The English Teacher
Uh! Hi.
Linda Sinclair
had reached her 45th year,
an unwed high school
English teacher,
with no prospect of marriage.
Hers appeared to be
one of discipline...
I have these.
Frugality...
Small indignities...
Whoa! Whoa! Oh.
Modest hopes...
Oh, I'm all right.
Daddy! Over here!
- And disappointments.
- Oh, dear.
She lived alone
in Kingston, Pennsylvania,
not far from
where she was born.
She enjoyed no great luxuries.
Preferring instead
the simple pleasures.
And though her life
may sound cold and dull,
let me assure you that Ms. Linda
Sinclair was neither.
She was a passionate woman.
A romantic.
That was why she was alone,
for she had always been alone.
As a sensitive child,
Linda found her sanctuary
in literature.
in her an excitement,
an irrepressible thrill
that made the mundane world
seem all the more bleak.
All right, come on.
Hustle! Hustle!
She saw no reason to take
part in childish pursuits.
the banal activities of youth,
her high-minded sensibility
guided Linda to her
life's purpose.
I thought you said she was
going to the library.
No. No, she sucks...
She would devote herself
to igniting the flames...
Hi, Joanna.
...of literary passion
in young minds.
How do communities
approach change
when promoted
by the individual?
...valued their opinions.
Melissa.
They adored her.
But her uncompromising spirit,
so beloved in the classroom
doomed her
to a spinster's life.
Linda?
- Hi. - Hello. I'm Don.
It's so nice to meet you.
- You too.
- Sorry.
Oh, it's okay.
Oh, I... Well, you ordered
without me...
Oh, I'm... I'm sorry.
No, I wasn't really offended.
I was just making a joke.
For how could she be a
model to her students,
if she settled
for just any man?
...now I'm unemployed.
And that's actually...
It's kinda great.
I have a lot of time,
I stopped drinking ice.
I grew a mustache.
And, uh...
When I was divorced this whole
patch just fell right into place.
And I feel like I'm me now.
And, uh... I might have some ice,
actually. Could I...
She longed for a sensitive,
thoughtful man.
Do you really need to make
with no chance
of being fired,
just to teach some kids how to clap
their hands and run around in a circle?
I mean, physical education, that ought
to be up to the parents, right?
So what do you
teach again? French?
Someone mature,
and soft-spoken.
Your system
doesn't work, Linda.
It's gasping for air.
And you know what...
Let it die.
This is common sense... Hi.
Thanks.
Do you mind
getting this one?
'Cause I'm a little
short on cash.
In the end, Linda gave
up on men altogether.
Why can't we get back
to, like, the Indian days...
You know, "You give me
a piece of corn..."
She loved her work,
she earned her keep.
Debate! Debate! Debate!
That was enough.
What a country...
about our stoic
Ms. Sinclair, so be it.
If literature had
taught her anything,
it was that the true romantic
is always alone.
And must ever be on guard
against a dangerous world.
Hey.
Ow! F***! Ow!
It's me! Jason Sherwood!
I was in your class in 2006...
- Ah!
- Jason Sherwood?
- Yeah.
- What are you doing here?
I thought you lived
in New York.
No, I don't anymore...
Oh. Oh, my gosh...
I am so sorry. Oh...
Let me take
you to the hospital.
- No. I'm fine...
- Jason, I insist.
We have to take you
to the emergency room...
No, no, no... Jesus, please,
no, no, no. no.
It's fine. I'm fine.
I'm sorry...
Ah! My dad,
he works at the hospital
-and I'd really rather not see him.
- Okay, okay.
Then let's get
you home, all right.
God, that burns
like a f***!
- It burned my face!
- I know. I'm so sorry...
I'm so sorry... Come on,
my car is right over here.
Oh, Jesus... Who uses pepper spray
in Kingston?
You know, I have a clean towel
in the trunk,
- I could get that for you.
- No that's okay.
This is working fine.
I am so, so sorry.
Oh, don't be sorry.
It's my fault, I shouldn't have
startled you like that.
No, no, you were
just being friendly,
I should have
recognized you right away.
Jason Sherwood. What are you doing
back here in Kingston, Pennsylvania?
I thought you'd be tearing
up Broadway by now!
Well, you know,
it's only a matter of time.
You were one of the best writers
I've ever had in my class.
Aw, that's nice.
The last I heard you were in
the playwriting program in NYU.
Is that right?
Dramatic Writing.
Yeah, I got my degree
And?
Don't keep me in suspense.
And nothing.
That's it.
I'm done with writing.
What?
What do you mean?
I mean, I'm finished.
But that took me forever...
But I don't know,
Well, of course you did.
What happened?
I tried to get it produced.
And used every resource
I had just to get it read.
Here, you can just keep going straight.
I'm staying with my dad.
- For now. - Well, what does
he think of all of this?
Uh, well. You don't
really know my dad...
Oh, I do, a little.
He goes to my gym.
Oh, that's funny.
Um...
Well, he said I should
go to law school.
- Oh, no...
- Yeah.
So I'm probably
gonna do that.
Oh, Jason...
I can't write.
Honestly, it makes me
physically ill.
And besides, I have to do something,
and law school's something.
You can make a left
at the next block.
Right here.
Home sweet home.
Thank you.
I am so sorry.
Oh, it's fine.
Jason, if I can do anything to help,
you know...
I'd love to read
your play at least.
Yeah, sure.
Uh, I could
drop it by school.
- All right.
- Yeah?
Okay. Bye, Ms. Sinclair.
Thank you.
Bye.
Thanks.
It was the best of times.
It was the worst of times.
It was time
to hand in your quizzes.
So now that I know that you've
all finished A Tale of Two Cities,
let's talk about
Sydney Carton's death.
Now why would
he switch places
with a man condemned
to the guillotine?
Why does he
sacrifice himself?
Fallon.
you know.
'Cause he does it
for Lucie.
Even though she married another guy,
that he'll die
to save her husband.
It's...
It's totally unselfish.
Very nice. Yes?
Ms. Sinclair? Have you
ever written anything?
Like a novel or a play
or something?
No. No, I'm not a writer.
I'm a reader.
And we need plenty of those.
I think it is
only a true artist
who can give voice
to the human experience.
I'm sorry, but if Dickens
was such an artist,
couldn't he come up
with an ending
where this guy doesn't
have to kill himself?
I think you're
missing the point.
Sydney Carton's death is,
as Fallon said, a selfless act.
The only satisfaction
he receives is knowing
Now this is something that people
understood in Dickens' time.
Today we've lost touch
with classical virtues,
like honor,
selfless action,
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"The English Teacher" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 23 Dec. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/the_english_teacher_7677>.
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