In 1947, Nash enrolled as a graduate student at Princeton and almost immediately stood out as an odd duck. He devoted himself to finding something unique, a mathematical theory which would be completely original. He kept it to himself for the most part and while he went out for drinks with other students, he spent much time with his roommate, Charles, who eventually became his best friend. Nash soon became a professor at MIT where he met and eventually married a graduate student, Alicia. Over time, however, Nash began to lose his grip on the reality, eventually diagnosed with schizophrenia. As the depth of his imaginary world was revealed, Nash withdrew from society. It was not until the 1970s that he made his first attempt back to the world of academics, gradually returning to research and teaching. In 1994, John Nash was eventually awarded the Nobel Prize in economics. This movie illustrates Nash’s hardships and success very well, so every moment I was overwhelmed by the scenes. Among them, the most impressive moment was when Nash received pens from other professors as a mark of their respect to him. In Princeton University, it is tradition to give a pen as a symbol of respect. When Nash was a graduate student, he saw his professor receive pens from other professors, and it was Nash who finally became the one who received them. When I saw this scene, I had goose bumps all over. If he became one of the most respectful professors without any hardships, I would not be impressed that much by the scene. However, he underwent harsh adversities and overcame it very well. Receiving pens from others was a compensation for his effort to overcome his own hardships. Considering his effort to overcome illness and old hallucinations, I thought it was fortunate for him to achieve success at last.
Furthermore, I developed empathy for his situations because I was undergoing some kind of hardships when I saw this movie even though it’s not that harsh like his. I entered Ewha Womans University, one of the great universities in Korea, just like Nash who entered Princeton University. I made some kind of success as I entered the university but after that, there was no notable success. There were so many great students that I became somewhat depressed and in panic. By watching Nash receiving pens from other professors, however, I could imagine of my future when I eventually become recognized by many other renowned experts. John Nash gave me hope that I could overcome any hardship just like he did.
Through this movie, not only did I learn about John Nash’s life but also learned great lessons. Hardship does not mean failure in one’s life. It is more of an opportunity. I believe that if we keep trying and never give up, one day all of us can receive pens like John Nash.
Yeo Ju-won
evoice@ewha.ac.kr