WhenIgnoranceisBliss:ATaleofDramaticIrony
TheSetup
Ourprotagonist,Jane,isabrightandambitiousyoungwomanwhohasjustbeenacceptedintoaprestigiousuniversity.She'sexcitedtoembarkonthisnewchapterofherlifeandisdeterminedtoworkhardandachievehergoals.Shequicklymakesfriendswithagroupoffellowstudentswhoshareherpassionforlearningandexploration.AmongthemisacharmingyoungmannamedTom,withwhomshedevelopsacloseandflirtatiousrelationship.Theyspendcountlesshourstogether,debatingideasandexploringtheworldaroundthem.
TheTwist
Oneday,whilethey'restudyingtogetheratthelibrary,JaneoverhearsaconversationbetweenTomandanotherstudentthatshakeshertohercore.ShelearnsthatTomisnotonlyinvolvedinsomeshadybusinessdeals,buthe'salsobeencheatingonherwithseveralothergirlsoncampus.She'sdevastatedanddoesn'tknowwhattodo.SheconfrontsTom,whodenieseverythingandtriestoconvinceherthathe'sstillthesamepersonshefellinlovewith.Atfirst,JaneistornbetweenherloveforTomandhersenseofrightandwrong.Butassheuncoversmoreandmoreofhisliesanddeceptions,sherealizesthatshecan'tstaywithhim.Shebreaksupwithhimandstartstodistanceherselffromtheirsharedcircleoffriends.
TheResolution
YearsgobyandJanegraduateswithhonorsfromtheuniversity.Shelandsagreatjobandstartsmakinganameforherselfinherfield.ShelearnsthatTom,ontheotherhand,hasdroppedoutofschoolandhasbeeninandoutofjailforvariouscrimes.Shealsofindsoutthattheirsharedcircleoffriendshasdisbanded,andmanyofthemhavestruggledtofindtheirplaceintheworld.AsshereflectsonherpastwithTom,sherealizesthatshewasnaivetothinkthatloveandintelligencecouldconquerall.Sheunderstandsthecruelironyofhersituation:thatherpursuitofknowledgeandexcellencehadblindedhertothetruthaboutthepeoplearoundher.Butshealsoknowsthatshe'sstrongerandwiserbecauseofit.She'sreadytofacewhateverchallengesthefutureholds,armedwiththeknowledgethatsometimes,ignoranceisnotblissafterall.
