Fannish 5: Teachers...

[fajrdrako]

The fannish5 question for the day: Who are your five favorite fictional teachers or mentors?

Thinking about this has led me to realize how many of my favourite characters have teaching roles, how few are actually teachers. I thought of Qui-Gon in Star Wars: but I only like him as a Jedi hero and slash-partner for Obi-Wan and only in The Phantom Menace. And Yoda? He's right there on my list of least favourite characters of all time. Annoying little puppet.

And yet so many of my favourite characters have roles which involve teaching by example, or taking on unofficial acolytes and helping them to learn. Examples: Francis Crawford of Lymond, Captain Cairo Azarcon, Aral Vorkorsigan, Claude Raines (mentor to Peter in Heroes), the Doctor in Doctor Who (not just in "School Reunion", though he's lovely there), Captain Jack Harkness - in Torchwood, in Doctor Who he is only the acolyte. I'd put Methos from Highlander in this category, though he'd deny it with scorn.

My list of favourite fictional teachers:

1. Christophe, in The Feast of All Saints by Anne Rice.


2. Jane Eyre in Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.


3. Professor X in The Uncanny X-Men and other Marvel mutant comics.


4. Justin McLeod, the reclusive retired teacher in The Man Without a Face by Isabelle Holland, whose past contains tragedy. Resemblance to the character in the Mel Gibson movie of the same name is... unfortunate.


5. Bradley Headstone, the cruel and hypocritical teacher who falls in love with Lizzie Hexham in Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens. No, I don't like him, I love to hate him. A villain, but an interesting one, and I loved the twist Dickens was making here on traditional morality - the hardworking schoolmaster is a creep, the indolent seducing lawyer is a hero.

See, as this list probably makes clear, I don't really like teachers. On principle. Because I didn't like school. Bad associations.

Funny, these are all from print media. I can't think of any teachers I like in movies or television. Indiana Jones comes close, but... no. I'd be lying. At best, it's Harrison Ford I liked there.

Comments

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

Can't think of any fictional ones. My real-life tutors and some teachers mean great deal to me, but in fiction, the teacher-pupil never really appealed much to me from either side of the fence.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Funny thing is, you'd think I'd really like it. I like cross-generational interaction in stories. I like stories of discovery and learning, and I like stories of compassionate and nurturing authority figures. So - teachers? I can think of so few that I've liked.

I did think of citing the lead character in Up the Down Staircase, but I don't even remember her name.

[darthhellokitty.livejournal.com]

Well, Duncan teaches Richie... not really WELL or anything, but still.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Duncan teaches Richie

Yes. I thought of that. Neither Duncan nor Richie makes my list. Nothing against Duncan, but I like him better without Richie. Except maybe in "Chivalry".

[angevin2.livejournal.com]

See, as this list probably makes clear, I don't really like teachers.

*sniffle*

;)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Awww. (Pat, pat.) I didn't mean you. You're an exception. You're a... (pauses to think of a word) - you're an uberteacher.

Well, actually, there've been a large number of teachers I've liked personally, most of whom have been medievalists, or fans, or teachers of my own who influenced me.

[kikibug13.livejournal.com]

You have to be kidding. No Aral?!

Ahem.

If I clear my mind to recall it enough over the weekend, I might repost this... :) with my answers, that is.

;) Namaste...

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yes, Aral, of course. He even teaches from time to time at the Academy. Definitely Aral! I'll slip him in.

[kikibug13.livejournal.com]

Well you could do the tandem (with Cordelia) as they are definitely mentors- each alone and the two together. But... I wouldn't have though you'd have missed it *laughs out loud*.

Anyhoo. That reminds me that I don't think I saw a booking through Thursday meme on my flist yesterday... *wanders off to check this week's questions*

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

you could do the tandem (with Cordelia) as they are definitely mentors-

I agree, but Cordelia is in a different category in my head - I'm not sure why - as a mother ideal, not a mentor ideal. While Aral is a mentor ideal, but not necessarily a father ideal. Even though he is one of those wonderful fictional fathers of which I'd like to make a list.

I wouldn't have though you'd have missed it

He was on the first draft in my head! Didn't make it to my typing fingers, though.

I don't think I saw a booking through Thursday meme on my flist yesterday...

I looked at what it was, decided I wasn't about to answer it, and didn't. There are some things I am shy about talking about in public.

[cyberducks.livejournal.com]

Great thoughts on Headstone and Wrayburn - conventionally speaking Lizzie should be loving Headstone, and not the lazy, indolent Wrayburn, but the girl has good instincts and can sense right away that there is something "off", something not quite right about Headstone. I think if I remember correctly Wrayburn is the only upperclass Dickens cad who gets to live and gets the girl at the end.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

conventionally speaking Lizzie should be loving Headstone, and not the lazy, indolent Wrayburn, but the girl has good instincts

Yes - and I loved Lizzie for it - both for being attracted to Eugene (however horrifying that was for her) and unattracted to Bradley Headstone.

I think if I remember correctly Wrayburn is the only upperclass Dickens cad who gets to live and gets the girl at the end.

Well, one of the few. There's Charles Darnay. I can't think of another one offhand... Maybe a few hours from now, other names will leap into my head. It's rare in his books, and one of the reasons I love Our Mutual Friend so much. It's so anti-classist, in its intelligent, inverted way.

[battle-of-one.livejournal.com]

Cairo. :D

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Cairo. Well, of course Cairo.

I'm trying to act all dignified about it, not very successfully. I adore that man.

[battle-of-one.livejournal.com]

Here's a Cairo icon.

And I love that book by Holland, too. :D

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Here's a Cairo icon.

Ooh - very, very nice!

I love that book by Holland, too. :D

Isn't it excellent? I read it years ago - probably soon after it was first published - along with any other Holland novels I could find, including the books about the Anglican murders. I really like her style, but haven't seen a new book by her in years. I should do a Google or Amazon search and see if there are books I missed.