“We wanted to avoid the low standards and cultural poison of a world that had lost its way.”

Capricorn only knows his grandmother’s view of the outside world, highlighting the theme of Idealism Versus Realism. He has not been given the opportunity to form his own ideas about the values of mainstream society. Because of Capricorn’s experiences of getting to know the other students and the Donnellys, he no longer depends on Rain’s interpretation of life off of the farm. He is now in a position of integrating his own experiences with Rain’s opinions and the opinions of others.

“I remembered Rain. She was one of the founders of Garland, the queen bee of the place when I lived there. I was always afraid of her. I thought she was a witch.”

Mrs. Donnelly’s childhood experiences on Garland Farm seem to have had a lasting impact on her life. She resents the lack of preparation that the commune provided for “real life,” and she is determined to give Capricorn the opportunity to have experiences beyond the sheltered world that Rain has constructed for him. This represents the theme of Authoritarian Versus Experiential Education. This quote also shows how two people can experience the same thing, and come to completely different conclusions. While Capricorn’s interactions with Rain convinced him of her wisdom and goodness, Mrs. Donnelly viewed her as controlling and menacing.