The social context is always a substantial influence on the decisions of any individual. In the case of Jon in the short story “jon” from In Persuasion Nation by George Saunders, there is a wide range of institutional as well as social implications that affect Jon’s mindset. Living in a homogenous society with little individuality, Jon encounters a predicament in which his personal interests conflict with those of the marketing facility’s. He conceives a child with Carolyn despite not being aware of what to do once the child was born. Once Carolyn expresses her unyielding desire to leave for the sake of her child, Jon is subsequently plunged into an internal dilemma between staying in a haven where he is guaranteed the necessities of life and
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On a fundamental level, Jon is unaccustomed to making his own choices,
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especially if they result in leaving the institution and his given identity. He has no experience and the potential divergence from his packaged life that would result from leaving the facility is another source of doubt for Jon that Carolyn seems to, instead, welcome. Especially in an adolescent stage, education is tasked with providing valuable experiences, including the encounter with the ideal of free choice. As a result of Jon’s lack of exposure to that experience, his thoughts don’t dwell on the safety of his unborn child; they rest with the identity that the facility has created for him and his job.
Jon’s emotions, which influence his actions, are also tampered with through Aurabons.
Whenever a teen is under high stress, the institution simply administers Aurabon and according to Jon it “always makes everything better” (Saunders, 43). The presence of both the gargadisks and Aurabons indicate that the control that the institution harnesses over the adolescents is not complete. Jon accordingly does not use his given name because “Randy” distinctly …show more content…
Because Jon is cut off from any outside influence by the facility and is still under the heavy influence of Aurabon, he is unaware of making the comparison between the world outside and life under Slippen.
Through a young age, the institution makes a crucial connection with Jon and the other children and creates a life in which they can rationalize staying in. However, as actions speak louder than words, Jon becomes obviously distraught over the absence of Carolyn. He very much wants to leave, but understands the institution doesn’t want him to and is daunted by the presence of free choice. The climax of Jon’s trauma is defined by the will to follow Carolyn negated by “Randy”’s urge to stay in the institution. There is no explicit decision Jon makes, but he almost begs to leave through having higher doses of Aurabon. Jon’s subjectivity, which up to this point has been shaped by the institution, is morphing into an emotionally driven perspective.
His intoxication reaches a point in which Slippen himself has to convince Jon to leave. Although he seemingly acts against the interests of the institution, Slippen allows defection once he
5
realizes that Jon is no longer of any use to the facility as he is mentally incapable of doing
On a fundamental level, Jon is unaccustomed to making his own choices,
3
especially if they result in leaving the institution and his given identity. He has no experience and the potential divergence from his packaged life that would result from leaving the facility is another source of doubt for Jon that Carolyn seems to, instead, welcome. Especially in an adolescent stage, education is tasked with providing valuable experiences, including the encounter with the ideal of free choice. As a result of Jon’s lack of exposure to that experience, his thoughts don’t dwell on the safety of his unborn child; they rest with the identity that the facility has created for him and his job.
Jon’s emotions, which influence his actions, are also tampered with through Aurabons.
Whenever a teen is under high stress, the institution simply administers Aurabon and according to Jon it “always makes everything better” (Saunders, 43). The presence of both the gargadisks and Aurabons indicate that the control that the institution harnesses over the adolescents is not complete. Jon accordingly does not use his given name because “Randy” distinctly …show more content…
Because Jon is cut off from any outside influence by the facility and is still under the heavy influence of Aurabon, he is unaware of making the comparison between the world outside and life under Slippen.
Through a young age, the institution makes a crucial connection with Jon and the other children and creates a life in which they can rationalize staying in. However, as actions speak louder than words, Jon becomes obviously distraught over the absence of Carolyn. He very much wants to leave, but understands the institution doesn’t want him to and is daunted by the presence of free choice. The climax of Jon’s trauma is defined by the will to follow Carolyn negated by “Randy”’s urge to stay in the institution. There is no explicit decision Jon makes, but he almost begs to leave through having higher doses of Aurabon. Jon’s subjectivity, which up to this point has been shaped by the institution, is morphing into an emotionally driven perspective.
His intoxication reaches a point in which Slippen himself has to convince Jon to leave. Although he seemingly acts against the interests of the institution, Slippen allows defection once he
5
realizes that Jon is no longer of any use to the facility as he is mentally incapable of doing