Alan Bennett presents two contrasting attitudes towards education through the characters of Hector and Irwin – education needed to pass examinations and to get ahead in life versus education as a means of personal growth and wisdom.
From the first page, Bennet sets Hector’s impression of education, where he quotes A.E. Housman: “All knowledge is useful whether or not it serves the slightest human use”. Bennett introduces Hector’s attitude towards education before Irwin’s to give Hector’s viewpoint more importance. Hector’s attitude immediately contrasts the attitude towards education in the 1980s when education was, and still is, a necessity as it enables students to go to university and have a career. Bennett reveals that Hector’s idea of education is “the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake” and his main aim to the make the boys “well rounded human beings”. This shows how Hector’s teaching are not to help the boys with their academic career (“forget about Oxford and Cambridge”) but to provide them with something that is personal and lifelong. This attitude of education being a preparation for life is emphasised by Bennett when Hector says “we’re making your deathbeds here, boys” which shows that education is not only useful for university and jobs but it is also useful for the lessons people learn and can later apply in their life.
On the other hand, Bennett uses Irwin to contrast and compare attitudes towards education presented using Hector. Both Hector and Irwin are used to present education as an important part of life and both teachers cultivate a love of learning in the boys. However, Irwin’s main aim is to get the boys into Oxbridge (“trying to get” them “through an exam”) which contrasts Hector’s teachings. Irwin solely focuses on the boys’ Oxbridge exams and says that education is for “now. The examinations are next month.” This contrasts Hector’s attitude that education can be understood “whenever”. Bennett uses this contrast to emphasise on the idea that education is the key to a successful life. Bennett emphasises on the contrast between the two main attitudes by placing Hector and Irwin’s lesson consecutively after each other. Bennett places Irwin’s first class where he calls the boys “abysmally dull” immediately after the ‘French scene’. This clearly shows the contrasting outlooks of education – on one hand, Hector uses an unconventional and enjoyable way to teach the subjunctive and the conditional while on the other hand, Irwin ridicules the boys for their “dull” essays. Moreover, Bennett presents these two contrasting attitudes towards education by creating conflict between Hector and Irwin through the scarcity of lessons available for the boys’ preparation and Hector’s refusal to share lessons with Hector (“Absolument non”). Bennett uses this conflict to introduce a competition for the best or the right attitude towards education. In addition, Bennett uses the conflict to show that, the modern education system cannot cater both styles of teaching and attitudes towards education.
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Although there were contrasting attitudes towards educations and teaching styles, all eight boys get into Oxbridge at the end. Bennett uses this ending to suggest that in the process of “running around, acquiring flavour”, the boys have learned from everything Hector and Irwin have taught. In the end of the play, Bennett chooses Hector to say the last words “Pass it on boys, that’s the game I want you to learn. Pass it on”. By choosing Hector to say the last words in the play, Bennett shows that the attitude towards education presented by Hector that education is “the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake” is more important than Irwin’s attitude towards education. The final line could also be epitome of the attitude towards education Bennett presents in ‘The History Boys’. The combination of the boys learning the technique from Irwin and the culture from Hector has resulted in them fulfilling their Oxbridge aspirations, therefore presenting that education is not only for exams or just for life but instead, it is for being able to take steps to achieving a dream and reaching a state of happiness and satisfaction.
