Nothing But The Truth By:AVI

Over the weekend I finished a book called Nothing But The Truth. This book was written in 1993, but has a story line that stretches over the course of time. It is a multi-genre book. It contains diary entries, letters to and from other people, memos, and actual conversation between different characters. It is a quick read, but as a future teacher it is also one that hits a little to close to home.

The story is about a student named Philip Malloy and his English teacher Margaret Narwin, and the conflict that happens between the two of them. Philip Malloy in the beginning of the story just wants on the track team, but can't when the tryouts come about because of his grade in English which ended up being a D. He had already disliked Ms. Narwin, and this didn't help. However, while in her class he talked back and didn't try leaving Ms. Narwin no other choice than to fail him. She feels though she isn't connecting with him and other students and wants to. Ms. Narwin was a long standing teacher at Harrison High. She taught for twenty years.

As the story continued things started getting out of hand. Changes in homerooms forced Philip to not only be in Ms Narwin's English class, but homeroom as well. He started to hum The Star Spangled Banner, which was played over the pa system every morning. He only started this after being put into Ms. Narwin's class. The rules read before the playing of the National Anthem says that they be silent while its playing. Philip continued to break that rule, and Ms. Narwin sent him to the principal's office which resulted in his suspension. After this it all spiraled out of control.

Philip's story of his suspension was published and was soon not only in the hometown paper, but everywhere in America. Without Ms. Narwin's side being published Philip got all the support. People lashed out at Ms. Narwin and called for termination for her actions. By the end of the book Philip felt bad about what he did, and still wasn't able to be on the track team. He transferred to a local private school. Ms. Narwin resigned and decided to move down to Florida with her sister and her husband.


Overall this is a story that happens more often than we'd like to think. It's something that happens all the time in the media. They share only one side of the story and you never to get to here the other. If you do it's months later, careers are destroyed, and everybody already has their view already set. It's had to backtrack public opinion. This is a major subject that affects education and teachers all time. As a future teacher I know it is a subject that I have to pay attention to and make sure it doesn't happen to myself.