The narrative recounts the remembered life of a middle school English teacher who, despite his determined passion for teaching, was both ridiculed and pitied by his students and colleagues. The story begins when a former pupil, walking with a friend, is reminded of this teacher by the appearance and mannerisms seen among a group of people. The narrator then relates his earliest memories of the teacher, who arrived to fill in after the sudden death of a younger instructor. His physical appearance—a diminutive, balding man with a shining bald head, peculiar green and rusty morning coat, and a conspicuous purple necktie—immediately set him apart and became a source of amusement among the students. In his first class, the teacher’s formal greeting of “Gentlemen” and his self-assured yet affected delivery of English translations of texts like Robinson Crusoe quickly turned into an awkward seminar marked by hesitation, stuttering, and repeated corrections. His struggling attempts to translate new vocabulary, combined with his nervous gestures and apparent anxiety while consulting his lesson materials, led the class to erupt in laughter rather than listening to the lesson. As the weeks passed, the students continued to view him with a mixture of amusement and derision. His odd mannerisms—such as his frequent hand-to-throat movements, his fidgety behavior with his purple necktie, and his pompous but ultimately ineffective pronunciation—only confirmed the students’ perception of him as an incapable, outdated teacher. His failures in delivering a coherent lesson on English grammar and literature further alienated the class, and even his colleagues mocked his efforts, comparing him unfavorably to other instructors. Despite the ridicule, the teacher persisted in his duty. In one memorable class, when a particularly abrupt student threatened to leave if he did not focus on proper English instruction, the teacher’s reaction became a pitiable display of self-reproach. With a mix of contrition and desperate resolve, he repeatedly apologized in an almost theatrical manner. His stammered defense revealed a deep, underlying torment—he was trapped in a role he felt forced into for the sake of making a living, rather than from genuine pedagogical passion. Years later, the narrator encounters the teacher again in an unexpected setting—a quiet, sparsely attended café. There, the teacher is found as he had been before, still clutching his characteristic derby hat, morning coat, and purple tie, and still engaged in his unceasing practice of teaching English. Now addressing café waiters rather than students, his persistent efforts to explain grammar and clarify the functions of pronouns demonstrate that teaching was not merely a job for him but a compulsion, a necessity as inexorable as breathing. Observing him, the narrator feels a mix of nostalgia, regret for past mockery, and a subtle recognition of the teacher’s unwavering dedication. This encounter transforms the narrator’s view: the once ridicule-inducing figure is revealed to be a man who, despite his social failure and personal hardships, has maintained a steadfast commitment to education. His unrelenting teaching—delivered in a voice that carries both urgency and sorrow—speaks to a profound inner drive. Though his life may have been marked by isolation, misinterpretation, and economic hardship, his persistence in imparting knowledge becomes a symbol of an educator’s intrinsic calling, one that survives ridicule and the passage of time.
By Akutagawa Ryūnosuke · First published 1914 · Genre: Satire, Dark Comedy, School Fiction