Miss Jean Brodie personality cult
A teacher described as magnetic enough that students would die for her stared down the headmistress and declared I will not resign. The transcript reveals a defensive monologue where she accuses Miss Mackay of totally unsupported attacks against both her name and Mr Lowther's, demanding authentic evidence or threatening to sue the public courts and Marcia Blaine trustees if they back her. She claims the conflict stems from jealousy over her gift of claiming girls, insisting she is a strong influence teaching them about life, beauty, honor, and courage rather than looking for slime. This entire situation is characterized as a personality cult in real time.
文字记录 (en)
I will not resign. You will not resign. You will force me to dismiss you. I will not resign and you will not dismiss me, Miss Mackay. You will not use the excuse of that pathetic, that humorous document to blackmail me. Mr Lowther, you are a witness to this. Miss Mackay has made totally unsupported accusations against my name and yours. If she has one authentic shred of evidence, just one, let her bring it forth. Otherwise, if one more word of this outrageous calumny reaches my ears, I shall sue. I shall take Miss Mackay to the public courts, and I shall sue the trustees of Marcia Blaine, if they support her. I will not stand quietly by and allow myself to be crucified by a woman whose fetid frustration has overgone her judgment. If scandal is to your taste, Miss Mackay, I shall give you a feast. Miss Brody! I am a teacher. I am a teacher first, last, always. Do you imagine that for one instant I will let that be taken from me without a fight? I have dedicated, sacrificed my life to this profession and I will not stand by like an inky little slacker and watch you rob me of it. And for what? For what reason? For jealousy. Because I have the gift of claiming girls for my own. It is true, I am a strong influence on my girls. I am proud of it. I influence them to be aware of all the possibilities of life, Of beauty, honor, courage. I do not, Miss Mackay, influence them to look for slime where it does not exist. I am going.
