Ted Griffin: A stereotypical politician
In his documentary novel, Nothing But the Truth, Avi presents Ted Griffin, a regular citizen hoping to win a seat on the school board. Griffin is a self-serving politician who pretends to be interested in the public good, but really is only interested in himself. He runs for the school board simply for the glory of holding public office, rather than a real concern for the betterment of students and a community. Through an analysis of his physical traits and actions, the reactions of others and his evolution in the novel, we will see that Ted Griffin truly personifies the stereotypical, selfish politician.
Avi gives absolutely no information about Griffin’s physical characteristics. This lack of description tells the reader that selfish politicians come in all shapes and sizes. The only thing the reader can guess with any accuracy is that Griffin is probably in his mid to late 40s. Mr. Malloy claims Griffin not only as a neighbour, but also as a friend (p. 97), so the reader might surmise that Griffin and Mr. Malloy are approximately the same age.
Griffin truly believes he is a man of solid character. He believes he always pursues the truth, and sees himself as an honest man. “Wait a minute; I want to get this straight” (p. 99), he says to Mr. Malloy when Philip begins to tell his story. And again, later, he says to Philip: “Just tell her the truth” (p.99), when he encourages Philip to talk to Jennifer Stewart, the journalist. Griffin’s words attempt to show that he is an honest and trustworthy man, but his actions show the reader the contrary. Griffin is quick to react and very emotional, even when he does not know all the facts: “If I were on the board, I wouldn’t accept any of this. I would not condone this. No way!” (p. 102). Griffin reacts quickly and passionately to Phil’s situation. He does not think before he responds. He shows that he is exactly the opposite of a thoughtful, intelligent man who would be an ideal politician.
Others also see that Griffin is not the ideal politician. The principal is concerned about Griffin’s actions: “[Ted Griffin] is making speeches about the incident, claiming it is school policy to keep the kids from singing “(p. 133). Doan, the principal, and Seymour, the superintendent, realize that it doesn’t matter that what Griffin says is not true. It only matters what others begin to think. Griffin realizes he has the upper hand in this situation, and uses this power to his advantage. He even has Dr. Seymour nervous. Seymour has a meeting with Griffin on Tuesday April 3rd (p.184), but Seymour is very hesitant stand up to him. In fact, Seymour ends up blaming the situation on Narwin in order to keep Griffin happy. Griffin does not at all recognize that while climbing his political ladder, he has sacrificed an excellent teacher.
Griffin is the same self-serving man at the end of the story as he was at the beginning. Griffin remains a totally flat, unthinking person, incapable of seeing what kind of person he truly is. In meeting with Seymour, he says “I never trust anything that is in print” (p. 185). This is a truly ironic statement, given his actions throughout the book. Finally, Griffin, the self-serving and selfish politician, is elected to the school board (p. 208). He attains his goal, but at a very great cost to people in the community.
Through the character of Ted Griffin, the reader sees yet another self-serving, stereotypical politician. Griffin is a man who claims to work for the public good, but in the end, what he says and does, and how others react towards him, speak much louder than his own voice. Griffin, the stereotypical politician, is clearly a man who is interested only in fulfilling his own ambitions, regardless the cost.