It’s an all-girl class: one of those nice cosy little groups that senior female teachers like to give themselves. The classroom’s also cosy, with a well-ordered desk; and there’s even a couch that the students love to sit on when they get the chance (ie: when I’m not looking). I have the video of Pride and Prejudice, and I’m to show them the first episode. This is great: I’m an avid Austen fan, and I love that show! A couple of girls share my delight when I tell them what they’re going to see. It’s all so girly. I’m tempted to yell ‘Who’s for a round of hockey?’
The video machine proves difficult to get working, and while I’m fiddling with it I worry that the girls will get restless, but they’re little angels – except for one girl, Nicole, who insists on playing hairdresser to her friend. She stands behind her combing and playing with her hair.
I finally get the tape going and settle down to watch Lizzie and Darcy do their thing. Nicole’s still playing hairdresser, but when I ask her to stop she just says she can watch the show and still do her friend’s hair. Who am I to argue? Another girl, Edel, tells Nicole she’s ugly, just to be spiteful. I almost tell her she isn’t, that she’s pretty (which she is) but catch myself just in time. That’s a whole can of worms I don’t want to open! Nicole doesn’t seem to care anyway. She continues braiding hair, quietly unfazed.
I proceed to give a commentary on the story, mentioning how Darcy represents pride and Lizzie represents prejudice. Someone asks “What’s prejudice?” I say “Look it up in a dictionary”. It occurs to me that one of the enthusiastic girls is a dead-ringer for the actress who plays Jane in the show. She’s just a younger version of her. It’s uncanny. I wonder if she realises.
This is really one of the nice classes. It’s actually a double period for them, but unfortunately for me, due to the vagaries of juggled timetables, I have a different class second half. When the bell rings I’m sad to go.
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