The Emperor’s Club is a film that addresses many moral and social aspects that are central to contemporary society’s moral controversy. Can morals be properly instilled in a young person outside of religion? Can our future decisions be predicted based on our current character? Can our current character even be changed or molded? Can morals be learned through studying the classics? The Emperors Club’s main characters are Mr. Hundert a teacher of classics at a prestigious preparatory school, and an unruly or misunderstood student, Sedgwick Bell. Their characters seem to perpetually butt heads, or at least be contrasting moral characters.
How do I understand the ethical choices of the central characters? The main ethical dilemma in this film, I believe, is how Mr. Hundert decides to treat Sedgwick. Mr. Hundert associates himself with Sedgwick, after meeting Senator Bell; Hundert realizes that they both had very demanding and emotionally distant fathers. Mr. Hundert is driven to take this unruly student under his wing. Even though the senator is Sedgwick’s paternal father Mr. Hundert endeavors to become his spiritual father. The movie plot begins with Mr. Hundert in his classroom, leading his personal little army of students wearing togas.
Sedgwick Bell enrolls and wastes no time in becoming a thorn in Hr. Hundert’s back. With the two of them battling it out for the respect and control of the classroom. Things coming to point when Sedgwick flips off Mr. Hundert and Hr. Hundert laying down a severe rebuke, saying “stupid is forever”. Mr. Hundert travels to meet with Senator Bell concerning the poor behavior of his son. Once seated comfortably, Senator Bell confronts Mr. Hundert about the “good” of what he was teaching his son Sedgwick. Mr. Hundert is obviously taken aback by this question.
The Term Paper on Character Development Moral Values Education
CHAPTER CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: THE CHALLENGE AND THE MODEL Concern for the values and morals of the young is an enduring adult preoccupation. Down through recorded history, this worry about the character of the younger generation is evident. Concern, however, has never been enough to ensure that the young possess the type of character that can sustain the individual and society. Some societies ...
Evident by him replying, that the senator, of all people should understand the importance of what can be learned from the classics. He goes off and lists civic virtue, philosophy, government, character as values that the ancients had embodied and set examples of. Mr. Hundert continues, saying that as a teacher it is his duty to mold Sedgwick. Here the Senator abruptly cuts him off and condescendingly informs him that he shall not mold his son, but to leave it for himself to do. That Mr. Hundert should only concern himself with instructing his son in such things as his times tables. Obviously not what Mr.
Hundert expected to happen there in the Senator’s office. So basically after being chopped off at the knees in what he regards being a teacher is all about, and after seeing that Sedgwick was wanting of a father figure. The Senator’s phone call to his son and its obvious negative impact providing evidence of this. Mr. Hundert gives one more try, and challenges Sedgwick, gives him his old textbook, and told Sedgwick that he believed in him. With these actions he disregards the senator’s warning and attempts to mold him and become a spiritual father to Sedgwick. Sedgwick turns his act around and starts applying himself to his studies.
And eventually makes his way near the top of the class, almost qualifying him for a spot in the Julius Caesar contest. So seduced by Sedgwick’s renewed effort, Mr. Hundert decides to bump him up into the last spot kicking some other poor kid out. Hoping that the ends justify the means, Mr. Hundert, a man who believes in the rules, broke them. But there are two moral climaxes in The Emperor’s Club. Both remarkably similar to each other, but taking place some 20 odd years apart. During the Julius Caesar contest it become apparent that Sedgwick is cheating, but because of the senator’s presence, it is decided to be overlooked.
Allowing Sedgwick into the contest and failing to punish the cheating, Mr. Hundert lost the moral high ground so to speak. Failed to live up to the very values and morals he taught. After the cheating incident, Mr. Hundert realizes that he can no longer “save” him, and basically just gives in to him. Sedgwick falls back to his old habits of goofing off and creating mischief in the classroom. Later when Sedgwick graduates, Mr. Hundert confesses that he felt a sense of failure, being unable to change Sedgwick’s ways, and I believe, misplacing his trust and in Sedgwick. The second climax occurs in much the same way.
The Essay on Cheating The Sport A Baseball Tragedy
Cheating the Sport: A Baseball Tragedy Commercial baseball has long become a distinctive form of an economic contest. Unlike most economic contests, demand in baseball arises more from interest in observation of the contest itself (e.g. a race or a match) than in the outcome of the contest. Being observed by the millions of faithful fans, professional baseball becomes a mere tragedy in the context ...
Twenty years later, the kids are all grown up and are society’s elite. Basically there is to be a rematch to the Julius Caesar contest, and Mr. Hundert is called up from retirement to moderate the contest. Mr. Hundert returns hoping that time has proven him wrong. That Mr. Bell has turned into a fine example of a gentleman and father. And by all appearances this is true. The contest begins, but yet again, Sedgwick cheats. Prompting another sharp rebuke, the decisions that you take define your character and influence your children. In a final insult Sedgwick Bell takes Mr.
Hundert’s rhetoric, and moral values and squanders it for his own political ambitions. What do I think is the films ultimate message? I think the film gives us that answer at the very beginning when Mr. Hundert’s dialogue states: “A man’s character is his fate”, and at the end where he says something to the effect that the boys had taught him something of inestimable value. That what he did for them mattered and that one misstep with Sedgwick does not blot out a life of goodness. I don’t think it is saying that we all travel a predetermined path, but rather that our small decisions are the foundation
