FREE ESSAY ON SUBSTITUTE IDEAS

SUBSTITUTE IDEAS

What separates adults from children? Don't think of the obvious, age or height. Be
creative. What do most adults lose the ability to do? We stop imagining and exploring
unusual possibilities. All too often adults are tied down by rules; rules of probability,
of logic or fact. Remember when you were a kid? Anything was possible, rules of logic
didn't apply, didn't confine you and if you found an adult who was able to dream with you
or even shock you with their perspectives of fact, then you had found a hero. In Charles
Baxter's short story "Gryphon" Mr. Hibler's fourth grade class finds such an adult; the
substitute, Miss Ferenczi. Not every student chooses to see Miss Ferenczi as a hero, but
Tommy does. As a substitute teacher Miss Ferenczi intrigues, encourages and dares Tommy
to stretch his mind and think for himself. 
Before we can understand Tommy's fascination with Miss Ferenczi, we must know who Tommy
is. Where does he come from? What forces shape his world? Tommy is nine years old. He has
been raised in a small town where everyone knows each other. Tommy knows this town inside
and out. When riding on the bus Tommy sees no surprises; he knows "every barn, every
broken windmill, every fence, every ammonia tank, by heart" (103). Life is very
predictable. In fact, life is so predictable that when Mr. Hibler becomes ill, the class
knows that the substitute teacher would come from "a pool of about four mothers." (6).
Every aspect of life in Five Oaks, Michigan (6) was conventional, expected and truly
boring.
Therefore Tommy is intrigued when a stranger enters the classroom and introduces herself
as the substitute (13). Tommy observes Miss Ferenczi as she whimsically draws a tree on
the black board (8), he listens to his fellow classmates as she is declared to be an
alien of some sort (10) and he is slowly pulled into Miss Ferenczi's world as he listens
to her talk about her family (14). Miss Ferenczi wins Tommy's loyalties during the
spelling quiz. Tommy is unable to spell the word "Balcony"(41) correctly and is
frustrated with the situation (41). Miss Ferenczi whispers to him that she "[doesn't]
like that word either" (42). Then she goes on to enlighten Tommy with the insightful
wisdom that "if you don't like a word, you don't have to use it" (42). With one simple
remark, Miss Ferenczi empowers Tommy and teaches him a life lesson, to keep trying or to
find a different way to achieve your goal. This life lesson is learned simply because
Miss Ferenczi does not correct Tommy; instead she quietly steers him in a different
direction. 
Miss Ferenczi teaches reading from the book "Broad Horizons" (14), and uses every
opportunity to broaden Tommy's horizons. She not only teaches the basics, math, reading,
and spelling, but Miss Ferenczi includes lessons of magic and love (90) and lessons about
life, death and God (94). Miss Ferenczi tells the class that she "[knows the] children
like to hear these things,…and that is why I am telling you" (93). By sharing her
insight on subjects beyond the normal classroom topics, Miss Ferenczi encourages Tommy to
seek out information thereby broadening his horizons. When discussing Egypt, Miss
Ferenczi shares her personal story of a trip to Cairo where she saw a creature that was
half lion and half bird (65). Miss Ferenczi tells the class "that this monster was called
a gryphon" (65). Tommy wants to believe Miss Ferenczi, but he has doubts. So, once he
arrives home, he goes to the dictionary and looks up "Gryphon"(88). He is thrilled to
read the definition: it's true, there really is such a creature (88). The fact that Tommy
went home and did research on his own is of great importance. Tommy is faced with the
ritual memorization of facts that all students endure. From multiplication tables (18) to
facts about insects (139) Tommy is required to memorize the correct answer; learning is
not a choice. With Miss Ferenczi Tommy chooses to learn. He decides to go home and expand
his mind. 
Once Tommy begins to seek out or verify information he is able to think for himself.
Tommy is no longer afraid of the unknown or of questioning what he has been taught. The
idea that "[six] times eleven, …is sixty-eight"(18) isn't upsetting. Tommy realizes
that the world won't stop turning if a fact is substituted with an idea. He is simply
doing what Miss Ferenczi told him to do when she said, "[you] are free to think what you
like" (40). This newfound freedom allows Tommy to be uninhibited by fear when Miss
Ferenczi reads tarot cards. When a child, Wayne, who is filled with fear and doubt gets
the "Death card"(125) he panics and tells the principle. When Tommy learns of Miss
Ferenczi's removal from school he thinks for himself and reacts with violence (136). No
longer predictable Tommy has learned Miss Ferenczi's lessons well. 
Miss Ferenczi will be remembered by all who encounter her for all her various unique
qualities. Some students in Mr. Hibler's fourth grade class will remember the substitute
from "Mars" (10). Other students will remember the teacher who predicted Wayne's untimely
death (128). Tommy will look in years to come and remember Miss Ferenczi as the teacher
who taught him to be an individual, to question everything and to think for himself.