How we cite our quotes: Act.Scene.Line
Quote #10
BOTARD: All you get at the universities are effete intellectuals with no practical knowledge of life. (2.1.185-186)
We know Botard doesn’t trust anyone, but he’s actually bringing up an ongoing debate about the idea of knowledge here. It’s the age-old “book smarts vs. street smarts” argument. Are you knowledgeable because you have learned a lot from books and lectures or are you knowledgeable if you understand the world around you and can navigate it successfully? Maybe you need a little of both like in Good Will Hunting to be really smart. Either way, you can probably guess that Botard is overestimating his abilities in both arenas.