Wissler Remembers by Richard G. Stern
"Wissler Remembers" by Richard G. Stern captures the reflective journey of Professor Wissler as he navigates the end of an academic semester, musing on his extensive thirty-year teaching career. The narrative unfolds with Wissler reminiscing about his early experiences, starting with a Fulbright scholarship in post-World War II France, where he encountered cultural and linguistic challenges in teaching. His subsequent teaching roles in Heidelberg and Frankfurt further shape his perspective, especially as he engages with American soldiers seeking education amidst the backdrop of war.
Throughout his career, Wissler reflects on the diverse students he has taught, each leaving a unique imprint on his memories—from the challenges posed by a particularly difficult student to the warmth he felt for his classes as a collective entity. The story highlights themes of nostalgia, personal connection, and the transformative power of education, culminating in a poignant moment after his final class of the semester. As snow falls outside, a simple act of kindness between Wissler and a student underscores the humanity that exists beyond the traditional teacher-student dynamic. This narrative weaves a tapestry of experiences, celebrating the richness of teaching and the bonds formed in the educational journey.
On this Page
Wissler Remembers by Richard G. Stern
First published: 1980
Type of plot: Psychological
Time of work: The 1970's
Locale: A large university in the United States
Principal Characters:
Charles Wissler , a professor of literature
The Story
At the end of yet another academic semester, and the dissolution of yet another group of students of whom he has become extremely fond, Professor Wissler finds himself reminiscing about his thirty years in the teaching profession. His nostalgic odyssey, full of amusing anecdotes and delightful vignettes, forms the core of the story.
He recalls how at the age of twenty-one, immediately after World War II, he won a Fulbright scholarship to teach at a school in Versailles. His French was little better than the boys' English, but the students were respectful and his stay was pleasant enough. The following year had seen him working in Heidelberg, decoding cables for the army and supplementing his income by teaching English language and literature at the university. Heidelberg was full of American soldiers, and the war was a vivid presence in his mind, as he taught the sons and daughters of those who had recently been his enemies. He recalls the beautiful, exquisitely courteous Fraulein Hochhusen, with her "heart-rending popped blue eyes," and "hypnotic lips." His amorous feelings toward her are clear enough to him ("I love you") but carefully shielded from the girl herself. Wissler is always conscious of the sexual charms of his female students, but he has carefully trained himself to feel love "with the sexuality displaced." That, he thinks to himself, has been "priestly excruciation."
At the start of the Korean War, he moved to Frankfurt, to take up a higher-paying job teaching American soldiers. Most of them could hardly read or write, yet there he had the most enjoyable and rewarding experience of his teaching career. He found the willingness and sincerity of his ragged class deeply moving.
Following his return to the United States and sojourns in Iowa and Connecticut, he found himself at a "great Gothic hive of instruction and research" where he has remained ever since. He recalls the hundreds of classes and the myriad students who have passed through his hands and who are now scattered across the globe in a host of different occupations and professions. He recalls particular individuals, such as the "dull, potato-faced" Miss Rabb, who wrote a paper that was so obscure it made sense only when she explained it in person, but this was too late to save her from a C grade.
Everywhere on his travels, from Kansas to Kyoto, New York to Nanterre, there had been wonderful, expressive faces. Even the bored and the contemptuous had their stories to tell. Underlying all of Wissler's experience was love, not only of individuals but also of the class itself, what he calls the "humanscape." The group as a whole was like a complex organism and generated a unique collective consciousness.
Reminiscence over, the story comes up to date. It is December, and the last class of Wissler's current course is in session. There is the sense of "amorous ether" in the room, but Wissler's lecture does not show any trace of it. He recommends a scholarly book on the history of education in antiquity. Like the good academic that he is, he speaks intelligently and interestingly; he is alert to his students' needs and tries to remain objective. The class closes, and there are polite expressions of thanks and gratitude from both professor and students.
One last, simple episode closes the story. Outside, after class, snow falls, and the paths are covered with ice. Wissler slips and falls, only to find his attractive student Miss Fennig on hand to help him up. The simplicity and pleasantness of their brief exchange reveals mutual respect and affection. Outside the formality of the classroom, and beyond the limiting roles of teacher and student, there is only the simplicity of human contact, one hand helping another.