The part set in Eton is the part I like the best
because I enjoy reading stories set in past times and I find the description of
life at Eton credible. The pupils are clearly upper class people. Pritbal tells
James about the boys’ maid, who will prepare his bed for the night and if the
boys hadn’t been upper class I don’t think there would have been any maids. The
older boys are bullying the younger ones, turning them into servants. The boys
are brought up to become real men, strong and fearless.
There have been a couple of cases of similar kind of
bullying in Swedish boarding schools lately and that could be a topic to
discuss if you read the book with your students. Also in “ordinary” schools you
can see this kind of bullying, older boys being tough on the seventh graders
for instance.
I think the author Charlie Higson actually criticises private schools through this book. James isn’t comfortable in the school uniform since he is afraid of the unknown. The students shall not question things. There are a lot of old traditions at Eton, which the students shall respect, but they don’t know the reason for these old traditions anymore. They just simply follow the rules without questioning them. The school is assumed to be a snob school and during the school break James wants to get away from the school as soon as possible, going to his aunt/uncle in Scotland.
SvaraRaderaAs you say there is also a sort of bullying at the school where the older and stronger students decide upon the younger ones. The teachers don’t interfere with the upbringing of the younger students. They just accept this as one of the old traditions at school. Is this typical for being a boys’ school? Could it be the same kind of bullying at a girls’ school?
Bullying is unfortunately something that we will always have in our schools, one way or another. That´s why it´s so important that teachers take their responsibility seriously. Their job is to let the students know that they can influence situations by being aware of how they think and act and that it is their responsibility to do so.
SvaraRaderaTeacher´s unconscious and negative ways of interacting, responding and relating, shortcomings in understanding and engagement can sometimes make the bullying worse.
That´s what happens in the book and that´s what has happened at Lundsbergs boardingschool. It is terrible and surprising that the teachers haven´t been able to change and improve the situation for the students after all these years. Why is that?
Both by googling Silverfin and Eton I was struck by the comments made by former Eton students of how accurate they thought Higson's description of the school to be and of how much their old school meant to them ... it is interesting and something that can be seen in many schools ... those years are important in formi ng the characters of young people.
SvaraRaderaWhen I worked as a guide in London 20 years ago we did tours to Windsor (and to Oxford)and regularly saw the Eton students - I remember once then French students of the same age walked in shabby jeans, sneakers and with fags sticking out from the corner of their mouth, being loud and how their behavior was in contrast to the Eton boys looking quite ridiculous in their frocks with tails and uniform jackets and white shirts ... Two different worlds!!!
Etonians are taught tolerence and respect for differences but I think that the result sometimes instead is a self-concept as superior and their morality is the same as the old Victorian values we all read a lot about.
SvaraRaderaThese conservative schools will not change in Britain or elsewhere as they are depending and ruled by the rich, conservative powerful people.
On the other hand being educated at Eton, no matter how clever you are,gives high status in society and is "a ticket" into prestigious work