OK although we are not seeing the rational for our aversion to Mr. H. pan out, not only Dana and Bellamaire dislike Mr. Hundert, I think several of us on first reaction had an aversion to him - I am trying to figure out what sentences gave us that impression - Dana and Bellamarie's feelings cannot be that wrong, even if the rational does not pan out probably because of our twenty-first century look at what we think is appropriate teacher behavior but, let's look -
Y'all may pick up on other phrases or sentences than these. So, back to the beginning again. I must say re-reading again that first paragraph has many shades of understanding that I never picked up the first time I read it. We know that most literary instruction on 'how to analyze a Novel' says the summation of the novel and what it is proving is all written in the first paragraph and some even say the first sentence.
He does say, I think someone else pointed it out earlier, that the story he tells shows him to have
little honor and that he is not writing the story as a warning to others. He honors St. Benedict's School as the end all, be all and then hones in, giving us a clue, this story is really about the development of one student that future students of history will see the handwriting on the wall that led him to a life as a well-known man.
OK for me the first bit that pinched but I did not register it as a biggie is when Mr. H. says, "The younger Sedgewick was a dull boy." The usual past practice of labeling a student behind his back. Not what most of us want to hear about a boy, who we have been told becomes well-known man.
He is not kind suggesting, Hyram Bell was not out and out elected but, indicates a lessor glory that Hyram rode into office on the shoulders of group fear. Suggesting the father manipulates power grabbing.
Then the wording that shows his ownership - "My students..." Reminded me of how for many years it was a habit among Real Estate agents to say, My client or My seller or My buyer - some still say it although, we have been taught we are the ones being hired and the hiring is about service - that our false concept of ownership is not part of that scenario. And so, I readily admit this tiny reaction added to my impression of Mr. Hundert, which was based in my Twenty-first century views.
Now here may be a key that Mr. H sees it as 'sad' that boys of this age turn from a Plato morality to the "powerful, pragmatic hand of Augustus." That sentence upon rereading strikes me that Mr. H. prefers the "moral endeavor of Plato." Mr. H. does label those who buy into Augustus as the 'coarser' boys. And then, we get the real key to his place in the scheme of influence - teachers at St. Benedict's were under pressure to teach these boys who will influence "the affairs of our country". We have Mr. H. concerned he could "temper their ambition with humility".
Sedgewick's first day of class is after the boys had settled in and probably the idea of wearing a toga made of sheets was an innovative teaching technique. Immediately, we have Mr. H. deciding that Sedgwick was not only dull but a roustabout. He is introduced by Mr. Woodbridge and we see that Mr. H. may have thought Sedgewick dull and a roustabout but, he quickly tunes into his fear and the bravado often displayed by a new student.
Ah so, it was "Fred Masoudi, the leader of the dullards" not Sedgewick who starts the banter about the toga's and then Sedgewick quickly picks up on the opening.
Again, we have Mr. H. labeling a student saying Sedgewick was a boor and a bully - not very complementary but great alteration on the part of the author.
Hmm I wonder if that is what is so annoying - here he is again, using a sense of ownership saying, "What
I asked of
my boys..." then it was "through
my years of teaching...and Sedgewick Bell was unwilling..." Followed again, his judging Sedgewick a poor student.
Could that be part of our aversion to Mr. H. that in spite of spitballs, wads of gum and thumbtacks we were rooting for the boy Sedgewick and we secretly like the idea of him being a "natural leader..."
OK then, if any of us were humiliated in class or saw a fellow student humiliated in class then Mr. H. is the enemy when he says, "punishment is a cultivated art". The art being to manufacture a set up so that student laughter is a given and now that Sedgewick has our soft side we do not like seeing him humiliated - yet, how else would Mr. H. confront Sedgewick taking over the class with his "natural leadership" and how else would he keep aloft for these boys bent on bringing to fruition the "powerful, pragmatic hand of Augustus" and leaving in the dust the "moral endeavor of Plato."
OK before we go any further what exactly is Plato’s moral endeavor - This site makes it easy to get the synopsis of Plato’s philosophy, mostly as it relates to Socrates
http://www.hoocher.com/Philosophy/plato.htm.
