--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: From the opening sentence, it is clear…" description: "\"“From the opening sentence, it is clear that we are in the presence of a writer with a distinctive voice and uncanny ability to capture the bewildermen..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/069/jon-doust-70041_boarding-school_from-the-opening-sentence-it-is-clear-th_18290.jpg" --- # From the opening sentence, it is clear that we are in the… ![“From the opening sentence, it is clear that we are in the presence of a writer with a distinctive voice and uncanny ability to capture the bewilderment and burgeoning anger of a boy struggling to remain true to himself while navigating the hypocritical system he finds himself trapped in … what…” quote by Jon Doust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/069/jon-doust-70041_boarding-school_from-the-opening-sentence-it-is-clear-th_18290.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/069/jon-doust-70041_boarding-school_from-the-opening-sentence-it-is-clear-th_18290.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/069/jon-doust-70041_boarding-school_from-the-opening-sentence-it-is-clear-th_18290.jpg) > ““From the opening sentence, it is clear that we are in the presence of a writer with a distinctive voice and uncanny ability to capture the bewilderment and burgeoning anger of a boy struggling to remain true to himself while navigating the hypocritical system he finds himself trapped in … what makes Boy on a Wire much more than a bleak coming-of-age story is Doust’s sharp wit. “Justice not only prevails at Grammar School, it is rampant.” If you know an angry teenager, give this to him.’ — The Age”” Jon Doust ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage praises a novel’s vivid voice that captures a teen’s frustration and moral conflict within a hypocritical institutional system, highlighting the author’s sharp wit and the story’s depth beyond typical coming‑of‑age narratives. **In simple terms:** A teen’s struggle against hypocrisy, told with wit. Key Takeaway Wit deepens a bleak coming‑of‑age story. Themes Identity Rebellion Institutional Critique Coming‑of‑Age Wit Social Commentary Mood Defiant Reflective Hopeful Type Literary Review Recommendation Critique When to use this quote - Adolescent counseling - High‑school literature classes - Youth mentorship programs - Book clubs for teens - Therapeutic reading groups Key Concepts Voice Narrative Tone Character Conflict Societal Hypocrisy Practical Applications - Encourage self‑reflection in teens - Use in curricula to discuss institutional critique Questions to Reflect On - How does wit change the perception of a bleak narrative? - What does the protagonist’s anger reveal about the system? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Boarding school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boarding-school/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“The boarding school memoir or novel is an enduring literary subgenre, from 1950s classics such as The Catcher in the Rye to Curtis Sittenfeld’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-doust/the-boarding-school-memoir-or-novel-is-an-enduring-literary-subgenre/) Jon Doust > [“…a hilarious, angry and sympathetic portrait of boys behaving badly, teeming with sadistic bullies, imperfect heroes, adolescent onanists and ice-cream gorging hedonists.’— The West…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-doust/a-hilarious-angry-and-sympathetic-portrait-of-boys-behaving-badly/) Jon Doust > [“The novel is apparently autobiographical and is being publicised as such but Doust has done with his material what so many autobiographical novelists fail…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-doust/the-novel-is-apparently-autobiographical-and-is-being-publicised-as/) Jon Doust > [When you're my age and you see a story, you better go for it pretty quickly. I'd just like to get a few more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/when-you-re-my-age-and-you-see-a-story-you-better-go-for-it-pretty/) [John le Carre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [I think saying 'a John Hughes movie' is just shorthand for a lot of people to say 'a coming-of-age story,' because I think, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-watts/i-think-saying-a-john-hughes-movie-is-just-shorthand-for-a-lot-of/) [Jon Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-watts/) > [The nearest anyone can come to finding himself at any given age is to find a story that somehow tells him about himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-maclean/the-nearest-anyone-can-come-to-finding-himself-at-any-given-age-is-to/) [Norman Maclean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-maclean/) > [I want to be remembered as one of the illest, youngest cats to do it successfully and to keep doing it successfully. My early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bow-wow/i-want-to-be-remembered-as-one-of-the-illest-youngest-cats-to-do-it/) [Bow Wow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bow-wow/) > [The coming-of-age story has sort of become a joke. It's something to capitalize on, and that is painful because when you are coming of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-whitman/the-coming-of-age-story-has-sort-of-become-a-joke-it-s-something-to/) [Mae Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-whitman/) > [When I made my first film I was 25 years old, and that's pretty rare. Being so young my experience and the thing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-sciamma/when-i-made-my-first-film-i-was-25-years-old-and-that-s-pretty-rare/) [Celine Sciamma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-sciamma/) > [Although I sometimes enjoy writing from an adult's perspective, I feel dedicated to the coming of age story - that part of a young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-willis-holt/although-i-sometimes-enjoy-writing-from-an-adult-s-perspective-i-feel/) [Kimberly Willis Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-willis-holt/) > [It's just this feeling of when you're a kid, you have these ideas about the world and about people in your life that don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-watts/it-s-just-this-feeling-of-when-you-re-a-kid-you-have-these-ideas/) [Jon Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-watts/) > [With 'To All the Boys,' it's not an Asian rom-com. We tried to tell the coming-of-age story of a 16-year-old girl who just happens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lana-condor/with-to-all-the-boys-it-s-not-an-asian-rom-com-we-tried-to-tell-the/) [Lana Condor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lana-condor/) ## More by Jon Doust > [“The boarding school memoir or novel is an enduring literary subgenre, from 1950s classics such as The Catcher in the Rye to Curtis Sittenfeld’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-doust/the-boarding-school-memoir-or-novel-is-an-enduring-literary-subgenre/) Jon Doust > [“The novel is apparently autobiographical and is being publicised as such but Doust has done with his material what so many autobiographical novelists fail…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-doust/the-novel-is-apparently-autobiographical-and-is-being-publicised-as/) Jon Doust > [“…a hilarious, angry and sympathetic portrait of boys behaving badly, teeming with sadistic bullies, imperfect heroes, adolescent onanists and ice-cream gorging hedonists.’— The West…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-doust/a-hilarious-angry-and-sympathetic-portrait-of-boys-behaving-badly/) Jon Doust Explore all 4 Jon Doust quotes ## More Boarding school quotes > [At age 10 or 12 he's going to boarding school in the Isle of Wight. The Isle of Wight is, of course, down at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-irons/at-age-10-or-12-he-s-going-to-boarding-school-in-the-isle-of-wight/) [Jeremy Irons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-irons/) > [I was a boarding school product from the age of eight, and I hated it. Though I do have a theory that boarding school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mawer/i-was-a-boarding-school-product-from-the-age-of-eight-and-i-hated-it/) [Simon Mawer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mawer/) > [I went to a boarding school when I was 13, and it was a very arty school, so there was an opportunity for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-thompson/i-went-to-a-boarding-school-when-i-was-13-and-it-was-a-very-arty/) [Teddy Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-thompson/) > [I'm the first to admit I've had a sheltered life. I grew up in the country and went to a boarding school. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-rickitt/i-m-the-first-to-admit-i-ve-had-a-sheltered-life-i-grew-up-in-the/) [Adam Rickitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-rickitt/) > [“Inside, a mother superior, ethereal, delicate, who took me under her wing. 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My mother, who didn't speak any English at all, said, 'I know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-sharif/i-was-a-fat-little-boy-when-i-was-10-years-old-my-mother-who-didn-t/) [Omar Sharif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-sharif/) > [I went to boarding school at seven and cried and cried.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-everett/i-went-to-boarding-school-at-seven-and-cried-and-cried/) [Rupert Everett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-everett/) > [When I was 10 I went to the Drakensberg Boys Choir School, which is this idyllic Harry Potter-esque music boarding school in the mountains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-lucia/when-i-was-10-i-went-to-the-drakensberg-boys-choir-school-which-is/) [St. Lucia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-lucia/) > [It was tough going to boarding school. It was very hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasmine-guinness/it-was-tough-going-to-boarding-school-it-was-very-hard-work/) [Jasmine Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasmine-guinness/) > [I went to boarding school Southern, religious, and straight, and I left boarding school not being at all religious and not being straight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hughes/i-went-to-boarding-school-southern-religious-and-straight-and-i-left/) [Chris Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hughes/) > [I had been kind of quite porky and happy at boarding school and not self-conscious at all; then, suddenly, I found myself in auditions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-had-been-kind-of-quite-porky-and-happy-at-boarding-school-and-not/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [Besides, I think that when one has been through a boarding school, especially then, you have some resistance, because it was both fine comradeship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arne-jacobsen/besides-i-think-that-when-one-has-been-through-a-boarding-school/) [Arne Jacobsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arne-jacobsen/) [Browse all 141 Boarding school quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boarding-school/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“From the opening sentence, it is clear that we are in the presence of a writer with a distinctive voice and uncanny ability to capture the bewilderment and burgeoning anger of a boy struggling to remain true to himself while navigating the hypocritical system he finds himself trapped in … what makes Boy on a Wire much more than a bleak coming-of-age story is Doust’s sharp wit. “Justice not only prevails at Grammar School, it is rampant.” If you know an angry teenager, give this to him.’ — The Age”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jon Doust" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-doust/from-the-opening-sentence-it-is-clear-that-we-are-in-the-presence-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Boarding school" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-doust/from-the-opening-sentence-it-is-clear-that-we-are-in-the-presence-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/069/jon-doust-70041_boarding-school_from-the-opening-sentence-it-is-clear-th_18290.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/069/jon-doust-70041_boarding-school_from-the-opening-sentence-it-is-clear-th_18290.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/069/jon-doust-70041_boarding-school_from-the-opening-sentence-it-is-clear-th_18290.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“From the opening sentence, it is clear that we are in the presence of a writer with a distinctive voice and…” — Jon Doust", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jon Doust", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-doust/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“From the opening sentence, it is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-doust/from-the-opening-sentence-it-is-clear-that-we-are-in-the-presence-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-doust/from-the-opening-sentence-it-is-clear-that-we-are-in-the-presence-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```