Gryphon by Charles Baxter.

Gryphon, a short story by Charles Baxter to me is an interesting and complex story. The story speaks of a Miss Ferenczi, an artsy nonconformist substitute teacher in rural Michigan. The children in the story are excited that their usual teacher Mr. Hibler is coming down with a cold. They know that if Mr. Hibler is sick they will get the usual run of the mill substitute teacher that will have them playing board games and recess all day. They think, like all younger grade-schoolers, that a day with a Sub is almost as good a day off. They are in for a surprise when Miss Ferenczi is called in for duty. Miss Ferenczi starts out by immediately drawing a tree on the blackboard, this seems harmless enough, but when questioned why she was drawing this she simply said "because this room feels like it needs a tree that's why". The students are realizing that the day of fun they had expected was not going as planned. Miss Ferenczi immediately established that she was not going to be like the other substitute teachers by issuing an ultimatum to the staring students. She warns that the children not stare at her. That they may continue to stare until the bell rings but after class begins she will not tolerate the staring. she said " looking I will permit. staring no. it is impolite to stare and a sign of bad breeding. You can not make a social effort while staring."
At first glance it seems that Miss Ferenczi is the real deal and should not be questioned, but soon after her underbelly is exposed. John a student from class answers the question six times eleven is sixty eight, and Miss Ferenczi said "fine". Then the students begin to question her, knowing that six times eleven is indeed sixty six. Here is where her pathology begins to take shape. She tell the kids that sometimes it is sixty eight. The kids continue to question her asking when is it sixty eight? she replies "in higher mathematics, which you children do not understand". I wonder if this was a common mistake and that Miss F. just was not paying attention and simply approved the wrong answer, or if she is so anti establishment that she will sabotage the minds of these conforming youth.
Miss Ferenczi begins to teach the unit on Egypt. Again she goes away from the book and its teachings and begins to try to explain reincarnation to the kids, scaring them a bit, using terms like you will be judged by how you lived "well or ill". This will determine weather you go up or down. She even tells the kids there is no death, so there is nothing to be afraid of. Now the kids think she is a loon but are too "in place" to say something to her. They let he continue on her rants about astrology in ancient Egypt. She really loses them when she starts to explain the Gryphon, a mythical half bird half lion.
On the bus home that afternoon the kids are vehemently discussing Miss Ferenczi's web of lies.
"Six times eleven isn't ever sixty eight, it is sixty six, I know for a fact" said the foul breathed Carl Whiteside. The narrator is in sensory overload when he arrives home, and begins to explain why his substitute teacher is crazy. His mother just dismisses him an shoves him in the direction of his afternoon chores. Before he starts however, he sneaks off and grabs the dictionary. Determined to prove Miss Ferenczi wrong once and for all he flips to the G's. To his surprise he finds the definition for Gryphon, and of course it tells of a fabulous creature with the head of an eagle and the body of a lion. Credibility restored... for now.
The next day is where she really goes too far. She begins reading the fortunes of these poor students. Which you may think is fine, telling some that they will be happy, or live a fruitful life. It is when the cards tell her that one of the children, Wayne, will die an untimely death. This does not go over well with the student. He tattles on Miss Ferenczi to the principal. Miss Ferenczi is told to go home. Our narrator is torn between his allegiance for his new idol Miss F. and his friend. he starts to tease Wayne about being scared of a card and that he is chicken. this ends in fisticuffs between Wayne and the narrator.
This story illustrates how naive children can be. That they really are hanging on our every word. I can relate to this one in many ways. I remember believing and questioning at the same time everything my grade school teachers would say. One teacher of mine, Ms. Toumey, told me once that if someone slapped me on the back while I was making funny faces that my face would be permanently stuck that way, FOREVER!! I believed her and even began telling everyone else to be careful because it could happen to them as well.

posted by
Michael Clark