He does not openly criticise the atrocious behaviour of this particular group of grown men, who seen to have important and responsible jobs. He does, however, show their really irresponsible behaviour at the reunion by telling us hat the Junior Dean and the Domestic Bursar expected them to become more and more outrageous as the evening went on and the fines they imposed would buy several bottles of fine port from in the cellars. It is extraordinary that Pennyfeather gets "sent down" as a result of this night’s orgies and no one seems to be able to help him, nor does he seem angry at the outcome. Evelyn Waugh satirises the way that the school employs teachers. They don’t care about qualifications needed to be a teacher; they just employ and rip you off. For example Paul Pennyfeather does not teach music but he has to. Paul later ends up as a schoolmaster because he gets expelled from the school for indecent behaviour. This school is nowhere near what any reader would expect it to be. It’s absolutely a joke.
Waugh continues this narrative conversational tone to continue Pennyfeather´s story. He makes it seem normal that Church and Gargoyle, again a name Dickens might have chosen to represent the contrast between the good church and the evil-looking gargoyles, can get him a job without the necessary qualifications, even though testimonials are requested. They decide he is fit for the post even though he does not know German. Similarly, he is told to give organ lessons to Beste Chetwynde. Not one of the characters at Llanabba Castle, including the lead Augustus Fagan Esquire, as he likes too be addressed, seems at all concerned with education, or qualified to educate. Church and Gargoyle have it in the forth category, that of bad schools. Dr. Fagan interviews for a few minutes and calls it "A most exhausting interview". The characters of Grimes and Prendergas are told through the confidences they give Pennyfeather. Waugh is exaggerating the dodgy type of teacher to be found in schools at that time. We never get to know for what Grimes was so often "in the soup" and this makes us fear the worst. This device is cleverly used by Waugh to satirise the system of schooling. Sometimes we feel he is exaggerating too much, as in the case of Grimes, but we cannot help feeling there are serious issues he is describing.
Evelyn Waugh shows us the confusion and chaos in the school organisation and in this way too, satirises the system. There are many examples in the novel, but the most colourful is the detailed description of The Sports to which he devotes 2 chapters.
Dr. Fagan suddenly announces they are going to have a sports day "the chief sporting event of the year will take place tomorrow", Mr. Pennyfeather "a distinguished athlete" is in charge. The heats have to be run off, the parents informed, tea to be arranged, a band to be booked all within the one day. Dr. Fagan adds to the arrangements as he thinks of things like decorations, flowers, and fireworks. Everything has to be done in the very best taste. "Foie Gras sandwiches" "It shall be an enormous bouquet, redolent of hospitality."
The press must be informed, "That means whisky", and Dr. Fagan says no expense must be spared. It contrast, the prizes must not be expensive, and they should be "distributed fairly evenly about the school".
Evelyn Waugh shows oxford in a different light he doesn’t, go about the university as an intelligent school, but a school run by rich people. The picture I get of oxford at the beginning of the novel is the look of a big university fall of rich kids, bossing the school. The school system is satirical, Evelyn Waugh shows us the confusion and chaos in the school organisation and in this way too, satirises the system. The Sports, after the make shift heats, is satirical, the ground is not marked, the hurdles are five foot high". It’s once again bias as the rich boys win races. An argument breaks out about whether clutterbuck had won the race. The other students argued that there was cheating going on. There is racism around as well; everyone is shocked when a black energetic man called chokey escort’s-ms beste-chetwynde to sports day.
Politics and crime is also satirised. In Philbricks story Evelyn Waugh tells us about Toby crutwell a robber turned MP. Toby Cruttwell stole many diamonds with Phillbrick. Toby Crutwell turned respectful and became an MP. Waugh is basically telling the reader that the political system was corrupt and that they would hire any body even an ex-con.
Waugh obviously intended that Decline and fall should be a comic novel, but it is also serious because it is a satire. I think this novel is a good book it keeps the reader focused because the book is so intriguing you always want to turn the page to see what’s going to happen next.
George Busumbru GM1