To Sir, with Love’ is an autobiographical novel. The narrator is an engineer, but to make both ends meet, he accepts the job of a teacher in a rough London East End school. The school is full of troublemaker students who were rejected from other schools for their behaviour. At the beginning, the narrator is ridiculed and bullied by the students, but later his calm demeanor and desire to see them succeed gradually earn him their respect.
4.2 )To Sir, With Love ( by E. R. Braithwaite )
1. Give the character-sketch of E. R. Braithwaite, the narrator.
Ans. Ricky Braithwaite, the narrator, was a very sensitive person. He was a black man in post-war England and was very upset at the racism that he had to face after serving in the Royal Air Force. He got a job in a school, and initially had a very difficult time with the students who were disrespectful, ill-mannered and mischievous. They harassed him from day one. However, his genuine concern and compassion, his novel and creative ideas and techniques, and understanding of the students' psychology, ultimately won their hearts. Though he was bullied and harassed many times, he didn't lose his patience. He continued implementing his ideas and techniques that helped him to bring a significant change in his students' lives. On the day of the half-yearly report of the Students' Council, he was very anxious to see how they behaved. When they were methodical. confident, cool and courteous, he felt proud of them.
2. Describe the atmosphere of the school as described in the extract.
Ans. In the extract, the narrator describes the day on which the half-yearly report of the Students' Council takes place. Here, the students of the school report to the faculty and other students on what they have been studying thus far. It is entirely the students' affair; the students conduct the whole programme and preside over it. At the end of the students' presentation, three teachers are chosen at random to answer the students' questions. The proceedings are serious, formal and frank. The students honestly give their reports and ask questions fearlessly. The selected teachers do their best to answer the critical and blunt questions put to them. It is a democratic set up. There is freedom of expression. The students express their views openly and analyse issues without any restraint.
3.Consider 'student-teacher relationship' as one of the themes of "To Sir With Love'.
Ans. 'Student-teacher relationship' is one of the important themes of the novel. In the beginning of the novel, when the narrator starts his journey in Greenslade school as a teacher, he is bullied and humiliated by his students. Initially, he too lashes out at them. Gradually, he realizes the limitations of the background they come from and the very trying situations in which they live. This changes his approach towards these rough students and he starts addressing them with respect. They laugh at this initially, but the narrator's compassion, patience, and his concern to educate them by using innovative teaching methods, lead to a positive change. At the time of the half-yearly report presentation, the narrator notices these positive changes in the students. Thus the novel ends on this important note that however sour the relationship might be, it can be changed by means of positive approach and due understanding.
4. Describe in brief the purpose of organising the half-yearly report programme of Students' Council.
Ans. During the half-yearly report programme of Students' Council, each class would report through its representatives, on the studies pursued during the half year which began after Easter. A representative was 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. Throughout all the reports, the emphasis was on what they understood rather than on what they were expected to learn.
5. Explain how the narrator changes the behaviour of his students.
Ans. Ricky Braithwaite initially had a very difficult time with the students. They were disrespectful, ill-mannered and mischievous and he verbally scolded them for their behaviour. However, when he was unsuccessful in reforming them, he changed his teaching and handling tactics and interacted with them as though they were adults and respectable persons. He required that every girl be referred to as 'Miss' and that his students called him 'Sir'. He had novel and creative ideas, innovative techniques and understood the students' psychology. He didn't lose his patience and continued implementing his ideas and techniques to help him to bring a significant change in his students' lives. His calm demeanour and sincere desire to see them succeed gradually earned him their respect and they changed their behaviour.
6. Bring out the contrast in the characters of Miss Phillips and Denham.
Ans. Miss Phillips, whom everyone had thought to be frilly and brainless, proved while answering Denham's questions that she was the best-informed of the three teachers on the stage. She intervened skilfully when the other two teachers were at a loss, without embarrassing them. She spoke coolly, honestly and with authority.When Denham is blunt, critical and argumentative while discussing the P. T. exercises, she tells him that the whole timetable in the school was meant to help the students in the world after they left school, and doing what one was told in spite of not liking it, is par of the training. She gives her views confidently and puts Denham in his place very calmly. Denham accepts his defeat courteously.
7. "To Sir, With Love', is based on the narrator's own experiences. Justify.
Ans. "To Sir, With Love' is an autobiographical novel. The narrator, though an engineer, accepts the job of a teacher in Greenslade School. The school is full of unruly students. The narration is in the first person, with a reflection of personal ideas and emotions. The narrator has observed everyone and everything minutely. He comments on the behaviour of the students and teachers; he feels deeply happy when his students do well. His keen observation and the depth of the narration show us his involvement in everything. He has written from his heart. All this proves that the novel is autobiographical.
8. Give the character-sketch of Miss Phillips in the extract from 'To Sir, With Love'.
Ans. Miss Phillips, whom everyone had thought to be frilly and brainless, proves while answering Denham's questions that she is the best-informed of the three teachers on the stage. She intervenes skilfully when the other two teachers are at a loss, without embarrassing them. She speaks coolly, honestly and with authority. She is very slightly built but she controls her class very well. She argues with Denham very skilfully and sweetly. She tells him that the whole timetable in the school was meant to help the students after they left school, and doing what one was told in spite of not liking it, is part of the training. She confidently asserts that she was sure that Denham saw the importance of what she had said, and why he had to do P. T. Thus, she puts Denham in his place very coolly and impresses the narrator.
9. 'Fernman brought a comic relief in the Students' Council programme'. Narrate the incident.
Ans. In order to explain a point, Fernman made a signal to someone off-stage. Two students, Welsh and Alison, appeared bearing a skeleton between them, with a sort of gallows. When this arrangement had been set up there was the skeleton hanging from a hook screwed into the top of its skull, gently revolving at the end of a cord. This brought some comic relief to the proceedings, and the students laughed uproariously.
10. "Let's say it is as much an exercise of the mind as it is of the body, Denham." Find out who the speaker is, his/her tone, the style, significance etc. of the dialogues :
Ans. The speaker is Miss Phillips. She answers Denham's question coolly, honestly and with authority. She tells him that the whole timetable in the school was meant to help the students even after they left school, and doing what one was told in spite of not liking it, is part of the training. She asserted that she was sure that Denham saw the importance of what she had said, and why he had to do P. T. This piece of advice was not meant only for Denham but for the whole school and the reader as well.
8862028645
ReplyDeleteNikita
ReplyDelete