Beyond Conventions

Author's Note: This piece is my response to the short story Teddy. This story was a bit of a process to truly explore and understand. There was tons of symbolism within Teddy, and I was determined to uncover most all of it in order to compose a meaningful response. Once I had gathered all my thoughts and made some detailed pre-writing notes, I realized that my focus was way too broad. After a few attempts at the actual composition of my response, I realized, with some guidance, that I needed to narrow the scope of my response. Once that was completed, it was a bit easier for me to write. However, I did have to remind myself more than once that it takes time to put out a worth while response. I realized that covering one very high-level, in depth topic was clearly worth more than trying to cram lots of different ideas. My goal was to create a response that made the reader really think about and study Teddy's personality, and realize that there is so much we can learn from a mere ten year old character within this short story.

"Nicholson took out his cigarettes again, but without taking his eyes off Teddy. "How does one get out of the finite dimensions?" he asked, and gave a short laugh. "I mean, to begin very basically, a block of wood is a block of wood, for example. It has length, width --"" (189) As perplexing as Nicholson's question may be, to Teddy, the answer is quite simple; one must rid of logic. Too often, we answer with logic, when logic is the first thing that must be forgotten when escaping the finite dimensions. One must think outside of and beyond conventions -- erase labels and forget what we think to be facts. Teddy says life is a gift horse in his opinion, and that it is. We must not take our existence for granted and make use of our time on earth by looking beyond the finite dimensions.

Teddy makes use of his time on earth with every word he speaks, with every thought he thinks, and with every action he performs. Literally, he is constantly sticking his head out of the portal and scanning the sea rather than emerging himself in a contained swimming pool. When he is forced to respond to the simplistic ideals of such overly simplified people, he does it in such a way that perplexes them -- makes them question their thoughts all together.

"It hasn't. That's where you're wrong," Teddy said. "Everybody just thinks things keep stopping off somewhere. They don't …" He … took out an eyesore of a handkerchief -- a gray, wadded entity -- and blew his nose. "The reason things seem to stop off somewhere is because that's the only way most people know how to look at things … But that doesn't mean they do."

How does one get to this point? How does one begin to have the mental capacity to explore the world in such a way that is so rare, if existent at all, in today's society? The complexity of how Teddy's mind works bewilders everyone around him; he is a precise example of thinking outside of our labels. Outwardly, Teddy is a mere ten year old boy. However, inversely, his mind is greater than that of a college professor. The notion that age is a convention in itself is thoroughly recognized within the short story and represented by the character of Teddy.

If we never take time to look at things in a contradistinct way, we will always have a singular, narrow view of the world and its inhabitants. We must stress the importance of being aware -- exercising our minds to the fullest in order to live to the fullest. We must empty our thoughts and notions and then conceive of everything  around us adversely. For if we live so lazily, so simplistic yet horribly complicated at the same time, we will lead utterly mundane lives.

"Colors are only names. I mean if you tell them the grass is green, it makes them start expecting the grass to look a certain way--your way--instead of some other way that may be just as good, and may be much better . . . I don't know. I'd just make them vomit up every bit of the apple their parents and everybody made them take a bite out of."

And maybe Teddy is precisely correct. Maybe it is time for us to vomit up every bit of conventions we obtain, and leave our minds hungry and eager to search for the pieces of life that matter.