The palace thief

Feinted- make a deceptive or distracting movement, especially during a fight.

Definition- a movement made in order to deceive an adversary; an attack aimed at one place or point merely as a distraction from the real place or point of attack

Internecine- destructive to both sides in a conflict

Guileless- devoid of guile; innocent and without deception

Filigreed- ornamented with or resembling filigree work

Foisted- impose an unwelcome or unnecessary person or thing on.

Rancorous- characterized by bitterness or resentment.

Impediment- the state or fact of being impaired, especially in a specified faculty.

Vantage- a place or position affording a good view of something.

Throes- intense or violent pain and struggle, especially accompanying birth, death, or great change.

Abandon- cease to support or look after someone or give up completely a course of action, a practice, or a way of thinking.

Coveted- yearn to possess or have something.

1. How does Hunderts description of his ‘mission’ on p.176 help develop his character? What does this tell us about him?

• He believes that as teacher of academics during a time when “the country was in the throes of a violent, peristaltic rejection of tradition”. He has a goal to keep up with the curriculum and traditions of St.Benedict’s ‘that had led a century of boys through the rise and fall of ancient civilizations” (pg 176). This evolves him by accentuating his commitment to teaching history and his strong belief that the history he teaches is valuable to society.

2. Why does Hundert support Charles Ellerby candidacy for the chair of humanities?

• He supports Charles E’s candidacy because he thinks that charles, who he described earlier as a “kindred lover of antiquity” (pg 172), will backup his efforts to keep up with the traditional curriculum at St.Benedicts. Charles rival candidate “felt that, because of the advances in our society, history had become little more than a relic” (pg 177).

3. Why is this conclusion of his speech in the chapel Hunderts ‘proudest moment at St.Benedict's’?

• The moral of the speech is his “proudest moment” because he has inclined his co workers of the importance of history. He views Charles success as evidence that he won his “battle on behalf of Charles Ellerby and history itself” (pg 177)

4. How does Hunderts confrontation with Ellerby develop and important idea or theme of the text?

• Charles suggests that Hundert is “too old” that he has “failed to change with the times” and that his teaching methods are not “relevant” (pg 179). These allegations contradict with Hunderts beliefs in regards to the importance of history, which he sees as critical for understanding “the importance of character and high ideals” 9pg 163) .

5. Why does Hundert throw away the gun that senator bell gave him?

• When throwing away the gun, He “denies to charles its existence” (pg 181), just as he did when he refuses to open the drawer.

       6. How does Hundert’s decision to throw away the gun develop a central idea or theme in       the text?

• His decision to throw away the gun develops the central idea of the value of history. For him, the gun is a reminder his own respects for history and the past, but he chooses to destroy this valued object because the times have changed. He then realizes that throwing away the gun shows his incapablity to learn from the past. He says that he as teacher of history, “missed the most basic lesson of the past, that conviction is the alpha and the omega of authority” (pg 182).