Education (the purpose of) Flashcards
“…or what’s all this learning by heart for, except as some sort of insurance against the boys’ ultimate failure?”
Mrs Lintott, p.69
in reference to hector’s style of teaching - makes boys remember quotes (e.g. scene with posner on p.54 in which posner recites the entire drummer hodge poem to hector)
foreshadowing - posner is the student most alike hector in the sense that he remembers poems and romantic quotes, yet he ends up failing
“Turning facts on their head. It’s like a game.”
Dakin, p.80
referencing looking at history differently
simile ‘like a game’ links in with irwin’s view that history should be entertaining
shows dakin’s cocky nature
“I would call it grooming did not that have overtones of the monkey house. ‘Presentation’ might be the word.”
Headmaster, p.8
referring to bringing someone in (Irwin) to coach the boys for their exams
foreshadowing hector and irwin’s actions
modal verb ‘might’ suggests uncertainty
“And they are bright, brighter than last year’s. But that’s not enough apparently.”
Mrs Lintott, p.10
‘bright, brighter’ adjective and comparative
adverb ‘apparently’; scathing towards headmaster and his decision to bring in a tutor
“…teachers just remember the books they loved as students and shove them on the syllabus.”
Mrs Lintott, p.23
‘shove’ dynamic verb, careless, begrudging
ironic - hector teaches the books he loves
“Dull. Abysmally dull. A triumph… the dullest of the lot.”
Irwin, p.18
‘dullest’ superlative
quote is earlier on in the play, before irwin had taught the boys to make history entertaining
shows irwin’s style of teaching early on
foregrounding ‘a triumph’ plays into dakin’s ego
“You want it. Or your parents want it. The headmaster certainly wants it.”
Irwin, p.20
repetition of verb ‘want’; anaphora
headmaster is the driving force behind ‘it’; end focus
“The wrong end of the stick is the right one. A question has a front door and a back door. Go in the back, or better still, the side. Be perverse.”
Irwin, p.35
“wrong end of the stick is the right one” paradox, oxymoron
imperative “be perverse” has sexual undertones; foreshadowing, irony
“Education isn’t something for when they’re old and grey and sitting by the fire. It’s for now. The exam is next month.”
Irwin, p.49
short, declarative sentences
scathing against hector’s teaching
“I sympathise with your feelings about examinations, but they are a fact of life.”
Irwin, p.48
“Your cheat’s visa.”
Hector, p.5
CV - suggests lying about skills
shows hector’s sceptical views toward education
“Mr Hector’s stuff’s not meant for the exam, sir. It’s to make us more rounded human beings.”
Timms, p.38
hector’s belief that education should benefit in the long run rather than in the present
abstract noun and contraction ‘stuff’s’ shows the boys’ (except for posner) attitude towards hector’s teachings
“Hector never bothered with what he was educating those boys for.”
Mrs Lintott, p.107
‘never bothered’ simple past tense; said after hector has died
shows hector valued knowledge over practical education in preparation for careers e.g. solicitors or accountants
“All knowledge is precious whether or not it serves the slightest human use.”
Hector (quoting A.E. Housman), p.5
hector’s philosophy established
“Proudly jingling your A levels, those longed for emblems of conformity.”
Hector, p.4
metaphor for keys; coming of age and maturity
abstract noun ‘conformity’ shows hector dislikes the nature of the system - thinks everyone who goes through it is the same, no individuality
