Teachers, Literary Portrayals of

Teachers appear as characters in a wide range of literary writing—including novels such as Jane Eyre (1847), Good-Bye Mr. Chips (1934), and The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1962); short stories such as “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” (1820), “Wings” (1919), and “The Children's Story” (1963); plays such as Love's Labours Lost (1595), Three Sisters (1901), and A Streetcar Named Desire (1947); memoirs such as The Thread That Runs So True (1949), To Sir, With Love (1962), and The Water Is Wide (1972); and children's books such as the Magic School Bus series (1986–2001), the Miss Malarkey series (1995-present), and the My Weird School series (2004-present). These literary depictions of teachers—whether real or fictional—can provide valuable insights into the ways in which the teacher identity is constructed within our society. Furthermore, because such literary works are widely disseminated throughout society, they not only reflect what people think about teachers, but they can also actually help to shape these perceptions.

Some of the more common themes that emerge from literary depictions of teachers include the following: teacher as nurturer, teacher as subversive, teacher as conformist, teacher as hero, teacher as villain, teacher as victim, and teacher as outsider. In some instances, a single teacher may simultaneously possess multiple identities, whereas in other instances, he or she may be transformed from one identity to another as the story progresses.