Conrack (1974) - PG

Like many works written by Pat Conroy, The Water Is Wide - the inspiration for Conrack - is autobiographical. Conroy's character, played by Jon Voight, decides to be a teacher at a one-room schoolhouse on an island off the coast of South Carolina. The island is accessible only by boat, and everyone who lives on the island is black. The school is woefully neglected by school administrators on the mainland, and Conroy (called "Conrack" by his students) shakes up the administration by demanding that they treat his students equally to the white students on the mainland. Conrack is shocked to learn that the students on the island haven't been taught what country they live in and what the name is of the huge ocean that surrounds their island. He and the students all learn a lot more than they thought possible.

Questions for reflections and/or discussion:

• What would it be like going to school in a one-room schoolhouse? Would there be advantages? Disadvantages?
  
  
• Conrack is the teacher, but the movie shows that his character learns a lot. What do you think he learns?
  
  
• Why do you think that the school administrators on the mainland were able to ignore the students on the island for so long?