Big Nate by Lincoln Peirce for July 02, 2011
July 01, 2011
July 03, 2011
Transcript:
I can't believe Mrs. Godfrey gave me a 99 instead of a hundred! What a jerk! You know what I hope? I hope she goes on safari this summer at some sort of African game preserve!... ...And then she wanders off alone and gets attacked by a crazed wildebeest! Then, as she staggers back to the tour bus, the hyena's move in... He gets very creative with his revenge fantasies.
Again, why the hate for Mrs. Godfrey? As she said Thursday, Nate left his name off the test, which is an AUTOMATIC one-point deduction. It may be petty in the long run, but it was a pre-established condition. Is there any indication that Mrs. Godfrey would have given Gina a 100 if SHE’D left her name off the test? No. Is it remotely consistent with Gina’s character that she ever WOULD be so careless as to leave her name off the test? No.
Nate learned the material. He got a 99, which Mrs. Godfrey ackowledged on Wednesday was “excellent work.” But he didn’t pay attention to detail, didn’t follow instructions, and that’s part of what test-taking is about. Does Nate value learning the material? There’s no indication that he does. Has Nate internalized the lesson that if he applies himself and studies, he’ll get better grades? We saw earlier that he specifically has NOT. Nate’s goal was to get a 100 so he could stick it under the noses of all those who said he couldn’t.
OK, yesterday Mrs. Godfrey wouldn’t cut Nate the slack to give him a B which he hadn’t earned. But as she said, why would she? Has Nate ever given her a REASON to cut him any slack? Nate and Mrs. Godfrey are a bad student/teacher combination, but more than half of that (probably FAR more) is Nate’s doing.