Gryphon Short Story

In the short story “Gryphon”, by Charles Baxter, a 4th grade boy named Tommy goes to school in Five Oaks. Tommy lives an average life like kids today with not too much interest. Tommy does chores and has friends just like any other boy in the world. The school has average teachers and substitutes that sit there and cover things that they have already done weeks before. But one day Mr. Hibler, Tommy’s teacher, comes down with a serious cough and the substitute they get is far from normal. Tommy reacts to this substitute in strange ways and creates a pattern. What patterns are there? Why does Tommy defend Mrs. Ferenczi? He defends her because she's interesting and brings something new into his life.(p54 l 362-403)”George Washington had egyptian blood from his grandmother?...Gengis Khan, had 40 horses and 40 women killed on the site of his grave.” She talks about crazy things and at the beginning of the story, he explains that he has a boring life and it’s very average. She blabbers on again in the story and everyone listens to her. She skipped reading or arithmetic just to talk and tell the kids “secrets” of the universe. She’s not your everyday teacher that does the same thing over each day. Obviously, Mrs. Ferenczi is interesting and brings fun into their life.

Ferenczi also is a role model to him. When she tells crazy stories, Tommy becomes inspired and wants to do it himself. (p.63 l.610) “ There’s a tree that’s...that I’ve seen…” But when he starts, he can’t finish a sentence like Mrs. Ferenczi. When Tommy started telling a story like Mrs. Ferenczi, it means he wants to be like her himself. When Mrs. Ferenczi draws a tree which is strange, Tommy wants to do it to so he draws marks on the walls to measure the sun.(p 65 l 656-658)” making small ant like marks... only I knew were there.” This is just like Mrs. Ferenczi. She’s weird and strange in a sort of way Tommy