Goodbye Mr. Chips Moral Life Essay In Goodbye, Mr. Chips by James Hilton, the main character Mr. Chippings lived his life as a school teacher devoted to his job who always had time for a joke. Mr. Chips began teaching in 1870 at the Brookfield boarding school for boys in England, and over the course of his career he built a legendary reputation for his classical teaching methods and witty humor. He eventually retired after being involved with the school for decades, and left a permanent mark on the history of the school at his peaceful passing. Mr. Chips throughout the novel practiced the virtues of fortitude, understanding, and charity; and in doing so clearly lead a moral life. The first and most prominent of Mr Chipping’s virtues was his strong fortitude. Fortitude is courage when faced with pain or adversity, and Chips displayed nothing less in the span of his life. When his wife and child both died, Chips was heartbroken and shaken to his core, yet he continued to teach at Brookfield and held back his grief. The new head of the school, Ralston, had unfairly insulted Mr. Chipping’s outdated teaching methods and put tremendous pressure on him to resign. Chips held out, and soon the rest of the school rallied to defend him. “At the door he turned and said: ‘I don 't— umph—intend to resign—and you can—umph—do what you like about it!’” During World War I, Mr. Chips was in the middle of class while a bombing raid was carried outside of the school. Amidst the gunfire and