“Call me Ishmael.”
The intension of the opening line from “Moby Dick” is much debated. Is it a hood to shroud his real identity? Is it an pseudonym meant to indicate a Biblical meaning? Or is it simply a way to draw the reader into relationship with the narrator? “No, no … don’t call me Mr. Johnson, we’re friends and equals, so you can call me Ishmael.” But I went to St. John’s … I feel the desire to call you Mr. Johnson until we know each other better.
At St. John’s we do not call each other by first names in class. We use honorifics – Mr., Ms. or Mx. No “Dr.” or “Reverend” or even “Mrs.” in general. We use each other’s last names — even for our well-educated, some with multiple Ph.D.s, tutors. Our professors do not stand on their academic degrees to make them elevated above the conversation. They are not our teachers professing knowledge of the great books as if class were an opportunity for them to hand down truth from on high.
Equality around the table of discussion could equally be established by using first names instead of honorifics. So why do we refer to the 18 year old across from us by their last name?
In part, it’s a way to signal to everyone in the room that this is serious business, different from the conversation you’ll have in the cafeteria later. To remember all of the guidelines around citing the text as evidence for your line of thinking. To remember to listen to the others in the room and respond to their intuition, not simply wait for your turn to think. To remember not to interrupt, to wait for the longer thoughts to emerge. To respect the minds that you have the privilege to hear exposed and vulnerable as we work our way through difficult texts in an attempt to open them up to real understanding.
While I’ve made some of the greatest friends of my life at St. John’s, and call them Beth and Ben and Margot when we’re off at dinner or chatting casually. When I am talking about their minds, their intellect, their insights, thoughts and feelings, they are elevated to Ms. Kelly, Mr. Altman and Ms. Schwartz. I respect their minds, their hearts, their souls. And they still hold some mystery for me as I continue to discover the rich and glorious minds within.
