Hundert is a history teacher at a boarding school called St. Benedict School, he teaches his students about the “ideals of great men before them.” Hundert attempts to “mold” (p.163) the characters of his students, specifically Sedgewick Bell. As he interacts with Sedgwick over the course of the year, he usually states that he failed to live up to his “code of morals.” Through the text Hundert has changed, or developed, his actions according to the situation he’s in. Hundert sees himself playing an important role in his students’ lives as he describes his classroom as a “tribute to the lofty ideals of man, which I hoped to inspire my boys, at the same time to fleeing nature of nature accomplishment, which I hoped would temper their ambition with humility,” (p.156-157). His expectations of his students are set high that he …show more content…
His “first mistake” lead to many more. He reflects, “In a position of moral leadership, of course, compromise begets only more compromise” (p.169). Hundert continues to ignore his own “code of morals” when Sedgewick cheats during the “Mr. Julius Ceaser” competition, the Headmaster even intimidates him to remain silent. Hundert describes his act as a “soldier following his captain’s orders.” Hundert reflects, “What had happened was that instead of enforcing my own code of morals, I had allowed Sedgewick Bell to sweep me summarily into his” (p. 172). As Hundert fails to live up to his own code of morals, he failed to shape Sedgwick Bell into something better. . He states, “I did not know at the time what an act of corruption I had committed, although what is especially chilling to me is that I believe that Sedgewick Bell, even at the age of thirteen, did” (p. 172). As another compromise, Hundert asked a question he knew only Deepak Mehta would know. Hundert did not allow Sedgewcik to win, but he prevented him from by manipulating the competition in Deepak’s