In the course of the novel, Evelyn Waugh paints Scone College and Llanabba Castle in a certain light, and through the lexicon and engagements of the characters in these institutions, purport a certain message about British public schools in general. In discussing the significance of school and university life, we have to consider this very message Evelyn Waugh brings out and how it relates to the general themes in the novel, and the part of these institutions in the lives of the various characters. The word `significance' demands an explicit understanding of the very role expected of such institutions, and whether they actually fulfill that very fundamental demand or give a very contrasting reality of it. Also, it calls for an examination of the importance of such a setting in Decline and Fall, and how it contributes to the overall plot.

When exploring school and university life in...