ABOUT THE WRITER :- E. R. Braithwaite
(Eustace Edward Ricardo Braithwaite) was a Guyanese-born British-American novelist, writer, teacher and diplomat. He is best known for his stories of social conditions and racial discrimination against black people. His writings primarily deal with the difficulties of being an educated black man, a black social worker, a black teacher, and simply a human being who found himself in a set of inhuman circumstances.
ABOUT THE NOVEL :- TO SIR, WITH LOVE
“To Sir, With Love” is an autobiographical novel written by E. R. Braithwaite. The novel is based on true events concerned with Braithwaite taking up a teaching post in Greenslade school there. The novel recounts Braithwate’s personal experiences as a teacher in London, where his unorthodox teaching methods won him the affections of his students. The given chapter no. 17 of the novel covers the day of the half-yearly report of the Student’s Council, and the behaviour of the narrator’s students at the programme.
THEME :- TO SIR, WITH LOVE
“The theme of the novel To Sir, With Love” is complicated teacher-student relations. The given chapter 17 of the novel depicts half yearly report of the student’s council. It is about the half-yearly report of the Student’s Council, an assembly entirely arranged and presented by the students themselves. The Braithwaite’s students show their improvement , confidence and courteous behaviour. The novelist Braithwaite, a teacher of these students felt proud after seeing the progress of his students who were considered only disrespectful, ill-mannered and mischievous.
TWO SENTENCES / STATEMENTS THAT SHOWED THE THEME OF THE NOVEL: TO SIR, WITH LOVE
1. The writer was immensely pleased to notice the progress of his students.
2. The students showed a remarkable change in their behaviour and were progressing in all the subjects.
PLOT:- TO SIR, WITH LOVE
“This is chapter 17 of E. R. Braithwaite’s autobiographical novel ‘To Sir, With Love.’ It is about November 15, an important day at Greenslade School , when half-yearly report of Student’s Council was going to be presented there. The older students organised the events. Denham and Miss Joseph , the oldest students presided over the meeting. The representatives of each class gave a brief report of their progress in each subject. After these presentation , a panel of teachers including Mr. Weston , Mrs. Dale-events and Miss Phillip were chosen to answer any questions put by the students. When it was a time to report , Braithwaite’s class showed the immense confidence and improvement which was finally praised by the Headmaster Mr. Florian. Denham showed respect for everyone. Miss Joseph , Potter , Sapiano , Jackson , Miss Pegg presented their report of every subjects before the panel with great confidence and showed what significant change the narrator brought in his class. Braithwaite, their teacher felt proud and immensely satisfied after seeing the progress and improvement of the students of his class.
SETTING:- TO SIR, WITH LOVE
The setting of To Sir, With Love , is the East End of London in the late 1940s. The event in this chapter 17 of this novel was held at the auditorium of the Greenslade School on November 15. It was an important day because on this day there was a half-yearly report program of Student’s Council.
LANGUAGE AND STYLE :- TO SIR, WITH LOVE
“To Sir, With Love” is an autobiographical novel written by E. R. Braithwaite in English language. It is a work of fiction based on the life of the author. The novel is written in the past tense, as Braithwaite looks back on the events of his first year teaching. The event in chapter 17 was narrated in a simple manner by the narrator. The words used by the narrator contribute to the smooth sailing of the plot. Apt words and expressions have been used to give the reader a complete idea of the situation.
CHARACTERS IN THE NOVEL "TO SIR, WITH LOVE”
There are all about 12 characters mentioned in this chapter 17 of E. R. Braithwaite’s famous novel “To Sir, With Love.” They are:-
1. E. R. Braithwaite - Narrator & teacher
2. Mr. Florian - Principal of the School
3. Denham - oldest student of the school
4. Miss Joseph - oldest student of the school
5. Fernman - student of the narrator’s class
6. Potter - student of the narrator’s class
7. Sapiano - student of the narrator’s class
8. Mr. Weston - A teacher in the school
9. Mrs. Dale-Evans - A teacher in the school
10. Miss Phillips - A teacher in the school
11. Miss Pegg and Jackson - Students of the narrator’s class
CHARACTER -SKETCHES IN “TO SIR, WITH LOVE”
1. E.R. BRAITHWAITE :-
Edward Braithwaite is the narrator and a teacher. He is very sensitive person. He was in the army and very upset at the racism. He gets a job as a teacher in the school where students are disrespectful, ill-mannered and mischievous. The students harass him from his first day in the school. But the author wins the hearts of the students by his creative ideas, innovative techniques and understandings of the students. On the day of the half-yearly report of the Student’s Council, he is very anxious about his students but he felt proud and satisfied when he saw their improvement, confident behaviour and progress in every subject.
2. DENHAM :-
Denham is a student of Narrator’s class. He shows professional approach while allocating tasks to other students. He is much more confident while sitting beside the Headmaster in the function. He courteously addresses the girls as ‘Miss’. In discussion about P.T. and Games , he shocks the audience with his views. He is a trained boxer. His tone is initially blunt, critical and argumentative but he politely and sportingly accepts his defeat when Miss Phillips gently replies his arguments.
3. MISS JOSEPH :-
Miss Joseph is a senior student of Narrator’s class. She is business-like and confident while allocating tasks and fitting in the program. She is an important official for the function as she presided the function with Denham and sits on the stage beside Mr. Florian, the Headmaster. She also addresses the audience with confidence. She gives a short explanation of the Council’s purpose and its activities.
4. MR. FLORIAN:-
Mr. Florian is the Headmaster of the school. He addressed the school on the day of the Student’s Council. He spoke about the aims and the policy of the school. He praised the improvements and the progress which was seen in the students. But insisted that yet a great deal to be done. He mentions the importance of the student’s contribution. His remarks shows that he is a good administrator .
5. MISS PHILLIPS:-
Miss Phillips is a teacher in the Greenslade school and one of the members of the three teachers panel set to answer the questions of the students. She is considered as hesitant and brainless. While answering Denham’s questions, she proved that she was the coolest and best resourceful person. She intervened skillfully when the other two teachers were at a loss. She gives her views confidently. She clarified that the time table of the school was not only good but it was created to help the students. She defeated Denham in argumentation.
6. MISS DARE:-
Miss Dare-Evans is the teacher in Greenslade School. She was also the member of three teachers panel which was set to answer the questions of the students. On the day of half-yearly report of the Student’s Council, she speaks 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. Her contribution was something of an anticlimax after Fernman’s performance.
7. FERNMAN:-
Fernman is a student of Narrator’s class. He is clear, precise and dramatic and only comic character in this chapter 17 of the novel. On the day of the half-yearly report of Student’s Council he keeps the audiences spell-bound by his speech. He makes the atmosphere comic with his action. He discussed the subject of physiology showing the model of human skeleton. He stressed the class conclusion that ‘basically all people were the same.’
