# Education and Authority in Pastors and Masters

> Theme guide for Pastors and Masters by Ivy Compton-Burnett.

The school setting exposes the absurdities of educational authority, with Mr. Merry's theatrical scoldings, the boys' passive resistance, and the Herricks' detached manipulation of the school's leadership.

## Where it surfaces

- [Chapter VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/pastors_and_masters_se/chapters/vii): Discussions about reading habits and the value of different literatures reflect broader questions about intellectual authority and the education of women and men.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/pastors_and_masters_se/themes/education_and_authority
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/pastors_and_masters_se/themes