I believe this phrase was an example of how much Mr. Hessler hated the lack of independent thinking / original ideas and follow the pack mentality that many of the students displayed.A nice literary device I wanted to mention was how Peter Hessler spent a few pages (pp. 94-98) writing about the White Crane Ridge, which was a rock or a small island (about 240 feet long) in the Yangtze river, with