In light of Christopher Nolan's recent film "Oppenheimer," which explores the life of the father of the atomic bomb, let's dive deeper into the world of J. Robert Oppenheimer. While the movie provides a glimpse of his biography, here's your chance to uncover the hidden emotions and sentiments within his letter to his homeroom and high school English teacher, Herbert Winslow Smith. Join our trivia quiz and get ready to explore the personal side of Oppenheimer. Are you ready?
Before we begin the quiz, here's some background information: In high school, Robert Oppenheimer was known as "Bob" before eventually starting to sign his letters as "Robert" or simply "R" during his time at Harvard. This letter is taken from the book "Robert Oppenheimer: Letters and Recollections (Stanford Nuclear Age Series)" edited by Alice Kimball Smith.
To Herbert Winslow Smith
D 12, Standish,
Cambridge, Mass.
January 12, 1932
Dear Mr. Smith,
God is most emphatically in his heaven, otherwise I should certainly have missed the delight of your letters; for they have reached me by the most extraordinary orbits. Yesterday there came a mysterious envelope with two copies of your aesthetic intelligence test-only that and nothing more. Today came a glittering letter of October third, which, even in its abridged form, did much to explain the bewildering discontinuities of our correspondence, and last of all came another consoling note and another challenging copy of Innisfree. This last was furnished with an appendix from Francis, setting a date for walk. The interpretation of these remarkable phenomena takes a keener scientific brain than mine; all I can do is to say thank you again and again, and gloat in the reception of so many papers from your apt typewriter.
The only one of the poems that I very much like is the third. But, "you are so clever and I am so dull" that I tremble at calling that the original, it is really beautiful to my ears, but I do not consider you incapable of such gross deception. If in the fourth, the sense and the verse were not engaged in such bitter battle, that would not be impossible. I think the first two are abominable. The deed is done.
In a few days Jane will be in New York. I have received a letter from her; It is so strange that I am sending it to you. Even the queer idiom cannot explain it. But I should like it back, later; it is a fitting finale to a very poignant series. When you see the lovelorn lass, will you give her my most glib and convincing congratulations, please? Of course I shall write as soon as I know how to reach her. I suspect that Mama is mad.
I am again in the toils of a short story. It it not to be as pretentious or subtle as the last, and so there is some chance of its not being as vile. At least I think you will be interested in the setting. A young mining engineer is starting his career at the Humboldt mine. I introduce the fellow as he dismounts from his horse and begins the climb. He has courage enough to enter the amphitheatre on the cable car; it is good fun to give his first impressions of the place when the cable gets high enough for him to see. He is a sophisticated and introspective person, and the filth, the phosphorescent manager, and the miserable, indifferent miners only make him laugh and look smugly at the sunset. But, by a simple mechanism, he discovers that the superintendent, who is a pretty unprepossessing person, is, like him, a graduate of an eastern college, and the he was, at one time, an intimate friend of the young fellow's aunt. He realizes that he, too, is rather likely to disintegrate just as the manager has; and his complacency vanishes. He is really miserable, and is perfectly willing to listen to a disgusting and doddering syphilitic, with whom, earlier in the day, he would have nothing to do. And he no longer sees anything at all risible in the mine. Observe the three unities. Anyway, it is rather fun, and I shall be too busy after this to do it.
It will take me cons to pay my literary debt to you. But another letter and some mangled verses will come soon. Good luck.
Very sincerely and gratefully,
Bob
Thank you for participating! Remember, this quiz is designed as a brain exercise, not a true measure of intelligence. Everyone brings their unique interpretations based on their experiences and contexts. Let's celebrate this diversity of thought and invite your friends to join in this brain workout. Keep your minds active and knowledge growing. See you in the next quiz!
Share This Article
