In this episode of With Honors, sophomores Larissa and Wesley dive into Frieda McFadden’s thriller The Housemaid and the unsettling ways it plays with perception and deception. As they discuss the danger of judging a book by its cover—both literally and figuratively—they reflect on how first impressions can be misleading, not just in literature but in life. Wesley shares how his initial assumptions about The Housemaid were completely upended, while Larissa connects the novel’s themes to the misconceptions she had about taking an Honors English class. Together, they unpack why those snap judgments can be limiting, how their perspectives have shifted, and what this class has taught them about looking beyond the surface.
This episode features inspiring piano music by BlackTrendMusic, available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial license.
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