It's the winter of 1935 and Max Brown is newly arrived in Willowgreen,
Saskatchewan - a rural Canadian prairie town - on his first teaching job
in a one room schoolhouse. He quickly realizes that this is not his
dream situation: the winter is harsher than he's ever experienced, he's
living in the basement of the school, the older of his students treat
him poorly and his wages are paltry if and when he ever does get paid.
He also feels physically and emotionally isolated. He would leave this
position but he doesn't have the finances to do so. There, he bonds
primarily with two townsfolk. Harris Montgomery sees Max as an obvious
choice to espouse the politics of socialism. And Alice Field sees in Max
a person like herself: being a British war bride, she is an alien in a
harsh environment. Alice is in an unsatisfying marriage and turns to Max
for emotional support. As Max goes through his first year in
Willowgreen, he learns to understand life in a rural prairie town, both
from the viewpoint of his students and for his own benefit.
Viewing of this video is not required but if you are at all interested in this well done period piece, Why Shoot the Teacher? is an excellent portrayal of life on the Canadian Prairies during The Great Depression.
