Maisie don't need no education. She don't need no mind control, no dark sarcasm in the classroom—because she gets plenty of education without ever going to school.
Adults several times discuss the possibility of sending Maisie to school, but this never pans out, and Maisie gets basically no formal instruction. Instead, she learns from experience—and she learns a whole lot this way. James suggests that education happens in all kinds of settings but also occasionally implies that it's a real shame for someone so bright to be deprived of actual schooling. Stay cool; keep your kids in school.
Questions About Education
- Why does James include conversations about Maisie's schooling in the novel?
- How does Maisie learn, if not from formal study?
- Who's a better teacher in the novel, Mrs. Beale or Mrs. Wix?
Chew on This
By showing readers what it is to go without a good education, James's novel makes a case for staying in school.
Although she's uneducated, Mrs. Wix teaches Maisie the most important lesson of all. This fact suggests that James views experience as more important than formal instruction.