Ellie was at a crossroads in her life; she could either crumble under the pressure of the rumors and her own fierce doubts, or she could continue to hold her head high and trudge through. While a large part of her wanted to give in to the frustration, another part knew that her character was being tested. It was easy to be kind, optimistic, and generous when things were going well. A woman's true nature revealed itself in times of crisis, and Ellie desperately wanted to maintain her joyful demeanor and zeal for life.
Now that December had arrived, perhaps its Christmas cheer and good-will-towards-men would lift her spirits. She would squelch her personal feelings and make Christmas a wonderful season for her girls, and - as for school - she would just have to throw herself into her lessons to bury her fears and to help regain her sense of self.
Thinking of good will, Ellie hung Tai's painting on her classroom wall. If anything could sway Ellie into believing in Tai's innocence, it was the painting. It was Tai's unsolicited measure of good will toward Ellie, and it must have taken hours to create. Every time she looked at it, the painting would remind Ellie of Tai's generosity and her potential for goodness; it would remind Ellie not to judge based on outward appearances. Tai knew just what Ellie loved; the pop art was a lively, whimsical, happy addition to her classroom that Ellie hoped would brighten her dark mood.
◆◆◆
With only three weeks of school until the Christmas holidays, Ellie's class had to finish Act One of The Crucible. Some of the hardest parts of the play for the students to get through were Miller's lengthy exposition pieces and extensive psychological profiles that frequently interrupt the action, adding historical background and social commentary. As tempting as it was to skip some of the author's narrative, Ellie knew her students would benefit from the information Miller doled out in each one.
In one of Miller's commentaries, for example, Ellie's students learned that the real Putnam accused many people during the trials for retaliation and for personal gain. This brought about class discussions on manipulation and hypocrisy – topics that Ellie's students could easily understand. Touching on that teenage desire for rebellion-against-authority was one of the crucial ingredients in Ellie's recipe to hook her students. Or was it Miller's recipe? Or Salem's? Or Stusa's?
The Crucible had every element necessary to incite righteous indignation – intolerance, empowerment, betrayal, hypocrisy, jealousy, and hysteria - and Ellie's students could relate to most of those topics. In fact, the play hit close to home several times throughout the semester. There were plenty of verbal daggers hurled at modern day hypocrisy: the sell-outs, the haters, the bullies, the cowards, the self-righteous.
More recently, however, the students began to compare the hysteria of the witch trials to the current drug investigation going on in their own school and community, a search led by Mr. Remuel Hardy. The students were indignant about having been searched twice in the last month and were furious that the drug dogs had sniffed and slobbered all over their shoes and book bags in the process. One of the younger drug dogs had even taken a huge dump in one classroom; it took the custodians a week to get the smell out.
Ellie could sense a student rebellion coming on and hated knowing that if one occurred, she would be blamed for it. Ellie sometimes wondered about her students' intense resentment of the investigation. They were offended by the unannounced locker searches that were becoming more and more frequent, and they took every opportunity to steam about it in class. Students claimed the searches were illegal and tossed around the terms "invasion of privacy" and "unreasonable search and seizure" like budding little lawyers. They blew up social media with their rants.
Did their anger stem from having something to hide? Ellie wasn't naive enough to believe that her teenage students were saintly little martyrs, but she also had a hard time picturing them as callous criminals dealing in drugs and prostitution before they were even old enough to vote.
The underlying tension at school was building, and Ellie sensed an approaching revolt. Ellie was proud of her students for correlating the attacks in the play to an attack on their own freedom, but she hadn't intended to stir up a type of rebellion - especially not when the attack was perfectly legal and well within any school's authority.
Ellie groaned. Couldn’t she at least have one tiny triumph without everything going wrong? She would have to help the students vent their anger productively rather than disruptively. She'd better think of something quickly. That teenage rebel-without-a-cause syndrome could kick in at any given moment, and Ellie didn't want to be the one on the receiving end of that kick.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
REDIRECTING REBELLION
Over the next few days, Ellie figured out how to channel her students' wrath into something productive. The idea came to her while reading her anthology. She was flipping through it trying to find out more about Ebbie when she felt a light, cool, pulse coming from the page, tingling her fingertips. When she looked down, a title intrigued her.
Transferring Energy
Note: Since energy cannot be created or destroyed, one must learn to transfer any unwanted energy into another vessel to defeat its sting. This treatment calls for a large amount of eucalyptus leaves – at least a half a peck, a spray of vetiver, a fist-sized Schorl or electric stone, and enough white sage to encircle the object you want to protect or cleanse.
The understanding that energy couldn't be created or destroyed surprised her. Science hadn't been very advanced in the 1600s. People still believed in witches, demons, and all sorts of supernatural forces, but the underlying principle rang true. She continued reading.
Encircle the item you wish to cleanse in a ring of white sage. Place the Schorl inside the circle touching the primary target. Light the white sage and let it burn until it emits a good, strong smoke.
The treatment continued for several lines and involved some tricky steps the position of the sun. After she finished reading, Ellie wondered why that specific recipe had beckoned her. She didn't have any objects that needed purifying, and she had no idea what a Schorl was.
She pondered the title for a minute more, and then it hit her. Transferring energy, deflecting negativity, redirecting anger - that was it! She could use her students' energy to fuel a legitimate educational activity rather than watch that negative energy fuel a fire of rebellion. She started brainstorming ideas to capture their fire and redirect it.
Eventually, Ellie decided to have her students create promotional items for their production of Miller's play. She would give them a couple of choices and let their collective imagination run wild. It would be a perfect for two reasons: It would allow them to release their anger by creating a tangible product, and it would allow them to end the semester with a sense of accomplishment.
Ellie prefaced the project with a mini lesson on McCarthyism and how Miller had brilliantly hidden his own message within the historical setting of the Salem Witch Trials. Wasn't it genius how he intermingled the two? Most students thought it was cool how he flaunted his message, his rebellion really, in plain view of his opponents.
Zibby raised her hand during the lesson and asked, "But wasn't that risky? Didn't Miller know that someone would figure out what he was doing? Surely McCarthy and his cronies weren't too dumb to notice the correlation – the jibes and barbs. I mean, wasn't that their job? To track down any dissenters and investigate them? C'mon, if they pulled Robin Hood from the shelves, surely someone must have shut down Miller's play."
Oh, how Ellie loved Zibby. What a mature question! The girl was a wonderful student with a powerful mind and a love of learning.
"Yes, Zibby." Ellie answered. "In 1956, Miller was called before the House of Un-American Activities Committee, but Miller refused to testify, saying he could not 'use the name of another person and bring trouble on him.' Miller was found guilty of contempt of Congress, sentenced to a $500 fine or thirty days in prison, blacklisted, and had his passport withdrawn."
A few mumblings from the st
udents expressed their shock at his punishment.
"Don't feel too sorry for him, though." Ellie continued. "He went on to marry Marilyn Monroe and even wrote a movie for her to star in before they divorced. Miller ended up being quite successful despite his run-in with the law. Of course, he was idolized after his refusal to snitch on his friends and colleagues."
"This brings me to my last challenge for you this semester." Ellie continued. "I want you to emulate Miller as you create your product. Can you find a way to interject your feelings on "Big Brother" looking into your own lives while masking them within the confines of the play?" She paused. "I believe you can. It's just going to take some deep thinking and careful planning. This will be your final project of the semester, so please remember that a large portion of your average will depend on this one assignment."
Ellie knew it wouldn't be that hard. The students wouldn't necessarily be embedding their own messages but merely echoing those of Miller himself. She was just pandering to the crowd.
"To make it a little more competitive, there is a bonus. We'll have a contest to see which product moves us the most. In summary, a large part of your task is to persuade; you're trying to persuade students to attend our play, and you're trying to persuade your classmates that your position is the most convincing, the most moving, and the most believable."
There were a few groans, but mostly there were titters of excitement. In general, her students preferred completing projects over taking traditional tests. Who wouldn't?
All in all, the project was well-received. Inwardly, Ellie breathed a huge sigh of relief. If she played her hand very carefully, maybe, just maybe she could divert their rumblings of rebellion and save both her school and herself from another calamity.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
STUDENT STRIFE
As the week of final exams approached, Ellie found herself feeling hopeful. The Christmas spirit had managed to break through her anxiety. Creating a relevant final project for her students made her feel victorious. Perhaps she would survive her new role as English teacher after all.
In the past, Ellie had disliked the week of final exams. It always felt like the longest week of the school year. This year, however, Ellie was enjoying the week. Watching her students throw themselves into a project while she guided from the sidelines was gratifying. The students were motivated for perhaps the first time all semester, and Ellie was loving every minute of it.
There was only one day left before the Christmas Holidays when it all fell apart. Ellie was helping students get their videos on the interactive board when her intercom buzzed.
"Miz Payluhtay, I need to see you in my office. Now!"
"Ooooh," the students erupted into a low somebody's-in-trouble cry.
"That wat'n the secretary, Miss. That was the principal. You better hurry. He didn't sound none too pleased." TriNeika said.
"Yeah, the last time he called me to the office like that, I couldn't sit down for the rest of the day," Ja'Quan bragged.
"Shut up, fool! She a teacher. He ain't gone paddle her," TriNeika scolded.
Ellie intervened before anyone else could get a word in. "Settle down, students. Not everyone who gets called to the principal's office is in trouble. Keep working on your projects. They are due tomorrow in lieu of a final exam."
Ellie buzzed the office to tell the secretary the she had a class at the time and would go see Principal Danvers during her planning period. A few seconds later, she heard a knock at the door. Ja'Quan leapt out of his seat to open it.
Prinicipal Danvers stood in the doorway and said, "Miz Payluhtay, can I have a word with you?"
The collective cry arose again, much quieter this time since the principal was there.
Ellie was perplexed. "Mr. Danvers, I have a classroom full of students. Can this wait until next period?"
"No. It cain't." He turned his back on her and stomped down the hall, clearly expecting her to follow.
"Don't worry, Miss. I got this. I'll keep them under control while you're gone." TriNeika spoke up.
Ellie just looked around blankly and said, "Ok, class. TriNeika is in charge until I get back. Do NOT disappoint me!"
Principal Danvers flung open his office door and pointed to his desk. On his computer monitor, Ellie saw a video playing. She looked at him, puzzled. He didn’t say a word. He just pointed back at the screen.
Ellie walked closer and saw the words Modern Day Witch Hunt at Stusa High scroll across the screen. Ellie dropped her face into her hands. Was this what she thought it was? Then she heard audio. Of course, there would be audio. She peeked through her fingers to see what followed.
The video opened with a clip from the movie version of The Crucible. Villagers are rounded up and hauled to jail after being implicated in witchcraft. The wagon carried Martha Corey, Rebecca Nurse, Elizabeth Proctor and more. As the bereft family members vowed to get their loved ones out of the predicament, a cutaway interrupted the scene.
The words appeared flashcard-style on an otherwise blank screen. On what grounds were they arrested? Next slide. False testimony? Next slide. Where was the evidence?
The scene reverted to the prisoners being hauled away in the wagon. Scrolling script appeared beneath the rolling wagon. How is this, the screen changed to a shot of students being escorted to the office by Officer Hardy, any different from this?
The scene changed to show drug dogs sniffing at lockers, then back to students being taken to the office. On what grounds were they accused? Next slide. False testimony? Next slide. Where was the evidence? The video clip showed an obviously irate Principal Danvers yelling at the students.
Words appeared again at the bottom of the screen. When will this, the scene changed again showing clips of Japanese citizens being rounded up, lead to this? Ellie's jaw dropped.
This. Was. Bad.
But there was more.
A photo of Arthur Miller appeared. The words underneath his photo read, Arthur Miller was brave enough to stand up for the rights of others. Another shot of drug dogs, this time in classrooms. Who will be brave enough to stand up for ours?
The next section was a rapid-fire set of still photos – American Indians, slaves, German concentration camps, Japanese internment camps, civil rights marches – When the rights of one group are taken away, we all lose a bit of our humanity. When will the abuse of power stop?
The photos changed to those of Principal Danvers, Officer Hardy, and the Reverintendent.
Who will stop it? A photo of student sit-ins from the sixties appeared. Join the movement. Fight for your rights.
At this point, Ellie dared to glance at Principal Danvers. His face was contorted with rage. A bulging blood vessel in his forehead throbbed. The red on his face spread all the way down his neck. He pounded his fist on his desk, "Damn it, Ellie! Just what the hell are you teaching those kids?"
Ellie was speechless. Part of her recognized the effort and thought that had gone into creating such a video. If she were anywhere but Stusa, she could use the video to promote discussion of civil liberties and where to draw the line for free speech. Her mind whirled. It would be a great collaborative project between American literature and U.S. history classes.
Principal Danvers's rage, however, returned Ellie to reality. "Are you deliberately tryin' to start some kinda student movement here? A sit-in? Are you one of those damn liberals tryin' to indoctrinate our children? What the hell were you thinking? This is Stusa! We are NOT known for our liberalism!"
"I had no idea," Ellie squeaked. She cleared her throat and tried again. "I never, ever intended for their project to turn into this." She said with a little more confidence. "Their assignment was to create a promotional video for our play. I was trying to turn their anger into something positive, productive."
Well, as lame as it sounded now - that was mostly true, she thought. Ellie had underestimated her students. She never thought they would make these types of connections, much less spend time turning those connecti
ons into such a vivid portrait of Stusa and post it on YouTube.
"I know how this must look, Mr. Danvers--"
He cut her off, "Do you, Ellie? Do you really? Those kids compared me to Hitler, for Christ's sake!" He fumed and took out a cigar from his pocket. He didn't light it; he chewed on it.
"I have reported the video and asked YouTube to take it down immediately. There are enough copyright infringements to get them to comply. It's just a matter of time. You better hope none of our parents see this. Or the superintendent. Or the board members. Or Lydia and Louella."
He gnawed on the cigar. He stood up and paced the floor of his tiny office.
"Um," Ellie decided to speak up and ask the question she dreaded. "Do I still have a job?"
"That all depends," he rounded back to face her, removing the chewed-up cigar and tossing it in the trash, "on how well you contain this mess. You have twenty-four hours." With those words, he left the office.
Ellie remained there watching the number of views tick higher and higher. It had not been a request; it had been an ultimatum. How would she fix this? Where would she even begin?
The bell for the end of class rang, prompting her to action. She'd better get to work solving this problem while she had planning time to devote to it. She would need to work fast and make some quick decisions.
By the end of her planning period, Ellie had Googled everything she could about flagged videos on You Tube. She found that its removal could take anywhere from three hours to three days; she prayed for the former. Since there was not much more she could do on that end, she decided to tackle how to handle the videos that would be turned in the following day for a grade.
Crucible Crisis Page 18
