Goodbye, Mr. Chips

8 ways to start a deeper conversation.

Contains spoilers for the entire book.

Discussion topics

Topic 01 of 08

What does Brookfield school mean to Mr Chipping over his long life?

There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.

What does Brookfield school mean to Mr Chipping over his long life?
Keep the conversation going
- Why does he stay all those years?
- What does the school give him that nothing else could?
What kind of teacher is Chips at the start, and what does he struggle with?
Keep the conversation going
- Was he a good teacher before Katherine?
- What does he learn about discipline?
How does Katherine change Chips?
Keep the conversation going
- What does she see in him?
- How did you feel about her death?
What do Chips's jokes and Latin puns say about him?
Keep the conversation going
- Why do the boys love them?
- How does humour help him through grief?
How does Chips deal with a changing world and modern headmasters?
Keep the conversation going
- Was he right to resist Ralston?
- What does he value in tradition?
What does Chips do during the war, and what does it cost him?
Keep the conversation going
- What did you make of the Latin lesson during the air raid?
- Why does he read out the German master's name in chapel?
How does memory work in the book, as old Chips looks back?
Keep the conversation going
- Which memory stayed with you?
- Does the book idealise the past?
How did you feel about Chips's last words about his children?
Keep the conversation going
- Was his life a full one?
- What makes a life a success?

There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.