Old School
Introduction + Context
Plot Summary
Detailed Summary & Analysis
Chapter 1: Class Picture Chapter 2: On Fire Chapter 3: Frost Chapter 4: Übermensch Chapter 5: Slice of Life Chapter 6: The Forked Tongue Chapter 7: When in Disgrace with Fortune Chapter 8: One for the Books Chapter 9: Bulletin Chapter 10: Master
Themes
All Themes Honesty and Honor Identity and Belonging The Power of Literature Competition, Masculinity, and Pride Education, Failure, and Growth
Quotes
Characters
All Characters The Narrator Dean Makepeace Bill White Purcell (“Little Jeff”) The Narrator’s Father Big Jeff Ernest Hemingway Ayn Rand Susan Friedman Mr. Ramsey Robert Frost Rain The Headmaster Ruth Levine Jack Broome George Kellogg
Symbols
All Symbols Cigarettes
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Old School

by

Tobias Wolff

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Introduction Intro
Plot Summary Plot
Summary & Analysis
  • Chapter 1: Class Picture
  • Chapter 2: On Fire
  • Chapter 3: Frost
  • Chapter 4: Übermensch
  • Chapter 5: Slice of Life
  • Chapter 6: The Forked Tongue
  • Chapter 7: When in Disgrace with Fortune
  • Chapter 8: One for the Books
  • Chapter 9: Bulletin
  • Chapter 10: Master
Themes
  • All Themes
  • Honesty and Honor Theme Icon
    Honesty and Honor
  • Identity and Belonging Theme Icon
    Identity and Belonging
  • The Power of Literature Theme Icon
    The Power of Literature
  • Competition, Masculinity, and Pride Theme Icon
    Competition, Masculinity, and Pride
  • Education, Failure, and Growth Theme Icon
    Education, Failure, and Growth
Quotes
Characters
  • All Characters
  • The Narrator
  • Dean Makepeace
  • Bill White
  • Purcell (“Little Jeff”)
  • The Narrator’s Father
  • Big Jeff
  • Ernest Hemingway
  • Ayn Rand
  • Susan Friedman
  • Mr. Ramsey
  • Robert Frost
  • Rain
  • The Headmaster
  • Ruth Levine
  • Jack Broome
  • George Kellogg
Symbols
  • All Symbols
  • Cigarettes Symbol Icon
    Cigarettes
Theme Wheel Theme Viz
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Download the Teacher Edition
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George Kellogg

Old School Symbols

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Cigarettes

Cigarettes

Cigarettes symbolize the narrator’s coming of age over the course of the novel. Initially, cigarettes reflect the narrator’s immaturity: cigarettes are banned from the narrator’s school, and anyone caught smoking is immediately expelled. Still…

read analysis of Cigarettes

Cigarettes Symbol Icon
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George Kellogg
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George Kellogg
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Cigarettes
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Cigarettes

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