"Before any of you gets it into your heads that today's class is going to be an easy one," Algren said, arms over his chest as the students filed into the room, "think again. Just because we're leading up to a holiday doesn't mean that we'll be any less academic than we are in other lessons."

Stop laughing. He's trying, here.

"And so I want you all to think long and hard about how Columbus probably brought syphilis back with him to Europe from the New World while you watch this movie. It puts this ridiculous holiday into perspective."

Right, Nathan. You keep telling yourself that.

"Even though Thanksgiving is celebrating the first successful colony in America," Jim added, shooting Nathan an amused look as he pushed in the movie into the tape player--how quaint was that? "But nevermind that now."

"It's a holiday week," Algren sighed. "Try not to think too hard about how in the world a beagle setting a ping-pong table for dinner is supposed to relate to the history of sex, and I'll let you all get away with just one handout about the idiot who thought he was in India. If you're interested."

Look, he didn't care what the holiday was about. He was still well steeped in denial about his priorities in this particular classroom.