This Boy's Life Guilt and Blame Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #10

"I didn't need to see the tears in Mr. Welch's eyes to know that I had brought shame on myself." (26.42)

Jack distances himself from Mr. Welch's reaction here: he knows what he did wrong and he can feel bad without seeing any tears. Could this be a kind of self-empowerment, a "nobody makes me feel guilty but me" kind of thing?