Theme of Discipline in Georgie by Malachy Doyle Essay Sample

“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments” as said by Jim Rohn. Success will not come on its own, it must be worked for, so to be successful discipline is required. Now, what is discipline? And how does it affect us? Well, discipline is the idea of following rules and demonstrating good behavior, it affects our thoughts and actions, therefore having discipline is important. Having good social, and presentable behavior is a key factor in achieving your goals. In the novel Georgie by Malachy Doyle, Georgie has anger and sadness built up in him, which gradually decreases due to the discipline at his new school. Another example of how discipline plays a big role in life is the students at Summerhill, a boarding school founded by A.S. Neill in 1921, in which students control their own lives without the enforcement of any rules or particular demands. Lastly, at Edison High School, a public school in which rules must be followed and students are required to have discipline, the students are happy and productive. Therefore, the discipline of the school you attend does make a difference. 

Georgie, a 14-year-old boy who had gone through so much in life, finally got a chance to change and become his true self due to discipline. Georgie used to be friendly and calm until the death of his mother, after his father killed his mother, Georgie isolated himself in every way possible, he did not go to school, speak to anyone, or even eat normal food. One major cause of this was the lack of discipline in his life, there was no one to guide him or teach him the differences between right and wrong. However, after he was transferred into his new school where discipline was mandatory, he slowly started to change, he opened up to his teacher and made a friend, he even started to speak. His life started becoming positive, “I sleep with the curtains open so the sunlight wakes me in the morning. I sleep through the night, the  demons from the past never find me, and I wake with a smile on my face to the memory of my mother leaning over, kissing me.” This conveys that the discipline of a school can change your perspective on life, people who maintain positive behavior are happy whereas people who do not listen and are always upset end up ruining their lives. 

Summerhill is a boarding school in which students are given the choice to make their own decisions from what they wear to how they act. Freedom may be a great way to make kids independent and successful but it is not meant to encourage rudeness, disrespect, or any sort of wrongdoing. Therefore, along with freedom, there should be discipline. Freedom and discipline together will help students grow and help them in the future. The majority of the teachers at this school misunderstand the idea of discipline, they view it as abuse or mistreatment, for example, “a teacher who so loathed the strict discipline he was expected to impose on pupils that he came up with a radically different method of education – to allow children as much freedom as they pleased.” This proves that the teachers at Summerhill cannot understand the benefits of discipline, they just see it as forced rules or unnecessary pressure on students, which it is not. As a result, most of the students that go to this school do not have goals, focus, or the will to aim high and achieve more than their potential. 

Edison High School is very diverse, it consists of so many different students. Without a doubt, the majority of the students have a goal, maybe multiple, but they still have something to aim for. This is because of discipline, the teachers at this school want their students to be successful and achieve their goals, therefore they encourage discipline. Discipline cannot be forced or dictated, it has to come out of kindness and goodwill. Moreover, students who have discipline are setting themselves up for success in the future whereas kids who lack discipline could be in a better position. Discipline consists of several things such as having boundaries, being respectful, and thinking with your mind not according to your mood. So, people who can understand and express themselves obediently end up in a great place. 

In conclusion, discipline at school has an immense impact on a person’s life. Overall, Georgie had changed for the better, students at Summerhill had not achieved much due to the idea of freedom, and the students at Edison High School ended up being productive.  There are so many different perspectives on discipline, but at the end of the day, it is one of the main and most useful factors in becoming successful.