Compare two different teachers from ‘The History Boys’ and explore the way they are presented in the text by Bennett using quotations and references to linguistic techniques.

Hector and Irwin are two different characters in ‘The History Boys’ by Allen Bennett. While they are both teachers they have very different techniques and teaching styles from each other. Hector, an older teacher who has been at the school for years, is loved by the students for his liberal attitude towards education and view that ‘all knowledge is precious’ and you should learn to learn, rather than to pass an exam. Contrastingly Irwin is a new teacher at the school, employed to help the group of boys into Oxbridge. He is there to give them the edge they need and has the belief that knowledge is ‘for now’ and should be learnt to get you to a specific place, in this case to pass the exam allowing them to get into these prestigious universities.

The way in which Alan Bennett introduces the audience to both Hector and Irwin tells us a lot about each of their characters. Irwin is first presented by Bennett in the present tense as a man ‘in his forties’, physically disabled ‘in a wheelchair’ addressing three or four MP’s. Right from the first stage direction we see the contrast from Irwin in the present day to Irwin during his time teaching at the school. There he is a young man only a few years older than the boys he is teaching, whereas now we see an older looking man whose lives happenings have put him in a wheelchair, handicapped.

Bennett has chosen for Irwin to be shown talking to the MP’s about abolishing ‘trial by jury’ and ‘the presumption of innocence.’ The way he speaks to the MP’S gives the impression of a man without compassion, he is telling the MP’s to lie to the public about how these basic human rights being taken way doesn’t ‘diminish’ freedom but ‘amplifies’ it. He is showing no compassion towards the subject and talking about his ‘strategy’ towards getting rid of the rights. The noun ‘strategy’ is used to show the fact that it is all a game to him, even though getting rid of these rights could mean that innocent people are punished. This further shows the lack of compassion he has.

Contrasting from Irwin’s present day introduction, Bennett first presents Hector  to the audience when he come riding into school on a motorcycle, wearing ‘leathers’ and a ‘helmet’. This get up is a disguise; he isn’t showing his true self. It is all a way to mask who he truly is, a theme that continues throughout his first appearance and during the rest of the play. The boys then proceed to undress him from his motorcycle clothes. They each take of an item such as ‘les gants’ meaning gloves, or ‘le casque’ meaning helmet and show the item to the audience. We see here the unhealthy relationship between him and the students as the boys are physically undressing their teacher. It also represents the many layers his character has and the metaphorical undressing of his character; it is like they are pealing back his layer trying to find out who he is. This scene foreshadows the rest of the play where we begin to find out some of the different layers to Hector.

Bennett again shows Hectors disguise and inappropriate relationship between him and the students during the first conversation he has with the boys, which is in French. He is talking in another language so that the conversation can be private from everyone but him and the boys. Another way Hectors disguise is shown is his excessive use of quotes when he talks, especially to the boys, such as ‘all knowledge is precious.’  This furthers his disguise by hiding behind other people’s words rather than his own.

The biggest difference that Bennett presents between Hector and Irwin is their contrasting views on education. Hector has the strong, liberal view that ‘all knowledge is precious’ and you should learn to learn, for the love of knowledge, not learn for an exam. However Irwin has the opposing view that education isn’t for when you’re ‘old and grey’ but ‘it’s for now.’ He believes that you should learn knowledge to pass an exam and to get you to the next stage in your life. While Irwin has been employed to get the boys into Oxbridge and so wants them to focus all their time and attention on the entrance exam, Hector doesn’t believe that this should be what the students concentrate on. Bennett has Hector refer to the entrance exam as ‘your cheat’s visa.’ This shows Hector’s view that exams are like a free passage to adult life, you can get into places such as university with them however they don’t show how knowledgeable you really are.