4.

2 To Sir, with Love

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.

QUESTIONS FOR PRACTICE

1) Half yearly report of the student’s council highlights the conduct of Braithwaite’s’
[Link].
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) In the questioning session Denham was expressing few students’ feelings.
Illustrate.
Answer:
The novel ‘To Sir, with Love’ describes the Question-and-answer session. This session was
arranged to give a chance to students to express their queries freely. Denham raised his
objections about the necessity of P.T. and games. He severely criticized the general pattern
of P.T. and games. He emphasised the serious limitations of it. He complained that the P.T.
was ill-conceived and pointless, and its routine was monotonous. He could see no
advantage in doing it. When he was voicing this, few children cheered him loudly. They
were appreciating his objections. There was noise everywhere. So it is true that in the
questioning session Denham was expressing few students’ feelings.
3) Match the presenter to the subject.
A B

1) Potter Physiology

2) Sapiano Geography

3) Miss Pegg and Jackson Nature Study

4) Miss Dare and Fernman Arithmetic

4) Plot: Arrange the incidents in correct sequence as per their occurrence in the
extract.
(a) Student representatives presented their tasks.
(b) Denham asserted that P.T. periods were a waste of time.
(c) Denham called out the names of the representatives.
(d) Students’ Council was held every year on November 15th.

Answer: -
A2. Sequence of incidents:
(d) Students’ Council was held every year on November 15th.
(c) Denham called out the names of the representatives.
(a) Student representatives presented their tasks.
(b) Denham asserted that P.T. periods were a waste of time.

5) Theme: Select the two statements describing the theme of the

extract:
(a) Half-yearly report of the Students’ Council was not an important event for the students
and the 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:
Statements describing the theme of the extract are:
(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.

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.

Denham
Miss Joseph
Sapiano
Dale-Evans

SOLUTION:

4. Dale-Evans
Mrs. Dale-Evans is a teacher in the extract

The line, “Denham called two children at random from the audience and asked them to
write the name of each teacher, including the Head on a slip of paper” tells us that the slips
of paper contained the names of teachers.
The line, “The names were called: Mr. Weston, Mrs. Dale-Evans, Miss Phillips” refers to the
names read out from the chosen slips of paper and thus identifies the names of the
teachers.
The line, “Miss Joseph and Denham, the two most senior students,” confirms that Miss
Joseph and Denham are not teachers, but are in fact, students.
The line, “Sapiano spoke of the study the class had made,” states that Sapiano presented a
report and since all reports were presented by the students, it can be concluded that
Sapiano was not a teacher.

Complete the table highlighting the various traits of the major character in the
extract.

SOLUTION:
Denham:
confident
influential
fearless
determined
athletic
clever
SOLUTION:
Miss Phillips:
calm
well-informed
honest
authoritative
skillful
helpful
tough

SOLUTION:
Fernman:
funny
strategic
dramatic
resourceful
innovative
confident
clever
charming

SOLUTION:
Potter:
analytical
intelligent
insightful
wise
Fernman brought comic relief in the Students’ Council programme. Explain.

SOLUTION:
A comic relief is a character (or element), that provides humour in a serious situation. The
half-yearly report organized by the Students’ Council was a day of great importance for
the students and teachers of Greenslade School. The students were assigned roles and
responsibilities and they took their jobs seriously. When it was time for the senior class to
present their reports, Miss Joseph introduced the theme of the class’ report by stating that
their lessons had focused on the importance of the brotherhood of mankind and
interdependency among world nations. These were serious and heavy topics. One by one,
Potter, Sapiano, Jackson and Miss Pegg presented the reports on their respective subjects
and displayed a deep understanding of their lessons. When it was time for Fernman to
present his report on Physiology, he signalled Welsh and Alison to carry a skeleton to the
stage. This sudden shift of atmosphere from the serious, analytical presentations of his
classmates, to the image of Fernman on stage, next to a skeleton hanging from a hook
screwed into the top of its skull and gently revolving at the end of a cord, immediately
made the audience laugh. Through his dramatic presentation, Fernman was able to relieve
the tension of the audience by providing a comical element. Thus, he brought comic relief
in the Students’ Council programme.

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 from 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 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.

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 is 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 demeanour, 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.

Arrange the incidents in the correct sequence as per their occurrence in the extract.
a. Denham was outwitted 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.

SOLUTION:

g. Students’ Council was held every year on November 15th.

f. Denham called out the names of the representatives.
e. Fernman was as usual a trump card.
d. The slips were folded and placed in a hat.
c. Denham asserted that P.T. periods were a waste of time.
a. Denham was outwitted by Miss Phillips.
b. The head of the school closed the proceedings.