Death In The Classroom Analysis

In Walt Whitman’s story Death in the Schoolroom, A schoolteacher named Lugare has a complaint that a student of his was caught in the act of stealing fruit from a garden the night before. From the story it is clear that the stolen fruit has no direct connection to the school, but the case is still brought to the schoolteacher’s attention. As part of his job the schoolteacher feels obliged to identify and punish the thief. As a schoolteacher he feels responsible for his students both in and out of the classroom. Lugare comes to the conclusion that the thief is student Tim Barker. Unfortunately, Tim is clueless regarding the stolen fruit dilemma. Lugare believing that Tim is guilty takes pleasure in torturing him unaware that he has a health condition. Due to Tim’s health condition, Lugare’s punishment leads to his untimely death. Should the teacher feel guilty for Tim’s death?
Tim Barker was a sick baby who no one thought would survive but, “Tim, the physician said, might possibly outgrow his disease; but everything was uncertain,”(Whitman). This excerpt shows that he could have died at any point due to his heath condition. Tim as a young boy tried his best to help his mother because his father had passed

away when he was six years old. The family struggled and endured poverty until a young man named Jones came along and helped them out. Jones helped them in secret so they were unaware of his assistance. As Whitman said, “Jones generally made his gifts in such a manner that no one knew anything about them, except himself and the grateful objects of his kindness,” (Whitman). He chose to help in this way because Tim and his mother did not want any of the neighbors to know that they received food from anyone. This is because; “for there is often an excusable pride in people of her condition which makes them shrink from being consider'd as objects of "charity" as they would from the severest pains” (Whitman). One day Tim was told there would be a bag of potatoes waiting for him at Mr. Nichols's garden-fence. It was the bag of potatoes that Tim had been seen carrying, and was unfortunately accused and convicted by his teacher as a thief as a result.
Tim’s death shows that the schoolteacher, Lugare, had been too harsh on him. When Tim attempted to explain his side of the story, Lugare stated, “give me none of your sharp speeches, or I'll thrash you till you beg like a dog,” (Whitman). This shows that the teacher did not care about the truth but rather took pleasure in torturing helpless Tim. Lugare might not feel guilty for Tim’s death and will most likely justify it by stating that Tim had stolen the fruit.
The only way that the teacher could feel guilty is if Tim’s classmates report to their parents that the schoolteacher had killed a boy in class by whipping him.

Whitman said, “Lugare had been flogging A CORPSE,” (Whitman). No one in the class knew he has been dead for some time except the author and the teacher. Tim’s classmates might see that the teacher was in fact too harsh and as a result killed Tim. This action has the potential to affect the teacher’s reputation as well as the schools. Lugare might lose his job because the parents will undoubtedly be worried about the safety of their children. In the end no one ends up finding out who stole the fruit and the question of what will happen to Tim’s mother upon hearing about the death of her son

remains.