Book Club: History Boys Commentary
In this piece, I attempted to recreate a scene from Alan Bennett’s ‘The History Boys’ which I studied in Year 12. I have chosen to base my recreative piece as an extension of Irwin’s first lesson with the boys, as a way of showing the contrast of the boys’ perception of him over the course of the play. In the beginning, Irwin is seen to be flustered and somewhat intimidated by the boy’s rowdy behavior and I wanted to reflect Irwin’s inferiority and how he attempts to win the boys over. Moreover, I wanted to epitomise the camaraderie which the boys share, playing off each other’s jokes.
I have subsequently toned down some of the more explicit aspects of the boy’s language in my piece.
In classroom. Between “I tell you, be grateful” (p17) and “I got all the points.” (p18)
Irwin: There have been some changes to what you’ll be learning; Oxford is a great leap forward from A-Levels, as I’m sure you’ll understand —
Timms: Like Chairman Mao sir, that type of great leap forward?
Irwin: Yes, except you’ll be the cause of your own misfortunes. As I was saying …
Dakin: Do you think you’re hard sir?
There is a murmur of laugher.
Irwin: I’m sorry?
Dakin: Do you think you’re hard trying to scare us with the threat of making misfortunes. (Mockingly) Oh the humanity!
Irwin: No, it was just a turn of phrase. As I was saying, the Oxbridge exams will be harder than anything you can comprehend. You no longer just need to know the information boys, you need to present it in a way the dons see fit, and you must not fluster in the exam.
Scripps: Like you sir?
Timms: Like you flustered Dakin’s comment, sir?
Irwin stops mid-stride and glares at Timms. Dakin looks at Scripps, who raises his eyebrows.
Irwin: Keeping on topic. Here’s an exam question they might pose at you: Was Hitler in the right?
Crowther: In the right?
Akhtar: In the right to kill all of the Jews, sir? Is that what you mean?
Posner: That won’t be a question sir, would it? They wouldn’t put anything about the Holocaust on the syllabus.
Dakin: Mr Hector says that you can’t teach the Holocaust sir. He says it is immoral.
Irwin: A-moral. And yes, there is a possibility that there would a Holocaust-related question.
Lockwood: But that’s not right sir, is it?
Scripps: Of course it’s not. You can’t possibly put a price on the lives of the Jews: Tout comprendre c’est tout pardonner.
Irwin: What was that?
Dakin: Pascal, sir. Mr Hector taught us that, sir.
Irwin: That’s good. That shows promise - a hell lot better than these answers.
Irwin sits on the edge of his desk and picks up a stack of paper in his hand. He accompanies every stressed word of his dialogue with a bash of the paper against his knee.
Irwin: God, have you seen these answers? Do you know what these say to me? Goodbye Oxford. Hello Bolton.
Dakin: The University of Bolton? Who are they?
Scripps: Exactly. (In a forced Scouse accent)
The boys laugh. Irwin regains their attention by slamming their papers against the table and getting to his feet.
Irwin: I’ll ask again: “Was Hitler in the right?” How would you go about answering that?
Lockwood: He wasn’t in the right, sir. What he did was morally wrong.
Irwin: Morals have nothing to do with it.
Akthar: If morals have nothing to do with it, how do we distinguish good from bad, sir?
Irwin: You tell me. What happened to Hitler which formed his opinion?
Scripps: Spoilt brat…
Posner: Failed artist…
Lockwood: Wounded in battle and lost the war.
Irwin: Bolton, Bolton and… Bolton. That’s about as bog-standard an answer as you can get. I’ve seen O-Level students with better answers.
Dakin: Was that one of your peers, sir? You look like you’ve just got out of school.
Timms: Do you still get spots, sir?
Akthar: Has your voice changed yet, sir? Still, earlier than Posner eh, sir.
Posner signals at Akthar with an obscene gesture.
Irwin: God, if I’m going to get you polished for the exam, these sessions won’t be enough - not nearly enough. I’ll have to take some of your general studies lessons—
Posner: Mr Hector already takes them, sir.
Irwin: Lunchtimes then?
Rudge, who had previously had his head on the desk, suddenly looks at Irwin with disgust.
Rudge: You can’t do that sir. I need to practice my ‘rugger’.
Irwin: Your rugger will have to wait until your answers improve. I mean look at this for example: Dull. Dull. Abysmally dull. A triumph… the dullest of the lot…
