Quote-Response

“But it seems to me that once you begin a gesture it’s fatal not to go through with it.” (Updike, 19)

No specific words leap out as important to me; it was the whole phrase. The passage is important to the story because the narrator believed that once he began taking off his apron, even though he didn’t necessarily want to go through with quitting his job, he had to follow through. To me, this belief was the main reason he ended up quitting his job.

The phrase interests me because I also believe that, to an extent, it’s true. Once you say you’re going to do something and actually begin doing it, it seems to be very hard to back out of it. In my opinion, people mainly would do this out of fear of not living up to their word or seeming like a coward. It also may have to do with stubbornness in not wanting to admit their mistake.