Innocence

I have read 40 more pages of The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich since my last blog post. The plot moves forward rapidly in those 40 pages. Mark launches his own website called "thefacebook.com." To the Winklevoss twins' dismay, the website  turns into a viral hit on campus.  Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss are infuriated by the launch of "thefacebook.com," which they view to be a copy of their idea (the Harvard Connection). Consequently, a major conflict arrises between the Winklevoss twins and Mark.

The twins  meet with Mr. Summers, the president of Harvard University, to complain about Mark's breach of  the student code of ethics. It is in this chapter that profound character development of Tyler Winklevoss occurs. Although Tyler is not a major character and his development is not a vital part of the plot, Tyler's moment of self-reflection in Mr. Summer's office struck a chord with my own life. Summers has no sympathy for the twins and concludes that the "facebook" issue is not the school's problem. Tyler is deeply upset that Summers does not recognize Mark's deceit as a breach of the Harvard code of ethics. He feels "betrayed...by [Summers], by the system, by the university itself" (130). As he walks out the door, he notes that his meeting with Summers marks the "true end of his innocence" (131). This line spoke to me, and I began to consider what innocence is. I conclude that I am like Tyler. I believe my innocence is fading away, and my eyes are gradually opening to the injustices of the world. Through literature, journalism, and music, I expose myself to the unfairness and cruelty of humanity. I do not consider stealing an idea as cruelty, but the same concept of innocence applies.

The Accidental Billionaires is exciting because it actually happened. I love nonfiction literature because it can be inspirational.