Book Review

BOOK REVIEW 

Review by Stephen Wilson

EDUCATION FOR A CRITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS

By Paulo Freire

 

Published by Bloomsbury Academic, London, New York, 2013

 

'Radicalization involves increased commitment to the position one has chosen. It is predominantly critical, loving, humble, and communicative and therefore a positive stance. The man who has made a radical option does not deny another man's right to choose, nor does he try to impose his own choice. He can discuss their respective positions. He is convinced he is right, but respects another man's prerogative to judge himself correct. He tries to convince and convert, not to crush his opponent. The radical does, however, have the duty, imposed by love itself, to react against the violence of those who try to silence him- of those who, in the name of freedom, kill his freedom and their own,' {page nine of Education for a Critical Consciousness '} declares the great and legendary Educator Paulo Freire. The quote concisely and clearly sums up the underlying philosophy of Paulo Freire. Freire attempted to develop and practice a new pedagogy of love which not only taught students to read and write, but to fully affirm their dignity and acknowledge their rights. Such an education would empower rather than enslave them.

 

Freire's book 'Education for Critical Consciousness' represents a gem. The work emphasizes how Freire's work was not momentarily inspired instantly, but came after exploring many options and often adopting approaches that did not work. His ideas had to be constantly tested and revised in relation to practice. The book is blessed with an Appendix with drawings by Brazilian artist Vicente de Abreu which were used by educators in cultural circles to discuss the differences between how animals and people hunt and thus encourage peasants to discuss and use new words in a real context.

 

Paulo Freire claims that he does not see education as a panacea for all social ills. He warns that we can easily overestimate as well as underestimate the power of education.

In Chapter Four we can learn about the terrible predicament Brazil faced in the 1960's and what largely motivated Freire to help launch a literacy program before the military coup of 1964 thwarted his project. He wrote 'My concern for the democratization of culture, within the context of fundamental democratization, required special attention to the quantitative and qualitative deficits in our education. In 1964, approximately four million school age children lacked schools: there were sixteen million illiterates of fourteen years and older. These truly alarming deficits constituted obstacles to the development of the country and to the creation of a democratic mentality.{page 39}

 

It is fair to say that Freire must be one of the most misconstrued authors. People put words into his mouth. Freire had to endure an avalanche of cheap insults as well as ludicrous claims about his work. Some people called him 'ignorant', 'illiterate' and claimed he had 'plagiarized European or North American educators'. Freire answers, 'None of these accusations wounded me. What does leave me perplexed is to hear or read that I intended to 'Bolshevize the country' with my method. In fact, my actual crime was that I treated literacy as more than a mechanical problem, and linked it to conscientizacao, which was "dangerous". It was that I viewed education as an effort to liberate men, not as yet another instrument to dominate them'.{page 54}.

 

Many conservatives have claimed he sought to use education to 'brainwash' or 'indoctrinate' students by seeking to impose his views on them. But if you read this book you will learn that on the contrary, he actually encouraged his students to discover for themselves what is the role of propaganda, mass advertising and the role of the media. He opposed a notion that a revolutionary vanguard had all the answers in contrast to peasants who supposedly were ignorant with a 'false consciousness'. He sought an open-ended dialogue where both the teacher and student actively listened to each other with respect. Any condescending and patronizing attitude from the teacher would alienate potential students. He understood from his experience that learning could be a very hard feat for some and that there existed deep distrust between the peasants and potential teachers. He sought to transcend this rift and win the trust of the peasants and he managed to do this. This was no small achievement. He could easily have failed. For example, the well-intentioned 'Going to the people ' movement in Russia before the 1917 revolution largely, though not wholly, failed.

 

Freire's works on pedagogy ought to be in the library of any school or institute. He would agree that the first axiom of a teacher is to love his or her students. Without this motivation, nothing much can be achieved. He quotes the revolutionary Che Guevara that love must be the main motivator of a radical or a teacher. When I hear school students tell me some of their teachers in Russia walk into a class room and shout "You are all animals' or a teacher denounce her student to the authorities for their political views, I shudder at the thought. That is why Freire should not only be read by adult educators, but also school teachers.

 

Freire would be the first to admit that he never claimed his work was original. My teacher at Glasgow University said that, "Freire was something of a magpie. He went around taking the best works of other authors and weaving them into his thought". For instance, he read Dewey, Karl Mannheim and Enrich Fromm. A lot of his works echo the thoughts of Erich Fromm's 'The Art of Loving' which articulately defines love as being characterized by freedom, care, responsibility, respect and knowledge. Love is not just an emotional state or passion, but an active concern where the teacher practically demonstrates his care. Freire states, 'Dialogue cannot imprison itself in any antagonistic relationship. Dialogue is the loving encounter of people, who, mediated by the world, 'proclaim' that world. They transform that world and in transforming it, humanize it for all people. This encounter in love cannot be an encounter of irreconcilables'. {page 102}.

 

The book might also be of interest to not only educators in the field of Adult Literacy, but to linguists who might be interested in how he draws out the wider meaning of a single word. But Freire keeps returning to that same old theme which was also addressed by Erich Fromm, which is: "Why are so many  people willing to submit to unjust authority?' In this regard, he offers some subtle insights.

Teacher Romance

NO TIME FOR LOVE

A LONG HOUR, LOW PAY, LOVELESS VOCATION

By Stephen Wilson

 

So many school teachers are so overworked or do precarious low paid jobs that you are left wondering whether they have time for anything else such as pursuing hobbies, interests and even finding a potential soulmate! In such long hour, low paid and often insecure jobs it comes as no revelation that many teachers state they have no time to find potential partners never mind contemplating marriage or starting families. Some are just too worn out to begin a quest to find another partner and can come home to just slump down and fall asleep on their beds. Getting married can seem either a remote possibility or strike people as reckless when they weigh up the possible new expenses.

 

That teachers in Russia might not have time for love or marriage is indicated by a recent survey undertaken by Super job. Super job interviewed 5000 respondents from 5th February to 6th of April 2021 and found that while 65% of teachers and 69% of doctors complained of overwork, only about 27% of marketologists and 17% of psychologists complained of overwork. As many as 72% of computer programmers also complain of overwork. That Russian school teachers are doing more and more work is explicitly evident. They are doing more paperwork, more tests and asked to teach more students at school as 'optimization' is leading  to more redundancies and school closures. 

But the impact of this long hour culture on the lives of Russian teachers has scarcely been examined. It has led to delayed or less marriages, isolated teachers who feel deep loneliness and in some cases a complete absence of a social life. In many jobs people are asked to stay in the workplace to fulfill never-ending deadlines which rise again and again. Teachers and others workers feel married to their jobs! Since most marriages require at least a degree of job security and stability to sustain them, short term teaching contracts as well as a highly volatile economy preclude this.

Russia had a crisis in 1998, 2008 and then again in 2016 where people lost their savings. Deadlines displace dates and romance is relegated to far fetched films and naive novels.

Poor work conditions, terrible work schedules and low wages are not the only obstacles which prevent finding potential partners. All kinds of nuances can arise. One Russian school teacher told me, "My children would not allow me to start a marriage." I recall one teacher from Britain telling me how he was invited home by the cleaner in the office. When he was a guest at her home her son aggressively swore at this complete stranger. Perhaps this son saw the teacher as a territorial threat or an invader. It was an unpleasant spectacle. It was the end of the romance!

 

One of the worst things about this is that so many teachers are made to feel they are inadequate, incomplete or to blame for not having a partner. But the reality is that the constraints imposed by a more ruthless and unrestrained capitalism which insists on 'flexible unpredictable hours' renders romance an unrealistic option. In short, many people are not free to make a choice as to whether they marry or not. That is why so much advice you read about in glossy magazines offering tips as to how to find you partner seems naive nonsense. People are not 'free to choose'. If they are lucky to find a partner they must move heaven and earth to keep them!  

 

In this atmosphere it is no accident that so many people feel a deep sense of loneliness and loss of meaning. Against this background the popularity of dating agencies is flourishing in Moscow and all over the World. When I had an English lesson in a restaurant called 'Obed buffet' I found that half the hall on the 2nd floor would be taken over by an agency organizing 'speed dating sessions'. They would charge a fee of around 1200 rubles for a couple of hours of having a few minutes date with a potential partner. I tend to be skeptical about such agencies. But I was surprised that for some Russian teachers it worked! One of my ex-students, an English and French Russian teacher, told me, "I decided to give this a try as I had no free time to find a husband. I found my husband through speed dating. We met up and got married." They  have been married for ten years and have two children. So although some obstacles might appear insurmountable in the quest for true love some teachers do have some luck. But more free time and improved wages would at least make this quest much easier.

Pay to Play

CTU Pays to Regain Bargaining Rights

By Jim Vail

Gerald Adler, a retiree who constantly battled to repeal the Amendatory Act
can be seen about 15 years ago passing out flyers at a CTU House of Delegates
 meeting standing next to former CTPF President Jay Rehak.

The Chicago Teachers Union celebrated a great victory by getting the governor to sign a bill that restored the union's bargaining rights that Mayor Richard Daley had teamed up with Republicans to take away.

But while congratulations and plenty of likes lit up the social media world - the truth is the union did it the old fashioned way - they paid for it.

Just two days before Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed HB 2275 that will allow the Chicago teachers to bargain with the city over important issues such as class size and layoffs, the CTU sent a check for $59,900 to the new House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch.

The more things change, the more they stay the same?

The CTU had a tight relationship with former House Speaker Mike Madigan who ran Springfield like the Daleys once ran City Hall. But a corruption scandal that tied Madigan to payoffs from ComEd for favorable legislation led to his downfall.

While Madigan's name was synonymous with corruption, it was also tied to the unions who paid him a lot of money to protect working people from the wrath of Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner who wanted Illinois to become a Right to Work state where teachers and other workers would make a lot less money.

The corporate newspaper Chicago Tribune campaigned heavily to oust Madigan from office. Many speculated that Madigan's problems helped billionaire Ken Griffen and the business community defeat the Fair Tax Amendment that would increase taxes on the wealthy to fund public education and pensions.

But the cold hard fact remains that this corrupt system where you must pay to play is a reality that does not disappear once one corrupt politician, and a powerful one at that, exits stage right.

The CTU is a politically powerful player who defeated the mayor in getting this bill signed.

Repealing the act was one of the goals of Core ever since it took power over a decade ago. Going back to the old UPC days before Karen Lewis was elected the new CTU President in 2010, there was a retired delegate named Gerald Adler who many of us new delegates thought was a complete nut. Every time he was at the mic at a House of Delegates meeting he would shake his paper and rail that the union must repeal Section 4.5 of the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act, otherwise known as the Amendatory Act, which restricted the union's bargaining power since 1995, when state lawmakers gave Daley control of the school district. The Mayor and the business class were upset after many teachers' strikes in the 70s and 80s that gave teachers a decent salary today. After the Act was passed the CTU did not go on another strike until 2012 after Core was elected. Former CTU President Thomas Reese who negotiated several teachers contracts with the Daley regime said the only strike he wanted to see was in a bowling alley. 

President Jesse Sharkey noted that about 50 current delegates remember Gerald, who former President Lewis would fondly call out during her speeches to the delegates.

According to former Substance News editor George Schmidt, Adler was one of the original members who pushed the union into collective bargaining during the 1960s and he remained an activist, issuing his own leaflets at most of the union's House of Delegates.

"Since Marilyn Steward became President of the 30,000-member union (a membership that has decreased by more than ten percent since she was installed in office in 2004), she has assigned special union 'Security' personnel (reportedly off-duty Chicago police officers) to stand beside Adler during union meetings and escort him out as soon as he voices an opinion in disagreement with her."

Where ever Adler is, he as well as Karen would be smiling down on this union. The destruction and privatization of public education  began right after the Amendatory Act was passed when Mayor Daley started closing public schools and replacing them with corrupt charter schools and outsourcing via corrupt no bid contracts that helped send former CPS Chief Barbara Byrd Bennett to prison.

But while corrupt business forces intent on destroying the people's public education conspired with a corrupt mayor to take away the teachers union bargaining rights, an equally corrupt system gave the teachers union their rights back to bargain again like all teachers unions can do in this state.

We may be celebrating as teachers and defenders of public education, but the pernicious effect of money in politics is ultimately impoverishing most people here where if you don't have the money, you can't play the game. 

HOD April

Report on the Meeting of the House of Delegates on April 7, 2021

By George Milkowski

Please note:  Normally, I have a chance to look over the agenda, proposed resolutions and other items that will be considered at House meetings a few hours beforehand.  However, for some unknown reason, that material was not available to me today and so I was often trying to read and take notes at the same time so I probably missed a lot more information than normal.

Because of the COVID 19 pandemic, this meeting was conducted as a webinar via a video conference

The meeting began at 4:36 p.m..

I. Officer Reports

A. Recording Secretary Christel Williams-Hayes – The AFT is conducting a conference for PSRPs on April 23-24.

Christel lauded Whitney Young as that school raised over $3,000 for the GoFundMe site which has raised money for those Union sisters and brothers who were denied their pay for refusing to go into the school buildings in January.

B. Financial Report Kathy Catalano – Kathy said that our income is about $1 million dollars more than expected due to the increased membership.  After “pass throughs” to the IFT and the AFT, the CTU has $453,256 more than what was budgeted.  There were some additional costs due to the pandemic and the legal arguments with the CPS over re-opening but we should end the fiscal year with some surplus.

C. Recording Secretary Maria Moreno – Our membership is up again, this time by 37 members and currently stands at 28,348, of which 1,782 are retiree members.  

    Maria announced that there are three vacancies on the Executive Board and nominations to fill those positions will be taken at the May House meeting and voting to fill them will take place at the June House meeting by delegate members of the respective functional groups.

D. Vice President Stacy Davis Gates  - Stacy said that Gov. Pritzker signed the legislation to fully restore our bargaining rights which have been constrained since 1995.  She lauded the Lewis-Sharkey administrations for developing strong ties with communities that helped us get pressure on the CPS and politicians to successfully work around the constraints,

II. President’s Report – Jesse Sharkey

Pres. Sharkey said that the pandemic has made things hard for the CTU.  He said that the restoration of our bargaining rights through repeal of the 4.5 Amendatory Act was due in part to a smart legislative strategy that showed our influence in the political arena.  We didn’t always win, but we were able to get the attention of the politicians even when we lost.

As to the re-opening of the high schools, Jesse reported the CTU received its first written proposal from the CPS right before the spring break.  He stressed that high schools cannot have “pods” as in grammar schools so no one should expect every school to have all students attending every day.  Also, in a few cases, there are schools with no students attending so he wants those faculty and staff members to continue to work from home.  He is concerned about a new COVID 19 surge and new variants of the disease.  He has asked for a one week delay in the proposed April 19 re-opening that the CPS wants.  The Memorandum of Agreement already reached regarding the grammar schools cites conditions as to what the infection rate is, how long it has been going up and the percentage increase in the COVID.  As of now there is no agreement between the Union and the CPS.

III. Item for Action

A. Resolution calling for Anti-Racism and Culturally Sustaining Curriculum as a school priority to be sought by LSCs and PPLCs.  It passed 93% to 4% and about 4% abstaining.  I voted yes on this.

B. Another resolution passed expressing CTU Solidarity with all Asian Americans.  This passed with 98% and I voted yes on this, too.

C. The next resolution, Support for Empowering Communities for Public Safety Ordinance, also passed 89%-7% with 4% abstaining.  I spoke in favor of this and voted for it,

D. A resolution on High School Bargaining passed with a 75% “yes” vote.  I was part of that 75%.  This set our formal position asking for a delay in the re-opening of the high schools and also would help gather information and demands for re-opening of schools in the fall.  

E. A resolution listing Union Wide Special Education, Pre-K, Itinerant and Clinicians Re-opening Priorities passed with a 97% vote.  I voted “yes” on this, also.

IV. Department/Committee Reports

A1. Organizing – Rebecca Martinez – The CTU has trained 400 delegates in how to serve on the new school safety committees.

B. Grievance report – Thad Goodchild – Thad is one of the CTU lawyers.  He said the CPS will extend remote teaching for faculty and staff who are pregnant or nursing.  He added that teachers in high risk categories are expected to return to the school two weeks after they get their second vaccination shot.

C. Political/Legislative - Kurt Hilgendorf – Kurt happily announced that, after a 26 year lapse, the CTU’s bargaining rights have been fully restored when Gov. Pritzker signed the bill on April 2.  He said there is still more work to be done.  HB 2908, the bill to establish an elected representative school board in Chicago passed out of committee and is now on the House floor for a vote.  The same is true for HB 114, the Charter Schools Neutrality Agreement Act.

Kurt also announced that 91% of the Cook County Democratic ward and township committeepersons voted to support the elected school board bill.

D. CTU-ACTS – Chris Baehrend – Chris reported that re-opening agreements have been reached with the Acero and Passages schools; all based on the Agreement reached by the CTU and the CPS.

Chris also said that the CTU membership will grow as the teachers at Christopher House, Intrinisic, and Association House charter schools have signed cards to join the CTU.

E. Testing – Paula Barajas – Paula reminded the delegates that there are only a handful of standardized tests that are required by law.  She said the CPS’ move to add more needs to be resisted, especially with so much lost learning time caused by the pandemic.

V. New Business/Questions and Answers

Frank MacDonald, Washington High, motioned that members who serve on safety committees be paid at least two extra hours per week.  He said that they would have to do their safety committee work on their own time.  Jesse referred the motion to a committee.

Moselean Parker was told by her principal that teachers must return to the buildings for report card pick up although there will be no parents or students there.  Jesse will contact the CPS about this.

Wendy Weingarten, LaSalle II, said that some pods at her school are larger than 15; that their size is determined by the amount of space in a room.

Shemeka Elam, Grimm School, said that the principal is using Wednesday’s for professional development instead of it being used for prep.  Jesse said that it should be brought up with the PPC and that unless the principal is banking the prep time, this is a violation of the Agreement.

CFL April

Report of the Chicago Federation of Labor (CFL) Delegates Meeting 

By George Milkowski

1. From the Minutes of the Executive Board March 1, 2021

The CFL’s E-Board voted to give the Woman of the Year Award to Carole Pollitz, IBEW Local 134.

The CFL has established a few COVID 19 vaccination clinics for union members who are in categories 1a, 1b, and 1c..

A number of pro-labor bills have passed House committees in the General Assembly.  They include a bill that would establish an representative, elected school board in Chicago, pay equity for mechanics, energy, paid leave, and more.

The E-Board passed a resolution supporting an amendment to the State’s constitution that would preclude any diminishment of workers’ rights.  The resolution cited numerous anti-labor actions taken by former Governor Bruce Rauner and the U.S. Supreme Court’s Janus decision as a reason for working to get this into our constitution.  It will be on the ballot in the 2022 elections.

2. President’s Report

President Bob Reiter addressed suburban elections going on today.  He specifically concentrated on Orland Park and a challenge to the current mayor, who he described as a Rauner acolyte and one who has further political aspirations.  He hopes a defeat would end this man’s ambitions.  If the anti-union mayor is re-elected, he said it “…would not be for a lack of trying on our part”.

Reiter spoke of the 1,200 vaccinations given just today at one of our clinics and that Vice President Kamala Harris had visited it today.

In presenting Cartole Pollitz with the CFL Woman of the Year Award, Pres. Reiter mentioned how she started out in the IBEW as an apprentice “wirewoman” and eventually moved up and became their Business Manager in the last few years.

3. Good and Welfare

If you like to golf, IBEW 134 is planning a golf outing fundraiser for their scholarship program on June 12.  Contact Martin Dwyer at their union for more details.

Scott from the painters union asked if the CFL would again get involved in a NASCAR “Tribute to Labor” that had been held at the Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet.  Pres. Reiter responded that we wouldn’t be doing that this year.

Scott Marshall, retired union steelworker and member of Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees (SOAR – of which I am a member), again brought up the proposed opening of a recycling plant that is being moved from Lincoln Park to the 10th Ward.  He brought this up at last month’s meeting and had asked that the CFL take a stand in favor of the business, citing that there would be jobs available.  Pres. Reiter said the Federation has not acted on doing this as there is some conflict with some other Local that needs to be worked out.

Bea Lumpkin (CTU Local #1) announced that there will be a memorial ceremony to commemorate the 1937 Memorial Day Massacre murders by police of ten striking workers at Republic Steel.  The ceremony will take place at 117th and Avenue “O” on May 22.

Andy Grimm (Chicago Newsguild Local 34071) announced that there are two new competitive bids by people to buy the Chicago Tribune.  He is concerned what this may mean for union news workers and asked the CFL to petition the SEC and other federal agencies to investigate the proposals.

Lastly, there was a random drawing of names of students to receive CFL scholarships.  The winners are:

Lauren Saxton – Carl Sandberg High.  Parent is in Carpenters Local #13

Hope M. Maniez – Lake Park High.  Parent is a member of the Brickmakers and Allied Trades Local 21

Michael Klein who is a member of the UFCW

P. Cannon.  Parent is a member of Engineers Local 399

Aidy Manmo – Loyola Academy.  Parent is also a member of Engineers Local 399.

Insulting Fines

FINES FOR INSULTING SCHOOL TEACHERS?

A local government proposal provokes a heated discussion in Russia

By Stephen Wilson

 

The governor of the Ulyanoskoi region of Russia has recently proposed introducing a new law where anyone accused of insulting a teacher, would be subject to a fine. The size of this fine has yet to be clarified. This very proposal arises against a background where the Russian parliament has been discreetly passing a barrage of new laws where people found guilty of offending particular people such as war veterans, would be subject to not only severe fines {5 million rubles} but five years imprisonment. The most prominent legal case concerning 'insults' has been made by the government against Navalny who is being currently charged with offending war veterans. And anyone found insulting the president of Russia could face five years imprisonment as well as a heavy fine. And very few Russians are aware that at this moment of time a new law on Education {known by the highly misleading words 'Law on Enlightened activities} would rigidly define 'the boundaries of what can be taught within education programs'. All knowledge presented on such courses mustn't contradict the line laid down by the Ministry of Education and Science. If this law is passed then it can mean that many cultural and educational projects could not be permitted unless they had special permission or approval from officials. So we are witnessing a tense situation where the last vestiges of freedom of speech and academic freedom are being undermined in an imperceptive way. This is why some teachers should think carefully before welcoming any new laws which might appear, on the surface, to be protecting their dignity. It might just backfire!

 

Do we need such new laws? In the existing legal code of the Russian Federation there are already laws related to insulting people. Although there is no new law specifically designed to protect school teachers there exist such laws and punishments. Sergei Yamov, who was following the debate stated, 'You mustn't insult anyone. The punishment for insulting someone is fixed under article 5.61 of the Codex of the Russian Federation. But if you are going to make it an offence to insult teachers, why not turners, doctors and taxi drivers?" Svetlana Wilson stated, "You mustn't insult anyone and I think this law might be a good thing". Oksana Chebotareva, a Russian English teacher stated - "I agree with this proposal. It would help defend teachers against insults." 

However, a teacher of Russian, Olga Stefanova disagreed. 

"I don't think it is a good idea," she said. "Many children can't be held responsible for what they say. They say something impulsively without thinking. I know my two daughters often insult me without thinking. School teachers should expect to be insulted in doing their job. That is the kind of thing that comes with taking up such a profession. If the parents had to pay a fine they would take out their anger on the children and maybe beat them up".

 

Leonid Perlov, a representative of the teachers union 'Teacher', also expressed strong doubts. He stated, "It would be difficult to prove that someone insulted a teacher in the classroom. It is like when you have a blocked nose and you think the best means to treat it is to cut off your nose! I myself don't welcome such surveillance of every sneeze, every step I make and everything that happens in the classroom. The harm caused by this measure can be worse than the use."

 

However, it works both ways! How many adults have you encountered that speak about how their school teachers insulted them? A harmless fellow school student in my class was mocked in the classroom by a teacher who said he was 'an idiot'. A friend of mine called Ronald told me how his school teacher in Boness, Scotland taunted his ambition to become a singer. He went on to become a singer but still feels the insult long after the occasion. Would anyone suggest a law to protect school pupils from perceived insults? What constitutes an insult is often a grey matter. If someone told a teacher he had a big nose when he really has, would that be regarded as an insult? A lot of things people say are made on the spur of the moment or because the person may be in great physical and mental pain. Enforcing such a law might inadvertently worsen an already bad situation.

In the past during the 18th and 19th centuries people who felt insulted would often resort to a duel to resolve matters. This was an innovation of a Scottish general serving in the Russian army called Patrick Gordon. Far from resolving matters, dueling lead to the senseless deaths of two of Russia's greatest poets Lermontov and Pushkin. A duel between two legal contenders in court threatening each other with imprisonment is hardly more progressive than one with pistols. What if two war veterans insulted each other? Would you imprison both of them?

 

A teacher can resort to more effective ways of punishing students than fines or threats of imprisonment. Teachers have usually resorted to less extreme punishments such as informing parents, giving more homework or having a word with the pupil in private. But one of the biggest ways of punishing some pupils who have insulted you is to retort with kind words or even a compliment. For some reason, in some specific situations with particular students, this turns out to be more offensive than if the teacher responded with 'a zero tolerance approach'. But it often makes the student reflect on his or her actions. Why is this the case? Well, it is worth working out! I leave you to come to your own conclusions.

Film Review

TWO WOMEN {2014}

FILM REVIEW 

By Stephen Wilson

 

Based on the play 'A Month in the Country' by Ivan Turgenev

 

Director Vera Glagoleva.

 

Producer Natalya Ivanova

 

Screen Play by Svetlana Grudivich and Olga Kuzimina

  

 

Some  special scenes of films relentlessly haunt you. They leave an indelible impression on you. Such is the case with the film 'Two Woman' where many of the poignant and profound scenes of the film are so moving as to be unforgettable. Two scenes which come to mind are when we watch a tear stricken and distraught girl surreptitiously watch the man of her affection walking away forever back to Moscow and a scene where the intense inner loneliness of two married characters can be seen where they are both on a balcony watching a firework display {symbolic of how some kind of passion has quickly shot up and burnt out like a rocket }. But there are so many other scenes in the film which more than make this film a must to see!

And that is not all! I commend this film because of its stunning cinematography which perfectly captures the beauty of the Russian countryside, the authentic details of Russian clothes and things of the 19th century down to the last minute detail, and a great cast in which the actors superbly convey complex emotions with a subtle gesture, glance or move. Who can forget the scenes where a 17 year old adopted orphan is interrogated by her mother about love and feels a mixture of fear, guilt and surprise? Anna Levanova who plays Vera comes across as innocence personified. I like the scene where Rakitin informs a bemused and astonished tutor Belyaev that his employer has fallen in love with him. He is at a complete loss!

 

The cinematography is so good you want to cut out and keep every frame!

  

THE PLOT

 

The main story centers around the arrival of a young tutor employed to teach the children of a rich landowner and his wife in the countryside. Arkady is a strong, amiable and hard working landowner who is always busy with his estate. His wife seems stuck in a loveless marriage and she finds life tedious. She is not only bored of her husband. She is bored of her secret lover Rakitin who is no longer amusing. Natalya rudely tells Rakitin, "What is the use of being clever if you are not amusing? Nothing is more depressing than that sort of gloomy cleverness". A young tutor Belyaev is employed to teach her young son Kolya over the summer. She wants the tutor 'to give him a happy childhood he can fondly look back on.' This is  the childhood the mother never had. Since her son has been softened and pampered by his upbringing, the tutor must teach him to be brave. Belyaev does a great job. He teaches Kolya how to make and fly a kite as well as to climb trees. Kolya adores his tutor. The young girl Vera also likes Belyaev. And when Natalya watches them all happily attempting to launch a kite she also loses her head to him. So the tutor is loved by two different women who become rivals for his affection. When poor Belyaev finds out this is the case he does not see what the fuss is about. Hence the title of the film 'Two Women'. The tutor's impulsive, natural and kind behavior attracts them. As Rakitin tells the tutor, "What you regard as a defect, your impulsiveness, your freedom from constraint is what is attractive to woman". Rakitin feels displaced by this new affection. He tells Natalya, "Ah, I understand you envy their naivete, their freshness and their foolishness".

There is such a childlike innocence, kindness and boundless energy about Belyaev you can forgive any woman for inadvertently falling in love with him. Vera tells Natalya that he helps everyone and even climbed a dangerous slope to pick a flower for her.

 

However, an old landowner has sent a doctor to try and persuade Vera to marry him. When she hears of the proposal she laughs it off with the words that, "I didn't know people of his age still got married." Vera wants to marry for love and not prudence. When she asks Natalya why she married her husband, she nervously pauses and lies that she married for love. Should the doctor pull off the feat of arranging this marriage he will be rewarded with three horses.

Because Natalya has fallen so much in love with the tutor she is prepared to do her best to marry off Vera to an old foolish man. But both women confront each other and frankly express their views. Meanwhile, Rakitin is forced to explain to the landowner that he loves his wife. Both the tutor and Rakitin leave the estate 'to protect the honor' of the landowner and his wife.

The tutor tactfully tells Vera that he loves her as a sister and has no wish to hurt her feelings. He can't marry her because 'How can I support you? I have not a single kopek'.

 

INTERPRETATION

 

How might we interpret such a play? When I suggested that it was a comedy, the son in law of late film director Vera Glagoleva, Yevgeny Dzyuru, told me, "I don't think it is a comedy. It is very sad. I suppose people are going to interpret it in their own way". When I asked a French teacher Larisa she also stated, 'This is not a comedy. It is very serious. Many women were forced to marry against their will or not for love. This is still an issue. I know from the history of my own family". Perhaps the amusing scenes are when an old suitor for Vera's hand says he does not know how to speak to women and the doctor has to give him a crash lesson in using the most simple and plain language. The surprised attitude of the exasperated landowner who complains, 'Why is everyone leaving my estate?" His world has been turned upside down without him being aware. The words of Vera "I am in your power" to her step mother and rival Natalya perhaps succinctly expresses the lack of freedom felt by many women at this time.

 

I asked Yevgeny "Why did the film director make such a film? Did she like Turgenev very much?" He replied, 'Yes, this is true but not the only reason. Before you can make such a film you need a very good script. After someone brought her a great script she decided to go ahead and make it. Making this film was a lot of hard work. They had to make sure all the clothes and items on the estate were really from the 19th century. If there were mistakes a lot of people would start complaining about this. I actually stayed on at the place where the film was made and it was in the countryside. We had no internet, phones or television so it really was like living in the 19th century. You can see why the wife of a rich landlord could get bored. She had no work to do. So when she sees a young tutor come then you can understand why she would be attracted to him".

 

RALPH FIENNES

  

"How did the film director Vera Glagoleva manage to persuade Ralph Fiennes to play the part of Rakitin?" Yevgeny told me "To be honest when Vera met him at a film festival she did ask him whether he wanted to play the part of Rakitin in her intended film. It was originally intended as a joke. When the actor answered he would seriously think about it and later answered that he had agreed, we couldn't believe it. We never imagined he would agree to such a proposal".

 

"How did Ralph Fiennes manage in Russia?'  "He spent one year preparing for this role learning Russian. Whenever he was eating with us he told everyone 'Only speak to me in Russian'... He insisted in acting his part in Russian. But the director Vera would ask him, 'Could you say the words in English?' because she felt that when an actor speaks in another language they are not so relaxed and the acting is not so spontaneous and free. But Ralph Fiennes kept insisting he act in Russian". Vera would tell him, "Your Russian is very good but you can speak in English." She asked her producer Natalya to approach him to persuade him to speak in English. One day we called on Ralph Fiennes and found he had gone missing. He had disappeared. We looked everywhere for him but could not find him. We were very worried. What about the security? Later he came back on his bicycle laden with all kinds of glass jars of vegetables and fruit. The local people were happy to see that an Englishman had visited their village for a vacation. So they gave him all kinds of presents such as the food they grew on their garden plots. They didn't know he was a famous actor".  

 

What kind of man did you find Ralph Fiennes?  "He is very nice man. He has a complicated personality but lives a simple life style. Once we were in London late at night and I told him we could still arrange a meal even if all the places were closed. He answered, "That is impossible. Everything is closed at this time". But we found a hotel and persuaded them to organize a meal for 20 guests. When we went back to him and told him to get his car he answered, "I don't have a car. I have never had a car in my life. I just walk or ride a bicycle to places." So we all ended up walking to this hotel". Once he told me, "Remember I am Russian. I'm Rakitin". I learnt that in Russia, nobody had a bad word to say about Ralph Fiennes. Local villagers in the Smolensk region were charmed by him and Russians are impressed by his genuine interest in Russian culture and the fact that he made an effort to study Russian.

Yevgeny told me another amusing anecdote that after watching a performance of Shakespeare's Anthony and Cleopatra. He went up to give some flowers to Ralph Fiennes. The rest of the people around him looked shocked by this action. Their mouths hung open. They don't do this in England. Ralph Fiennes saved the occasion by saying, "Don't worry. I know this man who is a friend of mine. It is a beautiful Russian custom for anyone in the audience at the theater to come up and give flowers to the performers".