Bel Kaufman "Up the stairs leading down"

Bel Kaufman - the granddaughter of a famous Jewish writer, playwright and educator Sholom Aleichem. For several decades she worked as an English teacher in New York high schools, so the novel "Up the ladder leading down" is based on real events.

The main heroine of the novel is a young teacher Miss Barrett. After graduating from college, she takes a job inthe most ordinary school in New York, to teach there English and literature. Miss Barrett is full of enthusiasm and idealistic ideas about school life.

But only on the first day of her work at school sheunderstands that her idealistic ideas are quite different from reality. The school world can be very cruel, and recognition by colleagues and students does not arise on its own - it needs to be achieved. Miss Barrett tries to adapt in the school team, while trying not to lose her enthusiasm and faith in people.

The novel consists of dialogues and letters thatShow us the school life as it is, without any embellishment. The first words of the book - "Hello, Teacher!". The latter - "Hello, zubrilka!". And between these two short remarks - the phrases and letters of people who hope to be heard.

The title of the novel Bel Kaufman prompted the reporta note from one of the representatives of the school authorities: "I was detained for violating the rules: I walked up the stairs leading down, and responded to the remark with insolence." The writer saw in her a metaphor: both schoolchildren and teachers sometimes have to go against the system.

The novel "Up the stairs leading down" is consideredclassics of the genre. He was translated into a large number of languages, and in 1967 (two years later) he was filmed, the role of Sylvia Barret was performed by a famous American actress Sandy Dennis.

Even if you have long since left the schoolage and do not work as a teacher, the novel "Up the stairs leading down" is worth reading. After all, this book is not only about students, teachers and parents - it's a book about human relationships.

Quotations from the book

"Keep in business under the serial number" meansthrow in the basket. "Let it inspire you to a feat" means that you are bogged down. "Personal relationships" is a fight between the guys. "Auxiliary consolidation of discipline" is a challenge to the police. "Literature that corresponds to the student's reading level on the basis of experimental research" is all that can be obtained in our library. "A disciple who is not prone to mental labor" is a student with criminal inclinations. And "It's reached my point" means that you are in trouble "

"The trouble is that the teacher should be at the same timean actor, a policeman, a scientist, an inspector, a referee, a friend, a psychiatrist, a teacher, a supervisor and a tutor, a judge and a jury, a doom master and a report compiler,

"Thank you for your kind letter. How I would like you to be right, but I know my faults too well. It turns out that I was in love with abstract learning and in abstract disciples. I could not listen to anyone - neither parents who tried to explain something to me on Open School Day, nor the guys themselves, until they collided face to face with one of them.

Bea found the key to them. She is guided by her feelings - that's why everything is simple for her. And Grayson - for him, too, everything is simple. But I, Sylvia Barrett, what I deserve to be judged? Excellent? Excellent for diligence? "