Assess the relevance of Pages 58 – 63 in the History Boys to the rest of the play

When we meet Irwin again at the beginning of Act two he is a humanity now wellspring into his forties and has moved on from teaching history in a school to filming a video recording history course of instruction on location. We learn that he is quintuplet years older and yet there is a certain banter in the fact that he still recites the same mantra that he apply with the history boys when called in to prepare them for Oxbridge entryIf you want to learn active Stalin study enthalpy VIII.If you want to learn about Mrs Thatcher study total heat VIIIIf you want to know about Hollywood study Henry VIIIIt was all history. It key outms that although older and now in a wheelchair his basic berth and attack energise changed little. He is now a personality presenting a programme upon Rievaulx Abbey and life in monastic orders which he brings down to the level of plenty arrangements stating that he believes this to be the way to bring history to life and the theater director ref lects upon how he sounds a tad schoolmasterly.Irwin, for all his changed position, having been transported from a life in the classroom to in crusade of a television camera, is still focussed upon expectationing things from an unusual perspective and victimization language to effect as when he reflects upon the different materials being used in place of pile paper, in effect saying that it is these artefacts which people now come to view saying of them, there is an increment in excrement, so sanitised by the years and sanitised too so he introduces a note of humour. so he says of what he sees as modern day pilgrims. We are differently credulous and our cults are not the same but saner, wiser, to a greater extent quick of scentHe stumbles as if deeply absorbed in reflection of how peoples attitudes demand changed, yet he can use the same approach. We see that Irwins approach to teaching and to history has not really changed from that which he expressed when showtime called in to prepare the boys for Oxbridge entry, For Irwin history is not a matter of article of faith and he encourages the boys to be dispassionate and so distance themselves. It was perhaps bare from Irwins scratch meeting with the boys that he was prepared to advocate whatever was needful in order to gain the described objective. Irwin, the television giver, has retained this principle in looking at these aspects of history which offer a more controversial approach to the subject. Initially describing the boys work as Abysmally dull he recognised to be successful they had to attract attention by using unorthodox methods. His dictum, which was evident as a teacher, was evident when he said,The victimize contain of the stick is the right one. A question has a front door and a back door. Go in the back or better still the side.Read also History QuizzesTo shock or surprise was his intent. He then proceeded to express his opinion that history was a performance, For Irwin, unlike Hect or, presentation was everything and he has interest in lesson fairness viewing things as being entertainment, so the first glimpse of Irwin the television presenter was evident even as a teacher. When referring to Stalin, whilst agreeing that he was a monster, he was still perfectly willing to say something in his defence. Thus, to him, the end justifies the means and he revels in being perverse. Irwin sums up the object of his approach, to the man who turns out to be none other than Posner, by describing it as meretricious and when called upon to sterilise the word he describes it as Eye-catching, showy, false. This last word almost appears as a damning indictment of his whole approach to teaching. When Posner replies by saying, barely you were a good teacher Irwin simply says The meretricious often are on television particularly. He then backs this up by reflectin thatThe wheelchair helps of course.Disability brings with it an premiss of sincerity.We see that he was still pre pared to use whatever vehicle to give him the edge and curry favour and sympathy. It was a means to an end, a prop but reveals him to be morally shallow.So it is that we are reminded of our initial meeting with Irwin when, still in a wheelchair, he was addressing three or four unidentified MPs upon the best way of presenting a flush before Parliament, the effects of which would, if examined, would prove to be very contentious concerned, as it was, with the effective ending of trial by jury in at least half of the gaffes which come before the courts abolishing with it the assumption of innocence. Sadly Irwins views have become even more morally corrupted, perhaps the person we see before the television camera and addressing MPs is just the logical forcing out of the teacher who advocated taking a completely opposite or controversial view to attain a desired outcome.It is now just the case that his horizons are greatly expanded and he is able to suppress both moral feelings. He h as obviously reached a stage where he is gifted to twist debatable aspects to fit in with what he wishes to achieve. His views are well illustrated when he says in defence of a law change, Paradox whole shebang well and mists up the windows which is handy We then come to appreciate how Irwin the television presenter views what he does by saying, School. Thats all it is. In my case anyway. Back to school. He really had come to believe that history was a performance. Its entertainment. And if it isnt make it so. by chance this last statement is so telling of his willingness to subvert the facts and in so doing taking an argument and endeavouring to prove its opposite as he had first done as a teacher who was willing to relegate moral truth for effect.