Cipher in the Snow

Summary

The script explores the tragic story of Cliff Evans, a quiet, overlooked student who gradually becomes disconnected from his environment due to a lack of support and attention from his family, teachers, and peers. After his sudden death, it is revealed that he felt increasingly isolated and invisible. The reflection on his life highlights the importance of understanding, kindness, and empathy in shaping a child's well-being. The story serves as a powerful reminder of how neglect, even unintended, can have devastating effects on an individual's life.

Takeaways

• 😔 A child dies suddenly on a school bus, leaving everyone shocked and puzzled.
• 🚑 The bus driver and witnesses are confused about what happened and call for an ambulance.
• 😢 The boy, Cliff Evans, was largely unnoticed by his teachers and peers, described as quiet, a slow learner, and socially withdrawn.
• 👨‍🏫 His favorite teacher, Frank, realizes he didn't truly know or pay attention to Cliff, despite being considered Cliff's favorite.
• 📝 The principal assigns Frank the task of writing Cliff’s obituary and notifying his family, leading Frank to reflect on his own involvement in the boy's life.
• 💔 Cliff's stepfather describes him as 'dumb,' showing the lack of understanding and affection the boy received at home.
• 🧠 As Frank investigates, he notices that Cliff’s school performance declined over time, particularly after his parents’ divorce.
• 📉 Cliff was labeled a 'slow learner' early on, and this label followed him throughout his schooling, reinforcing negative perceptions.
• 💬 Frank concludes that Cliff wasn’t inherently a failure, but rather he was slowly erased by the lack of attention and love from family, peers, and teachers.
• ❤️ The story ends with Frank vowing to ensure that no other student becomes 'a nobody' or feels like a 'zero' in his class, focusing on giving more attention and care to all students.

Q & A

What event triggers the conversation on the bus?

A boy on the bus taps the driver on the shoulder, asks to get off, and later collapses and dies.

How do the people on the bus react when they realize the boy is dead?

They are shocked and confused, with some suggesting to call an ambulance, while others express disbelief and uncertainty about what happened.

What is the role of Mr. Collier in the story?

Mr. Collier is a teacher who learns he was the favorite teacher of the deceased boy, Cliff Evans, and is tasked with contacting the boy’s family and writing an obituary.

What does the stepfather, Mr. Tucker, reveal about his relationship with Cliff Evans?

Mr. Tucker describes Cliff as a boy who never caught on and implies he thought Cliff was dumb, expressing frustration about Cliff's perceived shortcomings.

What does the poem written by Cliff Evans in second grade suggest about his personality at that time?

The poem shows that Cliff was once a creative and hopeful child, expressing a desire to jump high like a frog, indicating an active imagination.

What pattern is identified in Cliff's school reports over the years?

Cliff starts out as a sweet, shy, and eager-to-learn child in the early grades but is gradually labeled as a slow learner, uncooperative, and socially unskilled as he progresses through school.

What impact did the negative labels from teachers and peers have on Cliff Evans?

The negative labels contributed to Cliff's decline in self-esteem and performance. The cumulative neglect and lack of support from his family, schoolmates, and teachers led to his isolation and eventual death.

How does Mr. Collier reflect on his role in Cliff's life?

Mr. Collier regrets not doing more to help Cliff feel valued. He realizes that although he helped Cliff academically, he failed to address the boy's emotional needs, contributing to Cliff’s gradual erasure.

What comparison does Mr. Collier make between Cliff and orphaned babies in an institutional setting?

Mr. Collier compares Cliff's death to babies in orphanages who, despite being well-fed and cared for physically, died due to a lack of emotional attention and love.

What resolution does Mr. Collier make after reflecting on Cliff’s death?

Mr. Collier resolves that in the future, he will ensure no student in his class feels like a nobody or a zero, committing to give more attention and care to each child’s emotional well-being.

Outlines

00:00

🚌 A Tragic Incident on the School Bus

The scene begins with a school bus incident where a child, Cliff Evans, asks to get off, and moments later, he is found dead. The bus driver and other adults are confused, with sirens in the background indicating emergency services have been called. The dialogue shifts to a school, where two staff members, Mr. Collier and Mr. Mars, are discussing the boy, with neither having a close connection to him. Mr. Collier is eventually tasked with writing an obituary and contacting the boy's family.

05:01

📋 The Boy Nobody Noticed

Mr. Collier expresses disbelief at being named Cliff’s favorite teacher, though he recalls helping him with homework on a few occasions. He struggles to remember Cliff, much like everyone else, and is asked to take responsibility for notifying the boy's parents. The narrative reveals the boy’s stepfather was emotionally distant, criticizing Cliff's intelligence. The stepfather’s frustration paints a harsh picture of the boy’s home life, showing that Cliff was neglected and misunderstood, contributing to his isolation.

10:02

📉 Cliff’s Decline in School

The focus shifts to Cliff’s school records, revealing he was a quiet child who gradually became withdrawn and underperformed academically. Cliff's early years showed promise, as evidenced by a sweet poem he wrote about frogs, but by third grade, his behavior changed dramatically. Teachers started labeling him a 'slow learner' and he began being treated differently by both peers and adults. The story includes a flashback where children bully Cliff, further showing how he was socially excluded and emotionally isolated.

15:26

🔍 The Labeling of Cliff Evans

The school system and family dynamics worked together to label Cliff as a 'problem child.' Once marked as slow and unambitious, no one looked deeper to understand the real issues he was facing. Mr. Collier reflects on how teachers, including himself, may have unconsciously contributed to Cliff's deterioration by reinforcing these negative labels. Even though teachers don’t intend to harm students, Collier acknowledges how the school environment became a place where Cliff was made to feel worthless.

20:32

💔 The Tragic Outcome and a Promise for Change

Mr. Collier concludes that Cliff’s death was not just physical but a result of emotional neglect over the years. He equates the situation to studies where neglected babies, though fed and cared for, died due to a lack of love and attention. Cliff’s death, while ruled as heart failure, symbolized a deeper emotional erasure by his family and school. In the end, Mr. Collier resolves to prevent future students from becoming 'zeros,' ensuring that each child in his class feels valued.

Keywords

💡Cliff Evans

Cliff Evans is a central character in the script, representing a neglected, misunderstood student who eventually dies. His tragic story serves as a warning about the damaging effects of emotional neglect, bullying, and a lack of support from family, peers, and teachers. Throughout the narrative, Cliff is portrayed as someone who was once eager to learn but gradually became withdrawn, labeled as a failure by those around him.

💡Neglect

Neglect is a recurring theme in the video, depicted through the way Cliff Evans is treated by his family, classmates, and teachers. Despite early signs of potential, he is ignored and dismissed, both emotionally and academically. This neglect culminates in his untimely death, symbolizing the severe consequences of being disregarded by one's community.

💡Labeling

Labeling refers to how Cliff was unfairly categorized as a 'slow learner' and 'dull' by his teachers and peers. Once labeled, people stopped trying to understand him or his struggles, which contributed to his isolation and despair. The script explores how these labels shape a child's self-worth and future potential, ultimately leading to a self-fulfilling prophecy of failure.

💡Resilience

Resilience is mentioned in contrast to Cliff's situation, where children, despite hardships, usually have an inner strength to cope. However, the script illustrates how Cliff's resilience was gradually eroded over time due to a lack of love, attention, and understanding from his environment, leading to his emotional and physical collapse.

💡Bullying

Bullying is shown in the script through the mistreatment Cliff receives from his peers. He is mocked and excluded, which further reinforces his feelings of worthlessness. This bullying is not just physical but emotional, contributing to the gradual erasure of his sense of identity and value.

💡Family Dysfunction

Family dysfunction is depicted through Cliff's broken home. His relationship with his stepfather is distant and harsh, filled with criticisms and a lack of empathy. This unstable family environment exacerbates Cliff's sense of isolation and failure, highlighting the role of family in a child's development and emotional health.

💡Teacher Responsibility

Teacher responsibility is a significant theme, as Frank Collier, Cliff's teacher, reflects on his role in Cliff's demise. Collier realizes that while he may have helped Cliff academically, he failed to address the emotional needs of the boy. This concept emphasizes the broader duty educators have in shaping not just academic success but also the emotional well-being of their students.

💡Emotional Erasure

Emotional erasure refers to how Cliff's identity and existence were gradually erased by the people around him. His feelings, needs, and potential were consistently overlooked, reducing him to a 'zero' in the eyes of others. This erasure is metaphorically depicted through his heart failure, symbolizing the final extinguishing of his spirit.

💡IQ Decline

IQ decline is used in the script to show how Cliff's intelligence score dropped over the years, reflecting not just a decline in his academic abilities but also the detrimental effects of his environment on his mental state. His IQ fell from 106 in the third grade to 83, which mirrors his increasing disengagement and loss of confidence in himself.

💡Attention and Love

Attention and love are proposed as the solution to the problems faced by students like Cliff. The script suggests that the lack of these essential emotional components in both family and school life contributed to Cliff’s death. It serves as a call to action for caregivers and educators to provide emotional support to children, preventing similar tragedies.

Highlights

A student named Cliff dies suddenly, causing confusion among students and staff.

The bus driver reflects on letting Cliff off the bus before realizing he has passed away.

Frank, a teacher, is asked to write Cliff's obituary after realizing Cliff named him his favorite teacher.

The stepfather expresses frustration with Cliff, calling him dumb and incapable of doing things right.

Cliff’s mother reflects on her son, contrasting with the stepfather’s harsh judgment.

Cliff's school records show a steady decline in performance and social isolation, with no friends or notable activities.

Teachers and students alike overlooked Cliff, labeling him as a 'zero,' which contributed to his alienation.

A poem written by Cliff in second grade reveals his initial innocence and eagerness to learn.

Frank realizes that Cliff started out as a normal, eager child, but his environment gradually wore him down.

Cliff’s third-grade struggles coincide with his parents’ divorce, marking a turning point in his emotional and academic decline.

Frank reflects on how the school environment, particularly the lack of attention and care, led to Cliff's emotional erasure.

Frank compares Cliff’s situation to a study of neglected babies in orphanages, suggesting a lack of emotional support contributed to his death.

The school coroner's report finds no clear physical cause of death, suggesting that emotional neglect played a role.

Frank decides to change his approach with students, resolving to never allow anyone to leave his class feeling like a 'nobody' again.

The narrative ends on a hopeful note with Frank meeting a new student, Leroy, and resolving to offer him the support Cliff never received.

Transcripts

[ Children Conversations ]

[ Music ]

>> Just one time I'd like to beat him to school.

[ Music ]

>> I'm sorry, I've just got to get off.

>> What? But you're going to school.

[ Music ]

>> What happened?

>> I don't know.

The kid tapped me on the shoulder kind of apologetic like

and asked if he could get off so I let him.

>> What's the matter with him?

>> He's dead, isn't he.

>> Better call an ambulance.

[ Sirens ]

>> I didn't even know who he is.

>> Hey, somebody call an ambulance already?

[ Sirens ]

>> Turn that thing around.

What happened?

>> We're not quite sure.

I came up behind the bus and made a nonscheduled stop

and he just came running down the --

>> Is he dead?

>> What do you think?

>> Move back.

>> You kids clear out of here, will you?

>> I've never seen anybody die.

[ Multiple Conversations ]

[ Sirens ]

>> Hello.

>> Go right in, Mr. Collier [phonetic].

Mr. Mars [phonetic] is expecting you.

>> Are you sure?

[Inaudible]

>> Yes.

>> Hello, Frank.

Neither of you knew the boy?

>> No.

>> Ned, I think he was in my math class last year.

[ Pause ]

>> Peggy, if you have the Evans file would you bring it

in please?

Thank you, Mr. Schneider.

>> It's funny, the boy never even said he felt bad.

>> Here it is.

>> Oh, thanks, Peggy.

Would you take care of these please?

>> Alright.

>> What time is that board meeting?

>> You're late for it now, sir.

>> Hmm. Frank, I thought you said you hardly even knew

the boy?

>> What do you mean?

>> Well, he's written here that you're his favorite teacher.

>> His favorite teacher, me?

>> That's what it says.

>> Well, there were a couple of instances when I helped him

with his homework, but.

>> At least you remember talking with him.

That's more than anybody else.

Did he have a drug problem?

>> I don't know.

I told you I didn't spend that much time with him.

>> I see.

>> Wish I could be of more help.

>> As a matter of fact you can.

Somebody has to contact the parents.

>> Oh, now wait a minute.

You're the principal.

Don't you think you or Mr. Carlin --

>> I've got to be in a board meeting all day.

Besides, I don't even remember seeing the boy.

You at least knew him.

>> But what about my classes?

>> We'll cover your classes.

And, incidentally, we'll need a small obituary

for the school paper.

You can use my office.

Peggy will be glad to help.

And, by the way, I'll arrange for a delegation from the school

to attend the boy's funeral.

And thank you very much, Frank.

I really appreciate this.

[ Pause ]

>> Any ideas?

>> Well, here's the address, 4315 Randolph Road,

Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Tucker.

>> Stepfather?

>> Mm-hmm.

>> Cliff was a good boy.

>> I'm sure he was.

>> Never complained.

Never even said he was sick.

>> Never said nothing about anything

since the day I moved in.

I'd give that boy everything I could,

but he could just never catch on.

If he wouldn't have been so dumb he would have told us he wasn't

feeling good.

>> Cliff wasn't dumb.

>> Wasn't dumb?

I'm sorry Cliff's dead,

but he could never do one thing right and you know it.

Mister, I've got all this work to do around here.

The other day when we had that snow --

[ Television Sounds ]

You shovel them walks?

>> I forgot.

>> Oh, you forgot.

I tell you to go out and shovel those walks,

you come in and you say I forgot.

Where you been for two hours.

>> Just went for a walk.

>> For two hours?

Dummy went for a walk for two hours.

Doing what?

>> Just thinking.

>> Oh, what's that in your hand there?

>> It's a willow.

It's already budding and it's not even spring yet.

>> A willow.

I ask you to please go out and shovel the walks

and you spend two hours thinking about willows.

When are you going to start using that head of yours

for something besides keeping your ears apart?

Stupid kid.

And she says he wasn't dumb.

>> I should have spent more time with him.

>> So you didn't.

Now let it be.

>> It's what you've always wanted, isn't it, Harry?

>> Hey, where you going?

>> To see my son.

>> What about my breakfast?

[ Music ]

>> How's it coming?

>> Well, Cliff Evans is Caucasian, never legally adopted

by stepfather and has a steady list of bad grades.

>> That's the obituary?

>> That's the record.

As far as school goes he appears never to have done anything.

No clubs, no sports, no activities at all.

>> No friends or students that knew him?

>> None that will admit it.

>> You're kidding.

>> Nope. From the record Cliff was a real zero, a cipher.

>> Oh, I don't envy your job.

>> You know, though, there's something I just can't get

out of my head.

Cliff Evans appears to have started out a normal,

healthy and happy boy.

Look, first grade teacher, sweet, shy child.

Second grade, timid, eager, wants to learn.

>> He's a nice looking boy.

>> Here's a poem he wrote in the second grade.

>> [Background Music] My poem about frogs by Cliff Evans.

I like frogs, they sit on great big logs.

They jump real high up to the sky.

I wish I could jump high like a frog.

[ Music ]

>> That's very nice.

Doesn't sound like he was always a zero.

>> No, he started out just about like every other kid, but.

>> Well, what happened?

Messed up home?

>> I'm sure that was part of it, but there's got to be more.

Third grade, Cliff won't talk, uncooperative, slow learner.

That's about the same time Cliff's mother

and father were having trouble.

>> Good, that's much improved.

That's right, you're doing fine.

[ Pause ]

>> Cliff, what are you daydreaming about today?

Oh, you've always got your mind on something else.

Cliff, you've got to try harder.

You know you're the slowest one in the class.

Do you want some help after school?

Do you want me to have your parents in for a conference?

>> They won't come.

>> Why not?

>> They're getting a divorce.

[ Pause ]

>> [Background Music] People seem to live

up to what other people think of them, slow learner.

The fourth grade teacher says low achiever,

doesn't mix well with other children.

Hmm, I've seen how that happens.

[ Children Playing ]

>> Hey, leave that alone, that's our snowman [inaudible], yeah.

>> I just wanted to help.

>> We don't need no help.

[ Children Playing ]

>> There you are snowman, there's your head.

>> Hey, you know who that looks like?

>> Yeah, it does.

>> Hi, Cliff Evans.

>> Looks just like old Cliff except he isn't so ugly.

>> Yeah.

[ Children Playing ]

>> There you go, Cliff.

There's your hat.

Keep you nice and warm.

[ Children Laughing ]

[ Music ]

>> Are all the rest of his reports like that?

>> It's all beginning to fit, isn't it?

[ Pause ]

Once he was labeled everybody else followed.

Stubborn, daydreamer, slow learner, dull,

not one of them looked past that third grade remark

to find any real answers.

>> No wonder Cliff had a problem.

>> Do you have my eighth grade report?

>> Yes, it's right there.

>> Introverted, lacks ambition, socially unskilled.

Well, it doesn't look like I helped anymore

than the rest, does it, Peggy?

>> What do you mean?

>> You have a son, don't you?

>> Yes.

>> Suppose he lived in a broken home, was never legally adopted

and was totally ignored.

How would he feel?

>> That's not a very pleasant thought.

>> Now, add to this six or seven hours a day spent in school

where he gets the impression that he's slow and dumb.

>> Oh, Mr. Collier, I don't think teachers intend

to treat students that way.

>> Maybe not consciously, Peggy, but I wonder.

[ Pause ]

>> Working pretty late.

>> Just been looking through the Cliff Evans file.

>> We got the coroner's report.

They were really puzzled.

Said there was nothing wrong that they could tell.

Heart just stopped beating.

>> Heart failure.

That's okay for the record, but there's more to it than that.

>> What?

>> I think Cliff was erased little by little.

Family, school mates, teachers, everyone reduced him to a zero.

Finally he just went away.

>> Low IQ.

>> Right. This year it was listed as 83, way down.

But in the third grade it was recorded at 106.

It didn't even go under 100 until the seventh grade.

>> Okay, a negative environment can significantly lower an IQ

over a period of time.

But what's that got to do with the boy's death?

>> Even shy, timid children have resilience.

It takes time to break them.

Gradually it happened and I helped.

Me, his favorite teacher.

Oh, I did the best I could to show Cliff how

to solve mathematical problems.

But like everyone else in the things that really mattered,

in making him feel

like a worthwhile human being I kept subtracting.

>> Frank, a lot of people are treated worse

than Cliff and they survive.

>> Some do, some don't.

Do you remember that study on babies in orphanages?

>> Yeah.

>> They were given all the food and physical care they needed.

The mortality rate was incredible.

Well fed babies turned their faces to the wall and died.

When the doctors finally caught on they prescribed along

with the food and blankets a little attention, a little love.

Cliff held on for a long time.

Finally he just turned his face to the wall, too.

Just turned his face to the wall and died.

>> I see what you mean.

In a way we all share the blame.

What are we going to do about it?

What can we do?

>> Maybe a little attention, a little love.

[ Music ]

>> Excuse me, are you Mr. Collier?

>> Yes, I am, why?

>> Well, I was wondering if I could talk to you for a minute?

>> Look, son, I have a lot on my mind right now.

Could we make it some other time?

>> Yeah.

[ Music ]

>> Ah, wait a minute.

What did you say your name was?

>> My name is Leroy Jones, and I'm going to be

in your math class next spring.

>> Uh-huh.

>> And I was wondering if you could give me some help.

>> At that moment I resolved never to forget Cliff Evans.

He'll be my challenge from now on.

Each September as I look at the unfamiliar faces I'll look

for veiled eyes in an alien world.

I've promised myself I may not do anything else for them,

but not one of them is going to come

out of my class a nobody, a zero.

[ Music ]