“The History Boys”
It wasn’t planned like this, but yesterday I managed to see two media productions set in education institutions in the 1980s. The first was a film located in Bristol University and focused around the “University Challenge” television show: “Starter For Ten” [my review here]. The second was a play situated in a school in the north of England: “The History Boys” written by Alan Bennett and directed by Nicholas Hytner.
It was our good friends Georgeanne and Andy who obtained tickets for us all at Wyndham’s Theatre and, by an amazing coincidence, we found ourselves sitting right next to other friends: Ellis and Jo with their daughter Katherine (who is is studying Ancient History at Bristol University).
The play was first produced in May 2004 and has now been made into a film, so we’ve come to it rather late and following many rave reviews. Essentially it is about teaching, especially of history. Now I always loved history at school and, to this day, remember my history teacher: a short, strict man called Mr Mallon who was rumoured to have a black belt in karate. However, I had to give up history at age 15. Nevertheless I continue to read history books [my reviews here] and to blog about history [recent postings here], so “The History Boys” was personally fascinating on many levels.
At the core of this marvellous play with its wonderful one-liners, perceptive dialogue, erudite cultural references and sense of loneliness, there are three very different approaches to teaching.
Mrs Lintott (Isla Blair) puts a special emphasis on remembering facts and provides what is frequently refered to as a good foundation in history which virtually guarantees that one will pass the exam with high marks. Mr Irwin (Orlando Wells) believes that, if one is to gain a place at Oxford or Cambridge University, one has to have an original angle, such as reversing the established view or explanation and then using the same facts to argue the counter-intuitive version of events – a kind of subjunctive view of history. Then there is Mr Hector (Stephen Moore), an idiosyncratic teacher, who conveys a love of poetry, not for exams but for life, with the simple intention just to “pass it on”.
In truth, there is a lot to be said for each of these approaches. One needs a factual structure for a subject like history – it is not an accident that the Second World War followed the First World War. But it is good to challenge the conventional analysis because, even if one returns to it, one will understand it better. Yet ultimately learning is not about memorising facts or playing with interpretations, it is about emotions and values and understanding life. All this is in Bennett’s rich work which he has described as “both a confession and an expiation”.
A workpack on the play is accessible here.
December 29th, 2006 at 12:51 am
Thanks for posting that link, Roger. I am teaching that play next semester in my Drama class, I was worried because it is a newer play that I wouldn’t have much luck finding something like the work pack for my students.