4.2 To Sir, with Love-E. R. Braithwaite
Writer:- E.R. Braithwaite: (1912-2016)
Eustace Edward Ricardo Braithwaite, known as E.R. Braithwaite, was a Guyanese-American writer, teacher and diplomat. He was best known for his stories of social conditions and racial discrimination against black people. He was the author of one of the famous autobiographical novels, ‘To Sir, with Love’. He wrote a number of books exposing racial discrimination in post-war Britain, all of which were inspired by his personal experiences.
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 in ‘East End school’ at London. The school is full of troublemaker students who were rejected from other schools for their behaviour. At the beginning, the narrator is ridiculed and humiliated by the students, but later his calm behaviour 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
Theme of the Novel:
Student-teacher relationship, 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 learnt 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 of 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 of 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 representative 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 which 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 colour, races and creeds.
Potter:-
He explained the work the relationship between the kilogram and the pound as well as the metre 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 behaviour, 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 is 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 programmes 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 blue- print.
Miss Dare:-
She spoke about the problems which all humanity has to face in terms of sickness and disease, and of the advantages gained by 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, emphasising 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.
Activities with solution-
1) Half yearly report of the student’s council highlights the conduct of Braithwaite’s’ class. Justify.
Answer:
The novel ‘To Sir, with Love’ describes the Half Yearly Report of the school where the narrator Braithwaite was working as a teacher. During the work, students of his class were behaving like professionals. They allocated proper tasks to various students for the program. They discussed their arrangements. They dressed smartly. Denham conducted the proceedings with courtesy. He called the girl students giving respect. Other students from his class presented their reports perfectly. There was variety in the presentation of their reports. They managed the event showing good conduct. So it is rightly said that ‘Half yearly report of the student’s council highlights the conduct of Braithwaite’s’ class’.
2) Give a brief character-sketch of the narrator E. R. Braithwaite.
The narrator of the novel is the author, E.R. Braithwaite, himself. The novel is based on his real-life experiences, which particularly focuses 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 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 that graduate from his class at the end of the year.
3) Explain how the setting of the extract contributes to the theme of the novel.
The extract is set in the auditorium of Greenslade School. The school itself is situated in the East End of London and the story is set in the 1940s. The infamous East End is a key aspect reflecting the theme of the novel. Though the extract focuses mainly on the student-teacher relationship, the novel, as a whole, also tackles the issues of racism and prejudice, as experienced by the narrator. In 1940s Britain, racism was quite common. A narrator is a black man who is considered to be an outsider in British society. He is denied a job, treated poorly, and endures discrimination in many ways owing to his black heritage. It is with this bitterness at being left out that Braithwaite enters his new role as a teacher. When he meets the students of Greenslade School, he is shocked by their disrespectful and impolite behaviour. But after studying the neighbourhood in which the students live, he begins to understand their actions. The East End of London has historically been known for overcrowding, crime and poverty, making it an unsuitable environment for growing children. The students’ behaviour is a result of their neighbourhood and most teachers give up on teaching them. Thus, the students are also outsiders to society, just like Braithwaite had been in the eyes of the British. With both being rejected by society, the students and Braithwaite, eventually learn from each other and become better individuals. In this way, the setting of Britain in the 1940s and Greenslade School in the East End of London are significant to the novel’s themes of racism, prejudice and student-teacher relationship.
4) 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 programme was entirely arranged, presented and controlled by the students. They were expected to deliver a report describing what they had learnt 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 of determining 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 the responsibilities among themselves and drew up an official programme 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 had charged the atmosphere of the school with excitement and anticipation and had provided the students with a platform to showcase their organizational skills.
5) 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.
The narrator played a crucial role in bringing a significant change in the students. Explain the statement by citing some references from the extract.
When Braithwaite takes his place as a teacher for the senior class of Greenslade School, he is met with a bunch of disrespectful, arrogant and ill-mannered students. Though initially this angers him, he eventually resolves to take a different approach in teaching. One of the most important aspects of this new approach is mutual respect. Braithwaite understands that students can only learn something valuable in their courses if they respect the teacher teaching them. Once the students respond to his new methods and begin to open up to him, it becomes easier for him to get them interested in their courses and they become good students.
The half-yearly report proves to be the perfect chance to analyze the progress of the students.
The line, “It was entirely their day, arranged, presented and controlled by them” is an example of their will to take responsibility. The narrator notes that on the day of the report, “The children arrived smartly dressed and polished.” This indicates that the students were aware of the importance of the event and took their roles seriously. Two of Braithwaite’s students, Miss Joseph and Denham, were not only in charge of the day’s program, but also “moved about among their colleagues ensuring that each one was ready to play his (her) part” thus showcasing their ability to be good leaders. The narrator observes with pride that “Denham used the term ‘Miss’ in addressing each of the senior girls”. This transformation of Denham from an aggressive, rude student to a respectful, decent young man is a clear example of the positive influence Braithwaite has had on the students. Similarly, Potter, Sapiano, Miss Pegg, Jackson, Fernman, Miss Dare, and Miss Dodd, each speak knowledgeably about their coursework and exhibit confidence. Fernman’s dramatic report contrasted with his “clear and precise” voice, his “adroit questioning” and Denham’s fearlessness in his “blunt criticisms” is proof that the children took their academic progress seriously.
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.
(Source: Internet, OC)
