Drummer Hodge Extract PEE Paragraphs

In this extract, Posner goes to Hector to recite the poem 'Drummer Hodge' by Thomas Hardy. This particular scene is full of ironic melancholy as the audience have just witnessed Hector being berated by the headmaster for molesting the boys.

Hector begins the private lesson with Posner with an interrogative 'any thoughts?', setting the agenda in order to tell the audience what is happening. This is the most professional Hector has been throughout the play as he often uses taboo language, as he does at the beginning of this extract: 'pornography', and discusses inappropriate subjects which defile the student-teacher relationship he should have with his students. In this extract, he 'sheds' this persona that he puts on with the dramatic lexis he uses in order to use the interrogative to open up an avenue of discussion with Posner so that he too, in turn, can open up and form an emotional connection with his student.

Bennett employs the use of the agenda setting technique again when Hector asks Posner 'what we have learned this week?', showing that there is an asymmetrical power dynamic in their relationship. This shows that Hector is again doing his job as a teacher rather than being inappropriate, which allows the audience to see Hector as a more three dimensional character because he is showing a more sensible but vulnerable side to his personality. This is because he often uses a persona to perhaps protect himself as he is seemingly lonely in his old age, hence why he clings to literature and what it can teach the boys. The establishing of the asymmetrical power dynamic allows the audience, and Posner, to see Hector as a teacher instead of another one of the boys because he is more mature.

Irwin and Posner Extract PEE Structure

I am analysing the extract from pages 60 to 63 where Irwin is talking to Posner in the future at his workplace. Irwin is in a wheelchair and is working on a BBC 2 documentary whereas Posner is trying to trick Irwin into revealing personal details so that he can sell him out.

In the beginning of the conversation, Irwin uses asyndetic listing, 'eye-catching, showy; false', in order to explain to Posner what the meaning of meretricious. It suggests that the teacher-student dynamic has not changed despite years passing between the two meeting and them being in a grown up situation. It shows that Irwin still has power over Posner, especially since Posner helps to create this asymmetrical power dynamic by beginning the conversation with a compliment, 'you were a good teacher', which is a way of 'sweetening' Irwin up to get what he wants. As Irwin an unconventional teaching style, he taught him to be 'meretricious' and it is evident that Irwin's influence as a teacher has heavily impacted Posner because he is being 'false' in this extract.
At the same time, Irwin breaks away from the asymmetrical power dynamic by using taboo lexis, 'fuck off', when trying to steer away from the tense conversation with Posner. He later returns to this dynamic by using snide language but the change in behaviour shows that even though Posner first addresses him as his teacher, which has the connotations of respect, Irwin no longer has to constrain himself and Posner no longer has to show him any respect as they are in the 'real world' now. The fantasy is disrupted.

During the unofficial interview, Posner asks Irwin about his relationship with Dakin. Bennett uses a  declarative to state that 'nothing happened between me and Dakin'. He repeats this phrase for emphasis, inferring that it this is a 'touchy' subject for Irwin. The subtext of this conversation suggests that there was something inappropriate between the two characters since they had a teacher-student relationship. This would cause shock amongst amongst a modern day audience who would feel like this is a taboo topic. The use of the past tense verb 'happened' references something that occurred in the past, which often has the connotations of negative events, that the audience don't know about. This creates tension and foreshadows the event to come, also hinting that Irwin has an attraction to Dakin which is not yet obvious, which again is not appropriate for their relationship dynamic.
It is first mentioned that Irwin is in a wheelchair, the wheelchair helps, of course', in this extract and it is unclear why to the audience as it is a flash forward sequence. This creates mystery and suspense as the audience may feel like they need to find out how these events have transgressed. This simple sentence has an underlying subtext as it suggests that a wheelchair enables an audience to feel sympathetic for Irwin, which is typical of Irwin's manipulative personality, and the fact that he admits this to Posner gives the sense that Posner is 'in on the secret'. The subtext is that the only way to be successful in life is to be manipulative. Ironically, Irwin has affected Posner's chances in life by teaching him this but Posner is not happy or successful.

Bennett also uses elevated lexis in Irwin's speech, 'monasticism', which portrays him as an intelligent and respectable person. It can said that some of this is true as Irwin is smart enough to be a teacher and is also smart enough to be able to manipulate situations, regularly demonstrating this by pushing the boys to work harder, but this creates a sense of irony as he cannot be considered respectable as he is morally ambiguous throughout the play. Especially in his relationships with the students and what he teaches in specific. The abstract noun 'monasticism' also gives off the sense that he is pretentious and is hiding behind 'long words', which Irwin seems to both relish in the beginning of the play and almost resent in this particular extract. It also suggests that he is hiding behind a façade, which creates a sense of intrigue.

Introduction

I have a lot of interests and I think it is difficult to write a summary of those interests. I have always hated writing those short biography's about myself because I think "what could I say that would impress people?"

In my spare time, I have a lot of extra curricular activities. I volunteered for a Brownie and Rainbow Guide unit for two years and now I have joined a new unit because I enjoyed it so much. I also do a lot of clubs in school, unlike in Secondary school, such as the Social Justice Club, the Human Rights Club, and the Journalism Club. I have been roped into a few other commitments at school too. I just can't say no! Outside of school, I watch a lot of TV shows, both intellectually stimulating and trashy as hell, and I used to read a lot of books when I had time. I also play the ukulele.

I tend to learn in different ways as I like to use everything I can to my advantage. Most of the time, you will find me with a pile of highlighters and sticky notes though. I enjoy taking detailed and thorough notes. Especially in English, where I will scribble all over handouts. I prefer to also use computers to type essays, listening to feedback and writing it down as I go along to improve my work.

The last book I read was the Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. Some consider it a modern classic but I find this strange because I have read a few other books that have been associated with this label and they bored me senseless. I enjoyed it because it was engaging from the beginning and I did not have to wait until further into the book to be hooked. The further along I went into the book, the darker it became due to the tragic back story of Sylvia Plath herself. The mood changed very quickly but it was still a novel that interested me vastly.

Comparison between Irwin and Hector

The play ‘The History Boys’ by Alan Bennett is about a group of sixth form boys who are studying in order to gain a place at an Oxbridge university. The teachers who are helping them to do this each have unique personalities and teaching styles that they have adapted to give something to the boys to get the best out of them. They are portrayed cleverly by the playwright to symbolise different aspects of a moral, or arguably immoral, society. Interestingly Irwin and Hector, who are both complex characters, have mirroring personality traits that manifest themselves in different ways but Irwin represents the more clearly defined and apparent type of dishonesty whereas Hector represents the more under-hand and malicious type that a reader can assume is the moral high ground.

Irwin’s outlook on education is that it is a game using short sentences, ‘it’s a performance. It’s entertainment’, and a cutthroat like competition, ‘you will be competing against boys and girls’, to really hammer home the point. He actively encourages the students to make it a game as well, ‘and if it isn’t, make it so’, as he sees education as strictly goal orientated and ‘for now’, meaning the short term rather than the future. On the other hand, Hector believes that ‘all knowledge is precious’ even if there is no ‘human use’ for it. He suggests that his philosophy is that ‘the pursuit of knowledge’, the word ‘pursuit’ suggesting a chase or a journey, is life long and never-ending. Irwin states that Hector is ‘not trying to get’ the boys through the examinations, suggesting that there is a lack of effort on Hector’s side and that ‘Hector never bothered’ with formal examinations. Despite the more laid back approach to education, it is interesting that Hector does say at one point that he ‘wanted them to compete’ and ‘show off’. This suggests that Hector is not that different from Irwin even if he portrays himself otherwise and says that this is the ‘worst thing’, acting ashamed instead of encouraging it like Irwin does. It can be inferred that he simply prefers the boys to learn in his way rather than Irwin’s.

It is interesting to note that the goal of Irwin’s teaching is to get the boys into higher education rather than to make the boys ‘more rounded human beings’ like it appears that Hector is trying to do. When Hector’s motives are further analysed, it is apparent that there is a hidden motive behind why he is trying to educate the boys. He ‘is trying to be the kind of teacher pupils will remember’ instead of trying to help the boys succeed. This portrays him as being selfish and suggests that instead of wanting what is best for the students, Hector has his own dishonest motives for why he is a teacher. Irwin seems prepared to do almost anything to get to the goal, openly promoting dishonesty and lies by telling the boys that ‘truth is no more an issue in an examination’. This means that truth has no purpose or intent when attempting to pass through another phase of life. As the teachers in the play often guide and prepare the boys for life in the adult world, he is essentially saying that they must lie in order to pass through different phases of their lives as this is what the adult world is about. This suggests he is a dishonest person, as Dakin later finds out when he investigates Irwin’s past, and is hiding under a pretence of lies by being emotionally distant from the students. However, Hector is not a beacon of moral example as he is morally ambiguous throughout the play, hiding behind arguments of morality such as ‘can’t you see that even to say etcetera is monstrous.’ Whilst Irwin is somewhat upfront and honest about his dishonesty, Hector tries to hide it behind an act. He does this by performing in front of his students, for example speaking in French instead of English and using quotes in place of saying what he truly means, rather than actually teaching them. This theatricality falls flat when the other teachers find out that he has been molesting the boys. Irwin also shows an interest in one of the students in a sexual way but the difference between Hector’s interest and his is that because Irwin is young and is encouraged by Dakin, it is more accepted despite still being on the same moral decline.

Although it may seem that Irwin is more conventional in his teaching methods than Hector, it is soon apparent that he mirrors Hector in his eccentricity by teaching in a style that is new to the boys. They both challenge the students, which is typically what a teacher must do, but the way that Irwin approaches topics is where his unconventionality shows. This is the main difference in attitudes that the two teachers have, distinguishing them from each other. Irwin believes that ‘the wrong end of the stick is the right one’, meaning that you must say controversial things in order to get the attention of the examiners. He says this as he wants the boys to ‘flee the crowd’, meaning popular opinion, and to make original arguments in order to participate in the History game. In contrast, Hector wants to avoid discussing controversial subjects as he feels like that ‘silence is the only proper response’ to an atrocity that he has not experienced.

Irwin is emotionally detached from his lessons, stating that examinations ‘are a fact of life’. The word ‘fact’ portrays that Irwin is distancing himself from any ‘feelings about examinations’ by talking about them in an almost cold and clinical way.  Despite this, Alan Bennett uses irony in the characterisation of Irwin to show one side of an intellectual argument, which says that you can spin truth or fact in order to make a point. Although Irwin is discussing fact, which is something very solid and truthful, he is continuously promoting deception and lying, which are very flimsy and untruthful, to the boys.  His teaching methods also echo his own personal stances as he encourages the boys to talk about History from ‘the side’, suggesting they take an uninvolved and unemotional stance, and to not be conventional in their arguments. The emotional distance when talking about historical tragedies does offend students as they realise that ‘the holocaust is just another topic’ to Irwin, as he speaks about a tragedy as being of a policy instated by a politician, but Irwin maintains that history is about distancing yourself and does not seem to care about the feelings of Posner who lost family in the war.

In contrast, Hector is emotionally driven and often relies on the boys as an emotional crutch: Posner ‘pats Hector’ on the back when he has an emotional breakdown in the classroom. This is only occurs when his act is stripped away though. In some ways, it can be said that Alan Bennett portrays Hector as emotionally detached too. Not being entirely transparent in the beginning by being over theatrical may be a way for Hector to retain his human side. Hector is also portrayed by the writer as being the opposite end of the intellectual spectrum which reasons that human suffering is the driving force of what makes the truth what it is. Alan Bennett also uses Hector as a tool to vocalise the emotional responses of the students, namely Posner who is horrified by the discussion as lost relatives during this period of history. Hector sees that Posner is’ speaking from the heart’ in the discussion as he sees that horrific historical events cannot be spun into another angle as it dehumanises tragedy, allowing it in a way to be just another statistic. He believes that suffering is the truth.

In conclusion, Irwin and Hector are not as different as a reader may like to think. Both have unconventional teaching methods and dishonest character traits. These are just portrayed in different ways. Irwin is simply more upfront about being dishonest whereas Hector is not as he prefers to characterise himself as a good person.

Commentary on NATO article

The article uses factual information to convey across the main details of this article. This makes the article more reliable, as well as more interesting, because statistics make an article more thought-provoking. One piece of factual information uses interesting language, ‘to intercept and shadow two Russian military aircraft’, in order to bias the article against the Russians. The word ‘intercept’ suggests an intrusion into the Russian military forces, giving the article a negative tone that comes across to the readers. This potentially gives the reader, who is most likely British as they are viewing the BBC website, the ‘us versus them’ attitude that the article’s use of lexis gives off.

The main body of the article uses direct quotation, which helps to mix up the structure and entertain a reader, as it is easier to read a quote when it has been separated by quotation marks. The direct quotations are from Michael Fallon whose title is Defence secretary which suggests that he has some expertise in his field of work. This gives a more serious, formal tone to the article as well as adding some credibility to what is being said. It also interests a reader who is reading in order to find out the facts of Britain’s stance on Russia’s military backing. The second expert in this article gives his opinion on the possible political outcomes of NATO deployment in the Baltic countries by saying that ‘this move is likely to irritate Moscow.’ This allows the reader to be educated through a human view point, making it more personal and easier to connect with, as well as informing a reader on the different social dilemmas such as what ‘NATO does not want to be accused of.’

The complexity of the sentences creates a formal tone that invites a reader into focusing on the content of the article. Embedded clauses are especially inviting as they help to create the complexity. A complex sentence that draws attention to itself is the one that states Vladimir Putin’s views on ‘the stationing of British troops.’ The person who is quoted on this, ‘Sir Andrew Wood, a former British ambassador to Russia’, is suggested to know Vladimir Putin as he had previously worked in Russia. This also suggests that he knows the area and the political stance well. He makes an inference using direct speech, ‘Vladimir would see’, as to how the President would react which also suggests there is personal element to it. This makes the article more reliable and concrete. The use of the word ‘provocation’ suggests a surplus of emotion and spins the tone of the article through the use of emotional empathy by suggesting that it would be Britain’s fault for pushing Russia into a defensive position. There is an implication of warning from Sir Andrew Wood through the use of this lexis. The reader is engaged with the use of this emotive language as it makes the article less cold and detached despite the formal, clinical tone of language.

As many people do not like reading long winded paragraphs, the article is broken down into smaller sections which make the article more engaging for a reader. One of the smaller paragraphs uses the metaphor of a ‘regular drumbeat’ in order to describe the movement of the soldiers. Drumbeats are often associated with the military so it gives the visual imagery of calm and peaceful military marches. ‘Regular’ suggests it is an on-going process so it gives a time period to the plans, allowing a reader to consider that the impact of the deployment of troops is long term rather than a short term event that could be easily forgotten. This provokes thought and draws the reader in. On the other hand, when the defence correspondent gives his view, ‘it will be a ‘persistent’ rather than a permanent presence’, so it can be inferred that there is uncertainty in the article as to what is likely to happen. This draws a reader in as they have to determine the outcome for themselves, which seems to be the purpose of the article.

The personification of the ‘nervous NATO allies’ infers that emotion is involved in a place where it may not otherwise be. This helps to create a more human situation, allowing a reader to emotionally engage, instead of looking at the countries as an abstract noun that has no emotions.

 The use of photos to break up the paragraphs also helps to contextualise and put an image in a reader’s head as to what is going on. It helps to inform readers visually, as you can infer the emotions of soldiers from their facial expressions in the photo, which helps the reader to infer the general mood of the forces in relevance to what is going on in Europe.

The use of direct quotation also helps to mix up the structure and entertain a reader as it is easier to read a quote when it has been separated by quotation marks. In general, the structure helps to engage an audience and make them want to read on. The headline is in a larger font, has been bolded, and is as attention grabbing as a title referencing NATO deployment could be. Other phrases in the article that have been bolded are also  eye catching.

The Smiling Capital of Britain

A study was conducted in 2003 which counted how many people in a city smiled back at Comic Relief researchers. Naturally, Bristol came out on top as being the smilie-iest city in Britain. I think that’s what makes the city tick: the people.

Most Bristolians come with a bit of vim and vigour; a sharp wit and a sharp tongue. They’ve got a humour that is typical of Britain. A dialect, familiar to anyone who has experienced life here, has developed over time but because Bristol is so multicultural, different accents and dialects from near and far have seeped in to the pool. But of course, there cannot be a city without land and architecture.

One of my favourite areas in Bristol is the College Green area. Surrounding the luscious open green space is a hub of interesting buildings, both deep-rooted and fresh faced, like shops, museums, and contemporary restaurants. The museum lies just up the street, which is decorated with vintage boutiques and eclectic charity shops, and is a treasure trove of history. A dozen stationery shops dot the area like a pointillist piece of art, waiting for hordes of coffee drinking art students to seep in with their student IDs. These prove them worthy of a discount in an area where the price of a pair of shoes is probably an average student’s entire month worth of food.

On the rare occasion that I’m shopping alone, my feet like to wander over to this area to avoid the hordes of people campaigning for clothing at Cabot Circus, which is a large shopping district. Cabot Circus in itself is a wonder. People from all over the country flock here because the shops scream a type of indulgence that you want to own and wrap around your neck like a cashmere scarf. The shop windows are full of blown-up photos of ‘quirky’ British models that you envy simply because of their impeccable genetic makeup and bone structure.

If I have the time and patience to navigate the crowds in Cabot Circus and its neighbouring district Broadmead, there are always street entertainers ready to sell themselves in pieces to you by showcasing their talents and hopefully making you part with some of your lose change. It’s a collection, or rather, a juxtaposition of the flash lifestyle of Burberry shoppers and the laidback Green Party supporters that are prevalent in Bristol. There must be something that attracts people of opposing lifestyles to a city like Bristol.

Some people, especially native Bristolians, complain that the city has ‘nout to do’ or that the neighbouring places like Bath are more to their tastes. I disagree wholeheartedly with any criticism like a child sticking their fingers in their ears. You know why? Because Bristol has character and a unique history. Those are the two traits that make you fall in love with a home, and with a city. That’s why I fell in love with the Smiling Capital.

The History Boys: Character Notes

Posner

• Underdeveloped; his voice isn’t broken at 16 years old
• Quiet except from when he sings and when he takes a very personal stance on the Holocaust
• Jewish boy who lost relatives in the holocaust
• Very passionate at singing hymns and show tunes
• Avid reader
• Struggling with his sexuality; low self esteem
• In love with Dakin; loves to impress him

Dakin

• Attractive and is aware of it
• Very overconfident and is almost in love with himself
• Has several admirers including Irwin, Fiona, and Posner
• In a relationship with the school secretary Fiona but becomes more distant
• Thinks sex and relationships are a power struggle; compares sex to war and relationship with Irwin to Auden kissing his pupils (Ancient Greek teacher student dynamic is relevant)
• More experienced than the other boys
• Manipulative and careless most of the time
• Heavily influenced by Irwin; becomes more cynical
• Enjoys having a mutual attraction with Irwin; tried hard to impress him

Scripps

• Acts as the narrator of the play
• Budding writer; records events in his notebook
• Plays the piano most of the time
• Exploring Christianity deeply; refraining from sin
• Posner and Dakin confide in him; priest like figure

Rudge

• Excels in sports; surprises other characters with his ability
• Straightforward nature and is the most authentic character in the play; almost heroic
• Not confident in his own abilities; neither is anyone else
• Prefers Mrs Lintott’s style of teaching; dislikes Irwin’s
• Most hardworking character; writes down everything that is said

Akthar

• Muslim, which is mentioned regularly
• Happy to test Irwin
• Knuckles down to hard work

Crowther

• Keen actor; likes theatre
• Friends with Lockwood

Timms

• Joker of the pack; often overdramatic and using derogatory slang
• Enjoys prying into Irwin’s life by teasing and mocking him
• Gets hit by Hector a lot

Lockwood

• Really likes films
• Interested in politics

Headmaster

• Stereotypical egotistical headmaster character
• Understanding of the arts is limited
• Utilitarian character; thinking everything must have a use
• Cares only about results: wants the school to be better than others and only Oxford and Cambridge is prestigious enough
• Doesn’t care about the students: no regard for their safety and very negative about Rudge; no confidence in him
• Cares strongly about the reputation of the school; doesn’t fire Hector when he finds out about the abuse as he doesn’t want people to talk
• Creepy and corrupt as he sexually harasses Fiona
• Other characters don’t have good opinions of him

Mrs Lintott

• Strong female character; believes in women’s rights and is sassy
• Creates humour in the play
• Traditional teaching methods; teaches facts and not opinions
• Doesn’t allow her emotions to control her teaching; suggests Irwin should do the same
• Seen as neutral territory so is often confided in
• Overlooked member of staff in a male dominated environment; very frustrated about this
• Has the first emotional reaction to Hector’s molestation of the children even though she is removed when sympathising with him
• Boys respect her; especially Rudge

Irwin

• Young History teacher who is only a few years older than the boys
• Studied at Bristol and did a teaching diploma at Oxford despite saying he studied at Corpus/Jesus, Oxford
• Employed for modern teaching methods and to get the boys into Oxford and Cambridge
• Teaches in a controversial, opinionated way
• Looks for original arguments
• Believes in presentation and performance; thinks studying is a game
• Wants the students to apply Hector’s knowledge
• Dismissive and detached when interacting with students
• Associated with ruins and ruination throughout
• Can be false and dishonest
• Mutually attracted to Dakin; struggling to hide his homosexuality

Hector

• Portrayed as a charismatic character at first
• Close to retirement
• English teacher that makes the boys memorise quotes
• Eccentric and unusual teaching methods such as singing and speaking French
• Doesn’t like formal examinations; thinks learning is about culminating knowledge rather than using it to get by
• Interested in popular culture and literature, wanting to make an impact on the students
• Really likes subjunctives and compound adjectives
• Doesn’t care about the Oxbridge system; tried to get in to Oxford but was rejected
• Very insecure; hides behind an act or disguise
• Emotions control his teaching; students become emotional crutches
• Boys favour him in the beginning; soon finding his teaching useless
• Hits the students; particularly Timms
• Ambiguous morality; defends the holocaust but does despicable things
• Teaches and discusses some seedy subjects in lessons: brothels, smoking, and gambling themed games
• Molests the students on his motorbike and tries to play it off as nothing

My Language Fingerprint

English wasn't my first language originally. It was my third or my fourth. I guess it's my first language now despite not being the best at it. It was ironic that even though English didn't belong to me, or anyone in fact, that I thought I could police it.

We've all had phases where we thought we were studious academics and anyone we had to associate with had to be one too - with the exception of the one friend who we argued was different. During that phase, I disdained at teenagers using slang and popular culture in general. Only certain types of pop culture was acceptable, we deemed it to be and we were right of course, and so was the slang we used. The word 'selfie' was acceptable because it was widely recognized and was difficult to substitute with an Oxford dictionary word whereas the degrading term 'ratchet' was not, simply because it was 'too cool'. I wrote in proper English, even when messaging friends online, and would be passive aggressively disappointed at anyone who did not.

There were also times where I made up my own phrases like 'fun in a bun' simply because they rhymed. I thought I was the next Shakespeare and that my words and phrases would have the equivalent importance of 'elbow', a rather handy slang term that he fashioned. My friends adopted them when they began to be able to predict the idiosyncrasies in my speech. For some reason, this was acceptable but using other slang was not.

When I began to see that you could be both an 'academic' and talk like an American man who drove a pickup truck, I began to use a lot of slang. For instance, I decided that the word 'bae' was something that I liked a lot so I used it for everything, and I mean everything. Suddenly food was 'bae' and my friends were 'bae' and a TV show was 'bae'. 'Y'all' become acceptable too. All of these slang words came into use as 'ironic' at first as you cannot turn from one extreme to another without some kind of change gradient. I told myself that typing 'u' isn't of 'you' when I was joking with my friends was ironic. When does something no longer become ironic? When you use it all the time?

I don't think it's ironic anymore. I think I take myself less seriously now. And thank god for that because language is meant to be adapted and changed and moulded. Although I know I'm no Shakespeare now, I think my language fingerprint over the years has changed as much as the English language has changed. When I wasn't communicating with my friends in made up words, code-words or words from other languages, I was picking up words that I discovered on the internet. Those words ('bae', 'selfie stick', 'binge-watch') have now been added to the online Oxford dictionary and have gone on to shape the English language as we know it in 2015.