How Does Muriel Spark Criticize Miss Brodie

She is a skilful individual, but she also has a hateful streak about her. Her aim is to inspire her whole class through the merits of artistic expression: sharing tales of her romances, her travel, and the culture she has witnessed – her admiration of Mussolini – highlights the duality in her nature that makes her unforgettable. Her love for the finer things in life is rather worthy, however the inappropriate intimacy with her selected pupils – the ‘Brodie set’ – ultimately leads to her dismissal. This is where the theme of duality arises again. Her students are constantly back and forth with the question as to whether they love her or hate her. The ‘Brodie set’ truly admire Jean Brodie, but conversely, they have committed acts which prove quite contraire – such as writing a love story involving her which would inevitably be found out. Miss Brodie herself is also shown two sides to the coin in regards to her relationship with her set. She tries to educate them to the best of her ability – one in which she is confident in – but also, she messes with their emotions, encouraging affairs with married teachers, and at the most severe, urges one of her pupils to join the Spanish Civil War – and not even on the right

Miss Brodie fails to be a good teacher because she teaches on her own accord, gives her students wrong impressions, and displays unprofessional behavior towards her staff and pupils.

As a child grows, many people influence their development as a person. Some people impact more than others, and a select few really leave their mark. In Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” several characters play this role. Among them, Miss Maudie Atkinson, a woman who proves herself a strong character, prevails as the one who has the greatest impact on Scout Finch, the protagonist of this novel. As Scout matures and grows up, her views on the world around her change. Through subtle yet effective ways, Miss Maudie teaches Scout many life lessons about being humble, judging, and attitude, all of which ultimately have a great effect on the kind of person Scout develops into and her outlook on the world.

No matter what anybody says to you, don’t you let ‘em get your goat. Try fighting with your head for a change...it’s a good one, even if it does resist learning’”(Lee 101). Atticus believes in pacifism and teaches his kids to behave the same way. He thinks Scout has the potential to be an intelligent child, but she needs to avoid physical confrontation and instead focus on using her mind to learn and mature. When Bob Ewell spits in his face, Atticus encourages his children to put themselves in the shoes of the Ewell family, saying, “‘If spitting in my face and threatening me saved Mayella Ewell one extra beating, that’s something I’ll gladly take. He had to take it out on somebody and I’d rather it be me than that houseful of children out there’”(Lee 292, 293). This exemplifies Atticus’ lessons on empathy, teaching his children that “‘You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it’”(Lee 39). By encouraging his children to resist fighting and instead use their sense to feel for others, Atticus teaches lessons on empathy and pacifism. In addition, Atticus’ teachings also include racism and morals.

Lee implies that people learn lessons through life experiences that school can ever teach. Throughout this novel, Atticus taught his kids many lessons that was hard for them to hear at times, but it later on helped them in the story. Or it helped them grow up and mature. On page 40 of To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus was explaining to Scout that Miss.Caroline was new and didn’t know anyone, and she especially didn’t know the Cunningham’s story, Atticus states, “Atticus said… but if Walter and I had put ourselves in her shoes we’d have seen it was an honest mistake on her part” (40). This quote by Atticus is meant to explain to Scout that Miss. Caroline just made an honest human mistake. He tried to get Scout to realize that if he put herself in Miss.Caroline’s shoes then she might better understand the confusion. Obviously you can’t really be in her shoes, but he said it figuratively to show her why it was important to give her another chance, or at least try to be nice and listen. Atticus taught this to Scout at home later on that night. At her school after that she tried to just get by in her class. Lee also shows mainly throughout that the school system doesn’t help when it comes to teaching children life lessons. As shown in the earlier quote Atticus, had told Scout to jump in Walter’s shoes, and walk around in it. This other quote shows how Scout actually takes into consideration of Atticus’ words, and chooses to not bother Jem because she tried to imagine what it had

In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout’s father, Atticus demonstrates his self-control and empathy towards Scout and her problems which makes him a positive role model in his daughter’s life and maturation growth. After school, Scout exclaims to Atticus that she does not want to attend school anymore due to the fact she had a dreadful first day of the first grade. She complains to Atticus about her teacher, Miss.Caroline and how she disapproves of Scout’s competency of reading and writing. Miss.Caroline expresses to Scout that she should not be literate at her age and now has to undo the damage that has been done by her father; this statement is ironic because teachers are supposed to encourage learning and help further advance their

Humorously enough, it was Sandy who deceived Miss Brodie: you had no reason at all to double-cross me, in fact you have had the best piece of me in my confidences and in the man I cherish. (P125) Miss Brodie was entirely blind to the fact that Sandy’s betrayal was justified, her decision was regrettable but inevitable. The subjects of devotion, steadfastness and disloyalty in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie are all nearly joined. Miss Brodie is jumped at the chance to a God figure: She supposes she is Providence, she supposes she is the God of Calvin; she sees the starting and the end. (P120) Her dedication is largely focused on her set, who can be seen as her disciples, and Sandy who would therefore be Judi’s. The distinction being that Sandy's treachery is supported: It’s just conceivable to double-cross where unwaveringness is expected, said Sandy. That being said, would it say it wasn't because of Miss Brodie? Just up to a point, said Sandy. (P127) the three themes of dedication, loyalty and betrayal are all closely knit and so they complement each other in the way they are woven into the story. As Miss Brodie's young ladies were consistently shaped, Miss Brodie's inclination was additionally developing and the principals administering the end of her prime began with her commitment, peaked with a break of dedication and completed with a

After Scout returns home from her first day of school, Atticus notices her sulking behavior. She confides in him that Miss Caroline punished her for explaining the Cunningham’s poor financial situation. Yet, due to the fact that Miss Caroline was new and unfamiliar to the townspeople, she only became confused and frustrated by Scout’s explanation. Atticus explains that “…They could not expect her to learn all Maycomb’s ways in one day, and we could not hold her responsible when she knew no better” (Lee 40). Miss Caroline’s ignorance compared to Scout’s knowledge demonstrates how what may come easy to some is actually harder to come by for others. Thus, it’s not fair to expect one to know something nobody had ever taught them. Instead, the use

she pressures her students and if they don't get good grades, she tosses them to the side

Although Mauberley is not directly labelled a Fascist, he does however embody many of the

Was she influential in her students’ way of life? 49. When Miss Brodie finds out that one of the “Brodie set” members had betrayed her and was the reason that she was forced to retire, who does she think it is? What were some of the reasons that she used to narrow down who it

Children look up to their elders for wisdom and advice. They rely on someone experienced and with authority for guidance on how to live their lives. However, sometimes the people who are accountable for youth mislead them; they may have good intentions, but are not mature enough to exemplify their values and morals, or they simply are ignorant. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Aunt Alexandra plays a negative role: she is a proper, southern lady with a strict code of behaviour and etiquette, but is too closed-minded and obstreperous to change her ways or view the world from others’ perspectives. Calpurnia takes on the position of a positive role model by disciplining the children in the Finch household. Miss Maudie takes on the role of a

Miss Brodie was oblivious to how she was manipulating her pupils and corrupting their young minds. She “was greatly taken aback and suffered untimely, for a space, from a sense of having been betrayed” (Spark 120). The girls betrayed Miss Brodie the same way Miss Brodie betrayed the school system and the girls at a young age. She strriped the girls of th eproper education which turn on her when she was betrayed by her most trusted pupil,

To begin with, the device Spark uses to convey this message is the symbolism of Miss Brodie’s “prime” (Spark 19). Miss Brodie’s prime symbolizes her height of wisdom and insight. She believes she is at the point where she can offer strong leadership to her girls. She has told these girls that they were “ [hers] for life” (Spark 16) , and that she was dedicating herself to them, since she was in her prime. Throughout the course of the group’s existence, the girls would wonder what made a woman’s prime more important than any other time in their life, and why was Miss Brodie dedicating hers to them. This is one of the many forms of manipulation Miss Brodie uses to keep the girls with her. She shows her self-proclaimed superiority over her group of girls when she expects them “to feel uniquely privileged to

Marva Collins view of her students is what made her to be so successful. She treated them as equal human beings and held them to higher standards that nobody else did. Marva could not have made her children successful, though, if it was not for her meticulous different method of teaching. Marva was always a unique teacher that demonstrated her love for teaching and for her students by creating her own method of teaching that is so different from other teachers that it often was viewed as crazy or wrong. In the book, Marva Collins Way, it was said that “Marva could lead with her eyes and her voice, winning control by a look or an inflection.” (Collins, 23) Marva was able to gain control of her class because of the tone of her voice and how she expressed herself to her students. Her method of teaching was simple, she never was angry and she always talked in a kind manner to all of her students. Marva realized, in the beginning of the book, that “A teacher had to sell children on the idea of learning.” (Collins 31) A way to sell students on learning is to express one’s own love for it, and that is exactly what Marva did. Instead of introducing a basic book or lesson, Marva made an effort to explain the importance and put her whole heart into winning the students into wanting to learn. Her method of teaching was like nobody else’s in her era; she always worked off of praise, even if a student made a mistake. Marva explained in the book, “To me an error means a child needs help,