At the start of reading The Education of Henry Adams, I really enjoyed it. It did not take me long to lose interest and get overly caught up in the trying to figure out all the historical references. At this point, I did not have much hope that I would enjoy the rest of the read. However, I plugged through and found out that I began to not only enjoy the way Henry Adams wrote, but gained an appreciation for his desire to become educated. I was especially intrigued by his interest in Darwin’s theory of evolution. Although Adams was skeptical of the theory, he appreciated the scientific theory behind it. In addition, the historical references became easier to sort out. I liked how I could relate it back to my history class and knew what Adams was referring to by pulling what I have learned from other classes.
I was also amazed at Adams uneasiness when he returned to Harvard to teach. Here, this very well-educated man was unsure that he knew enough to teach the students. It was as if he always knew he could do more or learn more. In the end, I admired Adams for his will to continue to learn even in old age.
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