aspects of the environment around us. It all goes back to the “me” centered society that Mr. Infante spoke about. Most people can’t even imagine stepping into another person’s shoes, and walking a mile in them, because they are so caught up in their own thoughts and actions.

In conclusion, I got many great responses that made me think a lot about not only the society around me, but my own actions as well. I thoroughly enjoyed interviewing these people, and would love to do it again some other time.