4.2 To Sir with Love - XII
About Novel: ‘To Sir, with Love
It is an autobiographical novel. The narrator is an engineer, but to earn money, he accepts the job of a teacher at ‘East End School’ in London. The school is full of troublemaker students who were rejected from other schools for their behavior. In the beginning, the narrator is ridiculed and humiliated by the students, but later his calm behavior and desire to see them succeed gradually earn him their respect.
Introduction of Characters:-
Ricky Braithwaite- Narrator and Teacher
Mr. Florian- Head Master
Mrs. Dale-Evans- Teacher
Miss. Phillips- Teacher
Mr. Watson- Teacher
Miss. Gillian Blanchard- Teacher
Denham- Student
Miss. Dare- Student.
Miss Joseph- Student.
Patrick Fernman- Student.
Jackson- Student.
Miss Pegg- Student.
Dodd- Student.
Pamela Dare- Student
The theme of the Novel:
Student-teacher relationships, prejudice, and racism are the major themes of the novel.
Synopsis of the Novel extract:
In this extract, Braithwaite recounts the half-yearly report of the Students’ Council, in which the students of the school report to the faculty and other students on what they have been studying thus far. Braithwaite’s class representatives speak knowledgeably about their coursework and place a considerable amount of emphasis on how much they have learned about different people, cultures, customs, and the importance of international and interracial cooperation. The students presented their humanitarian and broad outlook on the background of racism and discrimination at that time. They also showed respect to other students and the teachers. The extract also deals with the clash between the student Denham and the teacher Mrs. Dale-Evans about the need for P.T. in the curriculum of school. Here Mrs. Dale-Evans outwitted Denham by telling the importance of P.T. Denham accepted his defeat.
Story events:
1) Activity arranged in the school:-
The half-yearly report of the Students’ Council was arranged on November 15th. It was one of the important days in the calendar of Greenslade School. It was entirely children’s day. It was arranged, presented, and controlled by them.
2) Introductory speech:-
Mr. Florian, the headmaster of the school, addressed the school. He spoke at length, reiterating the aims and policy of the school and of the important contribution each child could make to the furtherance of those aims. He gave praise wherever it was indicated, but insisted that there was yet a great deal to be done, by themselves, towards a general improvement in conduct, cleanliness, and the pursuit of knowledge.
3) Students’ representatives:-
Miss Joseph and Denham, the two most senior students, sat on the stage. They were the representatives of the students and continued the session.
4) Second Speech:
Miss Joseph stood up and gave a short explanation of the Council’s purpose and its activities. Each class would report, through its representatives, on the studies pursued during the half year that began after Easter, a representative having been chosen for each subject. When all the classes had completed their reports a panel of teachers would be invited to occupy the stage and answer questions from the body of the hall on matters arising out of the various reports.
5) Procedure of Selection of teachers:-
The selection of the panel, as with everything else, was entirely at the discretion of the children and no members of the staff knew either how many or which teachers would be invited to sit.
6) Actual presentation of reports:
The reports began with the lowest or youngest class first. These were mainly twelve-year-olds who had joined the school the previous summer. Most of them were shy and rather frightened at standing up before the entire school, but nevertheless, they managed it creditably; they had been newly introduced to the difficulties of seeking information for themselves, so their report was understandably rather short.
7) Essence of the reports:-
Throughout all the reports, the emphasis was on what the students understood rather than on what they were expected to learn.
8) Presentation of Narrator’s class:-
Potter- Arithmetic
Sapiano- Nature Study
Miss Pegg & Jackson- Geography
Miss Dare & Fernman- Physiology
Miss Dodd- History
Denham- P.T. & games
Miss Joseph- Domestic Science
9) What students said in their presentation:-
Miss Joseph:-
She said that their lessons had a particular bias towards the brotherhood of mankind and that they had been learning through each subject how all mankind was interdependent in spite of geographical location and differences in color, race, and creed.
Potter:-
He explained the work of the relationship between the kilogram and the pound as well as the meter and the foot. He said that throughout the world one or other of those two methods was either in use or understood, and that it was a symbol of the greater understanding which was being accomplished between peoples.
Sapiano:-
He spoke of the study the class had made of pests. He showed how many countries had pooled their knowledge and results of research on the behavior, breeding habits, and migration of these pests, and were gradually reducing the threat they represented to these important products.
Miss Pegg and Jackson:-
They divided the report on Geography between them. Jackson spoke first on the distribution of mineral deposits and vegetable produce over the earth’s surface. He made it clear how a country rich in one was often deficient in the other. So their interchange and interdependence are inevitable.
Miss Pegg dealt with human relationships, stressing the problems facing the post-war world for feeding, clothing, and housing its populations. She also made a reference to the thousands of refugees, stateless and unwanted; and to the efforts and programs of U.N.I.C.E.F.
Fernman:-
He had a trump card up his sleeve. By using the skeleton, Fernman began to speak. Calmly he told them that it was a female skeleton; that was a fact and could easily be proved. But he could not say with any assurance whether she had been Chinese or French or German or Greek; nor could he say if she had been brown or white or a mixture of both. And from that, he said, the class had concluded that basically all people were the same; the trimmings might be different but the foundations were all laid out according to the same blueprint.
Miss Dare:-
She spoke about the problems that all humanity has to face in terms of sickness and disease, and of the advantages gained by the interchange of knowledge, advice, and assistance.
Miss Dodd:-
She reported on the period of History the class had studied – the Reformation in England. She told of the struggles of men of independent spirit against clerical domination and of their efforts to break from established religious traditions. From those early beginnings gradually grew the idea of tolerance for the beliefs and cultures of others, and the now common interest in trying to study and understand those cultures.
Denham:-
His report was a bit of a shock. He severely criticized the general pattern of P.T. and games, emphasizing the serious limitations of game activities. He complained that the P.T. was ill-conceived and pointless, and its routine was monotonous. He could see no advantage in doing it. He would prefer a jolly good game instead of P.T..
Teachers selected for giving answers to students:-
Mr. Weston, Mrs. Dale-Evans, and Miss Phillips.
Question and Answer session:-
The questions were mostly from the two top classes, probably because the young children were either too timid or too uninformed to formulate their questions. The teachers had no briefing and were often caught out stammering in their indecision. The frilly, seemingly brainless Miss Euphemia Phillips proved to be the coolest and best informed of the three. She answered the questions with honesty and authority, and would often intervene skillfully to assist one of the others without causing embarrassment. She outwitted Denham and showed the importance of P.T. in the curriculum.
Give a brief character sketch of Denham.
Denham is one of the boys in Braithwaite’s class. Like all others, he too is initially dismissive of Braithwaite and is rude and disrespectful towards him. He is particularly aggressive and bad-tempered. Braithwaite’s patience and tolerance transform Denham into a mature, young man who learns to be respectful of others and takes up responsibility. This can be seen from his ability to host the Students’ Council report and supervise its proceedings. While hosting the Students’ Council event, he refers to the other senior girls as ‘Miss’ proving that he has transformed into an honorable young man. He is a trained boxer and enjoys athletic activities. He is a natural leader, who enjoys influence over his classmates and is especially looked up to by the other boys of the class. This is made clear by the support he receives from his criticism of the P.T. class when the other boys cheer him from the audience. He is assertive and confident as he presents his report and is blunt, but respectful in his questioning of the need for the P.T. class. In his exchange with Miss Phillips, Denham is not only clever and assertive but also determined in his argument, even though Miss Phillips represents an authoritative figure.
Give a brief character sketch of Miss Joseph.
Miss Joseph is one of the senior girls in Braithwaite’s class. A natural leader, Miss Joseph, along with Denham, is in charge of hosting the half-yearly report of the Students’ Council. Besides helping in the organization of the event, Miss Joseph also ensures its smooth functioning, by supervising the other students as they perform their assigned tasks, thus displaying her leadership skills. She also delivers a short address outlining the purpose of the Students’ Council activities. When it is the turn of Braithwaite’s class to present its report, it is Miss Joseph who introduces the class’ theme of the brotherhood and interdependency of mankind to the audience. She is confident by nature and delivers her report on Domestic Science with the utmost ease.
Give a brief character sketch of The Narrator
The narrator of the novel is the author, E.R. Braithwaite, himself. The novel is based on his real-life experiences, which particularly focus on his life in England and his job as a teacher at Greenslade School after the Second World War. Before becoming a teacher, he worked as an Engineer and even served in the 'Royal British Air Force' during the second world war.
Though he is British, he is a victim of racial discrimination and prejudice because he is a black man in post-war England. Because of his race, he has trouble finding employment and reluctantly takes up the post of a teacher at Greenslade School, located in the East End of London. The school is famous for its badly behaved students and from the first day, Braithwaite finds it difficult to manage his class full of unruly children. As someone who is easily angered, Braithwaite struggles to keep calm while dealing with them. Despite not a teacher by profession, Braithwaite is very insightful in his interactions with the students. He recognizes that he lacks the experience of a professional teacher and takes extra effort to improve his teaching skills. He soon learns to be patient and compassionate towards the students and eventually manages to build a strong bond with them based on mutual respect. He even tries to learn about their backgrounds so as to be able to understand the reasons for their behaviour. Braithwaite is firm but caring and brings about an extraordinary transformation in his students. He is the perfect example of a good teacher, as his influence goes way beyond the classroom and he ends up making a huge difference in his students’ lives. He is intelligent and sensitive and shows genuine concern for the well-being of his students. By not giving up on his students, Braithwaite shows resilience and confidence in his abilities and reaps the rewards of his hard work as he watches with pride the young adults who graduate from his class at the end of the year
Give a brief character sketch of Miss Dare.
Miss Pamela Dare is one of the senior girls in Braithwaite’s class. On the day of the half-yearly report, she was chosen to be present on the subject of Physiology along with her classmate, Fernman. While Fernman displays a sense of the dramatic and is humorous in his presentation, Miss Dare’s presentation is straightforward but insightful. Because of his over-the-top performance, Fernman manages to steal the show with his presentation. With Miss Dare’s report lacking any such dramatic elements, she is aware that as she delivers her report after Fernman, she may not receive the same amount of attention from the audience, but nevertheless proceeds to present her report with confidence. She outlines the problems that all humanity has to face in terms of sickness and disease and states the benefits of exchanging knowledge, advice, and assistance among countries. Thus, she speaks knowledgeably about her coursework.
Give a brief character sketch of Miss Phillips.
Miss Phillips is a teacher at Greenslade School and is one of three teachers to be chosen, at random, for the panel discussion on the day of the half-yearly report. As she takes her place on the panel, the narrator describes her as a mousy, thin woman who appears to be unintelligent. However, as the questioning begins, it becomes clear to the narrator and the reader that Miss Phillips is the best informed of the three. Despite being unprepared, she handles the questions with honesty and authority, leaving the narrator and the reader impressed. She even comes to the rescue of the other teachers when she finds them struggling with the questions and does so with grace and skill, making sure to not cause them any embarrassment. She is unfazed by Denham and Fernman’s blunt criticisms and maintains a calm demeanor, matching Denham’s aggressive nature with her clever arguments and sweet tone. Her interaction with Denham leaves the students impressed with her tough but honest nature and establishes her authority as a teacher. This also completely transforms her image in the eyes of the narrator, who by the end of the extract develops a sense of admiration and respect for Miss Phillips.
Compare the following characters:
Miss Joseph and Denham
Fernman and Miss Dare
Miss Phillips and Denham-
Narrator and the Head of the school-
Explain in brief the theme of the extract.
The primary theme of the novel is the student-teacher relationship. When Braithwaite first accepts his job as a teacher at Greenslade School, he is met with a bunch of arrogant, disrespectful, and ill-mannered students who are well-known for their bad behavior. Though angry and frustrated at first, Braithwaite eventually learns to be patient and tolerant towards their antics and develops a strong bond with each of them. Braithwaite is not only concerned with their academic progress but also takes a keen interest in their development as individuals. He even takes the time to find out more about their backgrounds and tries to understand the reasons for their behaviour. More importantly, he builds a relationship with the students, which is based on mutual respect. Braithwaite addresses the girls as ‘Miss’ and the boys by their last name and in turn asks the students to refer to him as ‘Sir’, relaying the message that a healthy student-teacher relationship is one which involves both, give and take. Though this method is initially resisted by the students, they eventually warm up to it. This can be clearly seen when Braithwaite expresses his appreciation of Denham addressing the senior girls as ‘Miss’. The extract highlights the importance of a teacher’s role in the lives of his/her students. Braithwaite’s influence extends far beyond his academic role. By choosing not to give up on his students, Braithwaite sets an example for how a teacher should be someone who is tolerant and understanding. Through Braithwaite’s role in shaping the personalities of his students, the extract demonstrates that a teacher’s work is not merely limited to the classroom. An important aspect of the student-teacher relationship is also the freedom to be honest. Braithwaite encourages his students to be honest and fearless, which is clearly demonstrated in Denham’s respectful but blunt criticism of the P.T. class, thus conveying the idea that students must be active participants in their own progress. His method of developing a relationship based on mutual respect is effective and results in the transformation of his students from mischievous children to young adults. Braithwaite witnesses this transformation with pride as he watches his students present the class report and admires them for the progress that they have made.
Describe the atmosphere of the school described in the extract.
The half-yearly report by the Students’ Council of Greenslade School was scheduled to be on November 15. It was one of the most important days of the year for the school. The program was entirely arranged, presented, and controlled by the students. They were expected to deliver a report describing what they had learned in the half-year, which began after Easter. Thus, the report was extremely crucial for the students and the teachers because it offered the perfect opportunity to determine the academic progress of the students. In addition, it was a test of the organizational abilities of the students. The students of Braithwaite’s class were excited about the event and as the day of the event approached, Braithwaite found himself sharing their excitement. In order to prepare for the event, the students divided their responsibilities among themselves and drew up an official program for the event. They took their roles as organizers very seriously and performed their duties like expert professionals. Watching his students take responsibility and behave like young, mature adults, Braithwaite was filled with a sense of pride. On the day of the event, the children made sure that they were dressed smartly and looked presentable, indicating, once again, that they were aware of the importance of the event. Miss Joseph and Denham, two senior students from Braithwaite’s class were chosen as the student representatives who would host the event and they made sure that every student was ready to play their part, thus displaying their leadership skills. Thus, the half-yearly report filled the atmosphere of the school with excitement and anticipation and provided the students with a platform to showcase their organizational skills.
Explain the following statement that enriches the language and creates a powerful impact.
Miss Phillips is transformed into a very convincing personality.
When the three teachers- Mrs. Dale-Evans, Miss Euphemia Phillips, and Mr. Weston are called on stage for the question-answer session, the narrator describes Miss Phillips as “frilly” and “seemingly brainless”. However, he is taken by surprise when he finds her to be the “coolest” and the “best-informed” among the three. This transformation of Miss Phillips into a very convincing personality began when the students of the top two classes questioned the three teachers on stage. Despite being unprepared, Miss Phillips answered the questions posed to her with “candour” and “authority”. In fact, she even came to the rescue of the other two teachers by “intervening skilfully” without making them feel embarrassed. When Denham asserted that scheduling P.T. only twice a week for twenty minutes was a waste of time, it was Miss Phillips who “took the reins” and “her stock shot up a hundredfold”; meaning that she took it upon herself to respond to Denham, which greatly increased her worth as a panelist. She sweetly conveyed that the creation of P.T. and games schedule was in the best interest of all the students and the school's limited resources. When Denham continued the debate by questioning the need for all the students to attend P.T., Miss Phillips was quick to tackle it by saying that P.T. was “as much an exercise of the mind as it is of the body” and that the whole timetable had been created to help the students in the real world, which meant that the need for doing something in spite of not liking it was a part of that training. Denham was outwitted by this final argument made by Miss Phillips and she broadly smiled “This frilly, innocent-looking puss had gobbled her canary without leaving the tiniest feather”. The authority and skill exhibited by Miss Phillips while responding to the questions helped the narrator understand “how it was that so slight a creature could cope so effectively with her class”. Thus, the language used to describe Miss Phillips transformation enriched the narrative and created a powerful impact.
There are many features of language that contribute to the smooth sailing of the plot.
Braithwaite’s detailed description of the school’s atmosphere, before the event, paints a vivid picture for the readers. The use of long and complex sentences, suggestive of the narrator’s rich educational background, intricately describes the scenes on the day of the event. The narrator’s realization that Mr. Florian associated himself with the school and everyone in it, his use of words like “condemnable gravity”, when the students take their seats on the stage in all seriousness, and his observation about the lowest class students being shy and frightened to stand before the entire school, give the readers an insight into the minds of the characters and the emotions felt by them. The narrator has employed a number of literary and stylistic devices to make the plot elaborate. He uses a lot of negatives to emphasize a positive point “in no way remote from his school”, “it was an experience which I shall not easily forget”, and “Denham was not to be put off by these sugary remarks”. Transferred Epithet like “blunt criticisms”, “adroit questioning”, “innocent eyes” and “sugary remarks” has also been used to beautify the narration. The narrator even makes use of Simile in the line “I had heard quite a deal about these occasions and became as excited as the children as the day approached.” Antithesis has been used by the narrator to describe Denham’s character. On the one hand, he is proud to see Denham’s leadership qualities, organization skills, and confidence, but on the other hand, he presents Denham as blunt, aggressive, and rebellious when Denham presents his report on P.T. The narrator’s antithetical view of Miss Phillips highlights his objectivity in describing her character; because the narrator, who initially refers to Miss Phillips as showy and apparently foolish, changes his perception about her as the event proceeds, and describes her as well-informed, calm, tactful and authoritative. The literary technique of Metaphor has also been employed when the narrator describes the discussion between Miss Phillips and Denham as a ‘crossing of staves’, thereby indirectly comparing it to physical combat with wooden sticks. The use of Metaphor is also evident when he indirectly compares Miss Phillips to ‘a cat’ and Denham to ‘a canary’ at the end of the question-answer session. The literary device of Symbolism has also been used to drive the plot. The narrator and his students are symbolic of the outcasts, who have no place in civilized society and have now come to create their own community by bringing about improvements in each other. The school is symbolic of the mid-1940s East End London, which was not an ideal environment for growing children. Thus, the various features of the language, employed in this extract, contribute to the smooth sailing of the plot.
Following the given dialogue of the major character in the extract. Find out who the speaker is, his/her tone, the style, significance, etc. of the dialogue.
“Then why do we have to do P.T.? Why don’t they take only the kids who need it?”
The above line is spoken by Denham as a response to Miss Phillips’ defense of the need for the P.T. class. Through this line, Denham argues that students like himself, who are physically fit or play other sports, should not have to do P.T. because it is pointless for them. Such students already get more than enough exercise done and forcing them to do twenty minutes of P.T. twice a week has no additional health benefits. Even though Denham’s previous argument against the need for P.T. had been defeated by Miss Phillips, Denham’s tone as he makes this second argument is confident and reflects his determined nature. The style of the dialogue is interrogative. These questions posed by Denham are tricky and add to the tension between the teacher, Miss Phillips and Denham, who is a student. Miss Phillips’ response to these difficult questions is significant in establishing her position as a teacher.
“Let’s say it is as much an exercise of the mind as it is of the body, Denham.”
The above line is spoken by Miss Phillips in response to Denham’s argument against the need for P.T. in which he questions the need for physically fit students like himself to do P.T. Through this line, Miss Phillips notes that all students must take the class whether they like it or not because doing something you don’t like is an exercise of the mind. She goes on to add that it is a part of the training that the school wishes to provide students so that they can deal with the real world. Though she is being questioned by a student, Miss Phillips’ tone as she delivers this line is not one of anger as might be expected. Instead, she responds calmly and is almost amused at the interaction. The style of the dialogue is direct, making the tension between Miss Phillips and Denham quite obvious. With this line, Miss Phillips finally wins the debate, as Denham has nothing else to say in response. Hence, with this final argument, Miss Phillips establishes her authority and wins the respect of the students.
The incidents in the extract occurred at a particular place. Explain the significance of that place in your own words.
The incidents in the extract took place in the auditorium of Greenslade School. Since the major theme of the extract is the student-teacher relationship, the school serves as the perfect setting. The students prepare and present their half-yearly reports to the teachers and voice their concerns by questioning the panel of teachers. KkThroughout the extract, Mr. Braithwaite is merely an audience member. As his students take the stage, it becomes very clear that they have made considerable progress as not only students but also individuals. Even if Braithwaite had been aware of how his students had changed, the setting of the auditorium, with him as an audience member, allows him to observe from afar, the rewards of his efforts. Through his narration, he conveys to the reader his feelings of pride. Another aspect of the setting that is symbolic of the students’ progress is the stage. The stage is symbolic of the students’ lives. By presenting their reports, the students are not just taking active participation in their school, but also coming forward to take control of their lives. Finally, the stage also represents the perfect platform for the students to showcase their skills, and thus can also be compared to the stage of the drama, with the students being given the chance to charm the audience. Thus, Braithwaite, as an audience member, is like the director of a play, watching his work unfold on stage and beaming with pride.
