Posner Quotes in The History Boys (2006)

[Posner has confessed to Irwin that he thinks he is homosexual and in love with Dakin]

Posner: Do you ever look at your life?

Tom Irwin: I thought everybody did.

Posner: I'm a Jew... I'm small... I'm homosexual... and I live in Sheffield... I'm fucked.

[talking about the Holocaust]

Posner: But to put something in context is a step towards saying it can be understood and that it can be explained. And if it can be explained that it can be explained away.

Posner: [after telling Dakin to pull down his pants] Oh! Quelles belles jambes!

[discussing Posner liking Dakin]

Scripps: Oh, Pos, with your spaniel heart. It will pass.

Posner: Yes, it's a phase. Who says I want it to pass? But the pain, the *pain*.

Scripps: Hector would say it's the only education worth having.

Posner: Yes. I just wish there were marks for it.

Wilkes: One day it will save your life.

Posner: Nothing saves anyone's life sir. It just postpones their death.

[Wilkes puts his hands on Posner's shoulders]

Wilkes: Jesus Christ will save your life, lad, if you only let him into your heart!

Posner: I'm Jewish, sir.

[Wilkes moves instead to put his hands on Akhtar's shoulders]

Akthar: I'm Muslim, sir.

Scripps: Love can be very irritating.

Posner: How do you know?

Scripps: That's what I always think about God. Must get so pissed off, everybody adoring him all the time.

Posner: Yes, only you don't catch God poncing about in his underpants.

[Dakin is annoyed because he thinks Irwin doesn't like him]

Posner: But he doesn't understand, Irwin *does* like him. He seldom looks at anyone else.

Scripps: How do you know?

Posner: Because nor do I. Our eyes meet looking at Dakin.

[Scripps is taking the mick out of Dakin for trying to please Irwin too much]

Scripps: Have you looked at your handwriting recently? You're beginning to write like him!

[turns to look at Posner's essay]

Scripps: You're writin' like 'im an' all!

Posner: I am not! Dakin writes like him, I write like Dakin.

Dakin: Don't think we're shocked by your mentioning the word "foreskin," sir.

Crowther: No, sir. Some of us even have them.

Lockwood: Not Posner though, 'cause he's, well, Jewish. It's one of several things he doesn't have.

Posner: Fuck off.

Lockwood: That's not racist, though.

Crowther: No?

Lockwood: It's race-related... but not racist.

Dakin: I'm beginning to like him more.

Posner: [hopefully] Who? Me?

Dakin: [contemptuously] Irwin. Though he hates me.

Posner: I'm not happy but I'm not unhappy about it.

Lockwood: Posner would make a good monk. 'Cept he's a Jew.

Crowther: Do Jews have monks?

Posner: Yes. I'm one now.