4AAC BENE2
Reaction Paper: The Emperor’s Club
There are things we circumvent for the belief that it would be for the better, making our morality, values and virtues compromised inadvertently, but at the end of the day we end up regretting because consequences of our past decisions are not what they supposed to be or they turn out to be the opposite of what is expected. The Emperor’s Club is the sad story of a man who has lived his life to expect certain virtues in the characters of men of power, as displayed by the great rulers and thinkers of ancient Greece and Rome, only to discover that the tides have turned and such standards have all but disappeared. The Emperor’s Club is about the teacher, not the students. It’s also a pretty strong indictment of the educational and political system, specifically the idea that one’s standing in society is not about what you know but about who you know. Admittedly, none of this is new ground, but the film focuses on its central character’s discovery of these new virtues, making the whole thing seem fresh from our standpoint. This is a man who does not simply teach history; he lives according to it or at least it’s ideal, and believes it says something about a timeless human potential.
William Hundert , a Classics professor and the assistant headmaster of St. Benedict’s. The students are not only here to be educated but also to be molded and to develop strong character. The fall session of is running smoothly until the arrival of a young rascall named Sedgewick Bell , the son of a prominent West Virginia senator. He obviously doesn’t want to be at St. Benedict’s, and as a result, his rebellion attracts many other students who begin to join him in breaking school rule and undermining authority. Hundert sees potential in Bell and understands the frustration of having a cold, unreceptive, and busy father. Hundert accepts Bell’s rebellious tendencies as a call for help and... [continues]
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
Rivalry and competition is a theme included in The Emperor's Club and A Separate Peace. In the novel, Gene competes against Finny to be "better". Gene states that there is only competition in sports, although Finny is a natural athlete and more talented than Gene at sports. Gene tries to make up for his lack of natural athleticism by getting better grades than Finny and studying more. Gene gets so caught up in the rivalry that he injures Finny by pushing him out of a tree, which ruins Finny's chances of ever…
- 519 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
The bell rings the end of class, Thomas gets sermoned and each word came in through his left ear and left from the right. Lunch time, Thomas heads to the washroom where he usually hides when feeling down. While sitting on the bathroom stall he hears two people having a heated argument. Slowly, he opens up the door as quiet as possible and peeks out. He sees nothing but the jock’s back covering whomever he was bullying . To put things clear, he was massive but one detail caught Thomas’ attention.…
- 1152 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Charlotte Johnston been sitting at a black top table surrounded by a group of chatty students her own age. And hadn't been paying much attention to what the teacher was saying, because everything zoned out, besides appearances and movements. Mr. Hube was wearing a bright purple sweater with tan khakis, and was extra fidgety. Something got him all hot and bothered, and it was obvious. His pale blue eyes glanced the room, and the pauses, he worried his lower lip, driving Charlotte crazy, that his outfit choice was bold for a teacher and that he appeared nervous to speak in front of his own class.…
- 1057 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
In the story, Harrison Bergeron, one learns that the author, Kurt Vonnegut, does not like the way society is. He does not like how people judge one another because one is not as attractive, or smarter, or funnier. He portrays this idea into the story by creating a society full of people that are equal. For example, in the beginning one gets to know that George is actually really intelligent as was all Hazel, but not as much as George. George cannot be smarter than Hazel or anyone, so to control the way he thinks he has to wear a mental handicap that receives different sounds to scatter his thoughts (Vonnegut, p. 34). Although, many people are fine with the way this society is being ran, in one section George explains to Hazel what would happen if he took his handicaps off then he will not be equal with everyone else, it is not fair to Hazel either because she has to keep wearing hers, “And pretty soon we’d be right back to the dark ages again…”(Vonnegut, p. 37). However, Harrison Bergeron, a 14 year-old boy, does not agree with this. “Now watch me come what I can become!” (Vonnegut, p. 39). He believes people should not be equal and be able to use the skills others do not have. On page 39, Harrison storms in and announces he is the emperor, and then he chooses his Empress and removes the handicaps from her and himself. Harrison does not want to be ruled by someone but rule himself; he wants to change the way things are being ran in this town.…
- 814 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
CD: “etiolates the crushing, dehumanizing, institutional forces against the character, and minimizes Huck’s enlightenment” (F)…
- 264 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
“The History Teacher” has the ironic and sarcastic tone that shows the teacher’s lack of an actual lesson. Each lesson the teacher gives, he wants to “protect his students’ innocence”. The lessons, which are presented as metaphors, contribute to the ironic and sarcastic due to the fact that the serious lessons are compared to trivial things that in no way relate to the actual topic. Even the teacher is affected by the irony and sarcasm as he walks home and sees the “flower beds and white picket fences” as confirmation that everything is perfect in the world. Again, the teacher compares something small to something bigger that he assumes.…
- 513 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
“I am the Emperor!” cried Harrison “do you hear? I am the Emperor! everybody must do what I say at once!” page 3. This quote from the story is one of the he things that Harrison did that makes him a threat to society in the story “Harrison Bergeron” where everyone is equal in the year 2081. Harrison is a threat to the society based in the story. So in this essay I will tell you why Harrison is a threat to Society in the story “Harrison Bergeron”.…
- 271 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Virtue’s significance in society has changed over time and its relevance can be used to contrast differing social and cultural contexts. The prescribed non-fiction text, “The Prince,” written by Niccolo Machiavelli in 1532, is a didactic explanation of the political struggles of Renaissance Italy. Similarly, William Shakespeare’s play, “Julius Caesar,” composed in 1599, depicts the historical events surrounding Julius Caesar’s assassination. The ideas of manipulation and fate versus free will are presented through literary devices in “The Prince” and dramatised staging features in Shakespeare’s play. While virtue is presented as a key theme in both texts, its portrayal differs due to the context in which it was set or written.…
- 978 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
These speakers used their oratory abilities well by appealing to the Pathos, Ethos, and Logos of the audience to try to impress their opinion upon them. These six speakers vehemently argued in favor of Augustus rewriting the history of Rome and allowing the censorship to be in place. One speaker in favor of this cause was the Roman Governor of Egypt, who had been made Egyptian governor by Augustus. This governor states that people in Egypt have begun to speak ill of Roman values and of Augustus, which he found to be an appalling situation and as such felt the need to speak in favor of Augustus and Rome. This governor argued that Augustus has always desired the best for Rome, saying that he has worked to end the bad precedents set by previous leaders who left Rome in negative…
- 668 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
After his professor introduced William to Jane Austen, he developed a love for Austen’s writing, the love he had for her also became love for his professor. He thought of his professor as his father, he shepherd William with helping him choose a career, find an affordable apartment, and help write his dissertation. William learned a lot from his professor, he was old enough to retire when William had him freshman year but had still stuck with what he loved. That no matter how drastically the world was changing, good or bad, he could always look at the bright side, and he never jumped to conclusions when talking to William he was always open to hearing what William had to say. I think this helped show William that being patient and to have someone push him in a direction he would have never went on his own.…
- 1913 Words
- 8 Pages
Better Essays -
As Bell Hooks speaks about in her essay “Learning In The Shadow Of Race And Class,” certain college students, such as herself, appear to have “boundaries” placed upon them that cause great struggle. Typically there is a reason behind these “boundaries,” and in some cases it may be the fault of the person that is enduring these struggles, whether they realize it or not. While Bell is not completely at fault for how she lives her life, the way Bell Hooks was raised helped shape the way she would view her life and the people around her. Bell’s mother’s methods of raising a child are what led her to hate her time in school as much as she did, and how she will live her life afterwards.…
- 608 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
The seasonal shift from winter to summer represents the boys’ fall into maturity, proving the theme that the loss of innocence is painful and unavoidable. While introducing the Devon School, Gene explains early on that "During the winter[,] most of [the dormitory Masters] regard anything unexpected in a student with suspicion...[but on] clear June days...they appear to uncoil...[and] a streak of tolerance is detectable" (Knowles 23). The Devon School, one of the most flourishing and strict boarding schools in New Hampshire, takes boys and toughens them into men using a rigorous lifestyle. In the summer, however, the teachers let the boys skip meals and ditch school. Gene suspects that the Devon faculty lessens their grip over the boys because he and the other Lower Middlers, two ranks below the seniors, remind the teachers of youthful peace. Therefore, the students’ summer session symbolizes a naïve phase in their lives before they reach the vast confusions and troubles of adulthood. However, when Gene’s dormitory Master, Mr.Ludsbury, returns to the school, Mr.Ludsbury chides Gene, lecturing that “everything went straight to seed during the summer” and he declares that he will “put… the dormitory back together”(Knowles 81). With the inescapable coming of winter, order returns to…
- 1189 Words
- 5 Pages
Better Essays -
In a seemingly ironic scenario of a writer writing an essay about his previous disdain for, then love of writing essays, Baker shares his previously antagonistic view of high school English classes and their required assignments. He describes his third-year English teacher, Mr. Fleagle, as “notorious among City students for dullness and inability to inspire” (para. 3). Baker injects a bit of a comical, but slightly annoyed tone when he describes Mr. Fleagle’s appearance and mannerisms, particularly the teacher’s constant use of the phrase “don’t you see” when trying to engage students (para. 6).…
- 483 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
I attended an A.A. meeting on April 5, 2010. Before the meeting I seemed very anxious. This was not my first meeting I have been to meetings before but they all seem to make me nervous. When I arrived the nervousness had eased off because everyone had made me feel welcomed. I was made to feel like a part of their family from the beginning to the end of the meeting. I seemed to have realized I missed going to these meetings and I miss the fellowship but it has not interfered with me staying sober.…
- 1086 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
My heart raced from the ridiculous amount of coffee I had consumed that morning. I tentatively stepped into the dark, empty classroom and took a seat in the second row. As an English major, I resented the fact that I was required to take US History 201. I disliked history, and I heard rumors that my professor, Dr. Grimm, was a tough grader. The only contingent that caused me to feel slightly happy was the fact that I would be in the same class as Hannah Colasurdo, my longtime best friend. I had known Hannah since I was ten years old, and she had been there for me though my best and worst moments. Little did I know that this history class would cause me to fall to one of the lowest points of my entire life.…
- 2032 Words
- 9 Pages
Good Essays