Man Character Analysis in The History Boys

At the beginning of Act Two, we meet an unidentified man who seems to be writing some sort of journalistic piece about Irwin, Hector, and Dakin. By the end of the scene, we realize that this man is Posner. We sense that he is suffering from some sort of psychological trauma, and that he remains deeply invested in his sixth-form days. He has left Cambridge, because, we learn, it “didn’t work out.”

Man Character Timeline in The History Boys

The timeline below shows where the character Man appears in The History Boys. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...for Irwin, and suggests that they take a break. Irwin wheels himself back to a Man who has been watching, and asks if all this sounds familiar. He says that it... (full context)

The Man says that Irwin was a “good teacher,” and Irwin replies that meretricious people are often... (full context)

Replying to Irwin’s question about the money, the Man says that his counsellor told him payment would be “therapeutic.” Irwin says he’s surprised anyone... (full context)

Then the Man says that the piece doesn’t mention anything about Irwin and Dakin. Irwin says that nothing... (full context)

The Man says that it won’t go to print without a comment from Irwin, and that it’s... (full context)