Education and Its Failures

The inadequacy of both formal religious education and the protagonist's self-education, which leaves him ill-equipped to handle life's complexities and contributes to his sense of being a 'commonplace' person with no real mastery.

The chapter critiques the narrow and dogmatic education Rutherford receives, which fails to address his deeper questions.

Rutherford condemns the college's theological teaching as a sham, irrelevant to real doubts, and focused on mechanical dogma rather than genuine understanding.