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The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie

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A common theme in the novel “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” is control. In the novel, Miss Jean Brodie is an educator at the Marcia Blaine School for Girls. The school is very traditional and Miss Brodie teaches against those values, even being named a progressive spinster by other members of the staff. Miss Brodie oversees a specific group of girls named the Brodie set. In “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie”, Spark depicts the control and negative influence Miss Brodie has on the group of girls such as Mary McGregor’s academics, Rose’s potential love affair with Mr. Lloyd and Emily Joyce’s death..
A specific scene in which Miss Brodie has a negative influence on the girls academically is when Brodie set member, Mary McGregor, talks to Headmistress Mackay about signing up for the Classical side, when she does not have the grades. Headmistress Mackay states “Why do you want so much to go on the Classical side, Mary? You aren’t cut out for it. Don’t your parents realize that?” she replied “Miss Brodie prefers it” (Spark 67). The use of the phrase “Miss Brodie prefers it” suggests that the only reason Mary wants to be on the classical side is to please Miss Brodie. Headmistress Mackay even tries to tell her that you will not be successful in the classical side, but Mary pushes for it anyway because she knows that’s what Miss Brodie wants. She lets her own self-interest be dismissed and allows Miss Brodie to control her. Miss Brodie as an educator is aware that Mary is not

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