{Crucifixion and Love [continued]}[13th October 1989]

[Redbook6:308-309][19891013:0941b]{Crucifixion and Love [continued]}[13th October 1989]

19891013.0941

[continued]

Immediately afterwards,* the teacher required us in pairs to recite the dialogue (alternating parts). I simply read mine out,** explaining that I could not memorise parrot-fashion in so short a time. The 2^nd [Hunter] did the same, explaining that it was because he was a [Hunter] as well; my contribution (‘Don’t you know that there’s a negative correlation between intelligence and memory?’) was lost, I think, in the hubbub. Later, the more manual-looking types (U~-types?) recited the dialogue very well (ie Knowledge at U~).***

There was third [Hunter]:* a careers-teacher; also a humorist, who announced that he could not possibly remember the dialogue in such a short time and that he also would read; but he was near the teacher and the end, and she snatched his book away. Now, there were a number of things he could have done, but a classroom is a formal structure of sorts, and she had previously told him quite peremptorily to be quiet when he had been making humorous comments: so he did the worst thing, and attempted (and complained, and sulked) to recite the dialogue parts, which he hadn’t learnt.

I could not stand to see a grown man so obviously and completely humiliated; I nearly intervened, but consideration for his feelings and even hers – I never **** thought of my own – held me back; instead, after a minute or so I noisily packed my bag and left, saying loudly that I had to go, Good-night!# I registered a faint hope that someone else would take my point and leave too: but the silly sausages#* just sat there looking [on] stupidly as this poor bugger was crucified before their eyes.

*[See last previous entry]

**’You read it out.’ (?) ‘I know I did.’

***(Sitting at U~-M~, as it happened, if the teacher was at C and I was at J~)

****{(then)}

#The lesson was 10 minutes over-run.

#*[Shades of Joyce Grenfell?]

[continues]

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