By -- E.R. Braithwaite
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 notorious London East End School. The school is full of troublemaker students who were rejected from other schools for their misbehaviour. 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.
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Brainstorming
CHARACTER
A1 (i) Which one among the following is a teacher in the extract ? Select the correct one. Also cite a couple of lines from the extract in support of your answer.
a) Denham b) Miss Joseph
c) Sapiano d) Dale -Evans
Answer: Dale-Evans
Lines from the extract :
Denham called two children at random from the audience and asked them to write the name of teachers including the Head on a slip of paper.
The names were called:Mr. Weston
Mrs. Dale -Evans, Miss Philips Denham.......
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ii) Complete the table highlighting the various traits of the major characters in the extract.
1) Denham :- Confident
Courageous
Outspoken
2) Miss Phillips : Accountable
Calm, honest
Generous
3)Fernman : Creative
Joyful
Comic
4) Potter. : Conscious
Honest
Wise
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iii) The narrator played a crucial role in bringing a significant change in the students. Explain the statement by citing some references from the extract.
Answer:
When the narrator understood that his outburst has not gained him any respect and cooperation from the students, he changed his teaching and handling tactics and he decided to interact with them as though they are adults and respectable persons .He used the term ' Miss 'in addressing each of the senior girls.
Reference from the extract :
I felt terribly pleased and proud to see the confident courtesy with which Denham used the term 'Miss'
in addressing each of the senior girls.
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iv) Fernman brought a comic relief in the students council programme.
Explain.
Answer:
In the half -yearly report of the students' council , Fernman presented his report on Physiology. When his name was announced , he used his trump card and he made a signal to someone off-stage
to bring the skeleton on the stage.
The skeleton hanging from a hook screwed into the top of its skull was revolving. This brought a comic relief in the students' council programme.
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v) Give a brief character- sketch of-
a) Denham :
He is an athletic young man.He is a trained boxer and one of the most senior students of the class.Being a leader of the class ,he worked as a officials in the half -yearly report of the students' council along with Miss Joseph. In his report , he strongly criticised the school's time-table . According to him ,only two periods of twenty minutes for P.T and game in the school time table is a waste of time.
He insisted that P.T and Games were only advantageous if it is practiced daily.
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b) Miss Joseph -
Miss Joseph is strong and Confident. She is the anchor of the half-yearly students' council programme. She explains the Council's purpose and activities. She presents the report on Domestic science in the Council.
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c) The Narrator --
Ricky Braithwaite is the narrator in the Novel . He is a Black British man. He is kind, intelligent , calm and innovative . He tells the story of his first year of teaching at Greenslade Secondary school. The School is rough and notorious. He was bullied and physically tortured from day one.Even a girl students didn't spare a moment to harass him.
But he did not lose his patience.He understands that his outburst has not gained him any respect and cooperation from the students.He changes his teaching and handling tactics and decides to interact with them as though they are adults and respectable persons . It helped him in handling the students in a very amicable way.
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d) Miss Dare --
Miss Dare is one of the senior students of Braithwate's class.She is one of the representatives . She presented the report of the subject Physiology. She spoke about the problems which all humanities has to face in terms of sickness and disease. She emphasised the advantages gained by interchange of knowledge, advice and assistance.
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e) Miss Phillips --
Miss Euphemism Phillips is a teacher in Greenslade Secondary school. She is the coolest and most knowledgeable teacher . She has the quality of being open and honest.She tackles the situation skillfully and assists other teachers and students without causing embarrassment.When Mr. Weston, while answering to the criticism of Denham, found completely confused , she took the reins in her hands and answered satisfactorily.
She strongly insisted that in a school curriculum every activity and a subject is equally important and an hours given to each subject , is absolutely right. She made
Denham speechless and won the controversy without loosing respect.
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PLOT
A2 (i )
Arrange the incidents in correct sequence as per their occurrence in the extract .
a) Denham was outwitted in by Miss Phillips.
b)The head of the school closed the proceedings.
c) Denham asserted that P.T.periods were a waste of time.
d)The slips were folded and placed in a hat.
e) Fernman was as usual a trump card.
f) Denham called out the names of the representatives.
g)Students' council was held every year on November 15th.
Answer : Sequence as per their occurrence in the extract is as follow :
1) g , ( 2) f , ( 3 ) e , (4 ) d , (5 ) c ,
6) a ,( 7) b
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ii)
Describe in brief the purpose of
organising the half -yearly report programme of students' Council.
Answer:
The purpose of organising the half-yearly report programme of students' council is
to report the faculty as well as other students about their progress in the first half year on what they have been learning and studying so far.
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iii) Write in your words the entire half-yearly report programme of students' Council .
Answer -
The half-yearly report programme of the students' council of Greenslade school , was held on November 15 . Mr. Florian, the headmaster , addressed the meeting. After his address ,one after another,each class gave a brief report of their progress .They gave a report through their representatives on what they had been studying in each subject so far.A panel of teachers was chosen to answer the questions raised by the students in the Council. Miss Joseph stood up and gave a short explanation of the Council's purpose.
The Council began with the report of the lowest class first.
Class after class represented. It was a turn of senior students.Denham called out the names of the representatives with the subjects on which they would report.Miss Joseph in her report said that their lessons had a particular bias towards the brotherhood of mankind .Then she called on Potter.He spoke in the field of maths,focusing on the common weights and measures. Miss Peggy and Jackson spoke on Geography .
Miss Dare and Fernman spoke on the subject Physiology. Fernman exhibited a model of skeleton to show ,'basically all people are the same '. Miss Dodd reported on History, and Miss Joseph on domestic Science. Denham created a stir by speaking on the required subjects of P.T and games, complaining that the class ' was ill
conceived and pointless .'
Mr. Weston, Mrs. Dale-Evans, and Miss Phillips were chosen at random to answer students questions. When Denham perused his inquiry on the necessity of requiring all students to take P.T. , Miss Phillips did a sturdy defence of P .T. in the Timetable by saying that it was an exercise of the mind as well as of the body .
Soon after the report presentation and teachers clarification, the Head went on the stage and closed the proceedings, expressing his pride in all the children and his deep appreciation of their reports.
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iv) Describe the question - answer
session that took place at the end of the extract.
Answer:
The question answer session at the end of the extract took place between Denham the student of the senior class and Miss Phillips the teacher. While submitting his report, Denham severely criticised the general pattern of P.T and games into teaching time-table. Denham was a trained boxer and insisted that such exercises were only advantageous if practiced daily and for more sustained period . According to him , P.T. twice weekly for twenty minutes was a waste of time , instead , he suggested a jolly good game .
Miss Phillips answered Denham's question. She told Denham that every subject , including P.T. and games,had been carefully considered and fitted into the teaching time-table. So that each student received maximum benefit from it.She also said that the school with its limited facilities must be considered in terms of the greatest good for the greatest number. She rebuked Denham by the words that it would be beyond anyone's powers to please everybody. She concluded by saying that he was fortunate in his own fine physical development and did not really need the few meagre helpings of P.T. and games which the school offered. but there were others for whom our programme is ideally suited.
To that remark , Denham asked Miss Phillips that why they had to do P.T. and why they didn't take only to the kids who needed it.
To that question she replied that it was for the sake of exercise of the mind as well as the body. She further said that the whole timetable in the school is meant to help the students in the world after they leave the school. There was no question of liking or disliking , it is a part of training.
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SETTING
A3 ( i )
Which event took place in the extract ? Choose the correct one.
a) Annual Sports Day on November 15.
b) Annual Social and Cultural Gathering on November 15th.
c) Half-yearly report of students' Council on November 15th.
d) Farewell programme on November 15th.
Answer :
C) Half-yearly report of students' council on November 15th.
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ii) The event in the extract was held at the ....................
Choose the correct alternative.
a) author's house
b) auditorium of the school
c)market
d) garden
Answer:----
b)- auditorium of the school
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THEME
A4 ( i) ' When the turn of my class came I sat up anxiously '.
Why was the narrator anxious ?
Explain the statement by citing suitable references from the extract.
Answer :
The narrator was anxious because he was a black man. In those days , it was very hard to get a job for black . He searched the job everywhere . But he was helpless .As a last resort, he had applied for a teachers job in Greenslade School . Surprisingly his application accepted and got a job as a teacher . His students were disrespectful , ill mannered and mischievous.They consider the narrator was an outsider . The students harassed him from day one .They were bullying him . Even the girl students did not spare a moment to harass him .
Such a typical relationship they had between them.
When the turn of his class came, the narrator became anxious. It was because he was a new teacher and if the students would have given an adverse report , the school management would have removed him from the job . That's why the Narrator was anxious.
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ii) Select two statements that describe the theme of the extract :
a) Half-yearly report of the students' council was not an important event for the students and teachers of school.
b)The Writer was immensely pleased to notice the progress of his students.
c) The students showed a remarkable change in their behaviour and were progressing in all the subjects.
d) The head of the institution was against conducting such activities in the school.
Answer :. ( b ) and ( c )
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iii) The relationship between the teacher and the students is highlighted in the extract.
Illustrate with suitable examples from the extract.
Answer :
The relationship between the narrator and the students in this novel is not as healthy as any teacher expects. The narrator was bullied , harassed and tortured mentally and physically. But the narrator didn't lose his patience and continued implementing some new ideas and techniques to bring a significant change in his students lives.
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iv) Explain in brief the theme of the extract.
Answer:
The main theme of the extract is students teacher relationship. But prejudice and racism is also one of the dominate themes.
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LANGUAGE
A4 ( i i )
Following are some dialogues of the major characters in the extract. Find out who the speaker is , his / her tone , the style , significance etc. of the dialogues.
1) " Then why do we have to do P.T. ? Why don't they take only the kids who need it ? "
Answer :
The speaker is Denham.His tone is angry and style is aggressive.
Speaker : Denham
Tone. : Angry /Sarcastic / Pessimistic.
Style : Aggressive
2) " Let's say it is as much an exercise of the mind as it is of the body , Denham ."
Answer:
Speaker : Miss Phillips
Tone : Formal
Style : Persuasive
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Thank you.
Nice sir, taken efforts
ReplyDeleteNice sir..
ReplyDeleteCongrats
ReplyDeleteVery well prepared and explained.
Keep it up.
Thanks to all .
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