Wrapping up a conversation in English 1. We’ve been talking about the collective antagonist in this Barbara Kingsolver short story–essentially a whole small Southern town most of whose older inhabitants are passing down racist, homophobic narrow-mindedness to the next generation.

“So what do you think’s going to change Ed Mattox’s mind about Rose-Johnny?” I ask.

“Nothing.” “Not much.” “What could?” “He probably won’t change.” “The rest of the town won’t, either.”

A pause.

Then the kind of cross-disciplinary “Aha!” moment you wish could be part of every discussion, but couldn’t script it if you tried.
“It’s like physics,” one of our little clan asserts, clearly, confidently. “An object will not move without external force.”

Bingo. Except that we’re out of time. (For me at least, the forty minutes are gone before twenty are past.) They’re packing their books and notebooks away because they actually have to go to physics class–or math or art.

We’ll have to pick up what that external force might be. . . tomorrow.