[PW] To Sir, with Love by E.R. Braithwaite

[Bye, Dan J]

There is also an interesting parallel with B.S. Johnson's 1964 novel, "Albert Angelo" (http://www.bsjohnson.info/novels/content.aspx?title=albert%20angelo&type=home).

A piece by Philip Tew on B.S. Johnson in the Review of Contemporary Fiction Vol 22(1), 22 March 2002, p.7 says, of this novel:

"Albert confronts the conflicts of a classic inner-city London school setting, with absconding adolescents between cultures. In describing the problems to a friend, he opines his fate and negates the romantic portrayal of ethnic presence, doubting the veracity of To Sir, with Love:  

'I told you the sods pinched my pen a couple of weeks ago? I was reading this novel recently about a teacher in the east end who won over the kids by love and kindness, morality and honesty, against tremendous odds--talk about sentiment and wish-fulfilment! I can just see my lot coming to me at the end of term with a present--or even my penback--addressed to sir, with their love! These things just don't mean anything to these kids in this school: that's what so frightening, and I've not been frightened in a school before. Not frightened by their violence, though that's bad enough, but just by these unknown forces of character.'

He rejects Braithwaite's notion of the imposition of cultured values. Braithwaite's own narrative says, "On my way home that evening I walked to the bus with Miss Blanchard, and told her about what I had done. She was dubious about the wisdom of imposing unfamiliar social codes on the children, yet, as I had already committed myself, she hoped it would work". His protagonist gets his girl. Albert is toyed with and rejected by Miss Crossthwaithe (alluding to and a pun on Braithwaite, surely)."


Dan

> -----Original Message-----
> From: project-wombat-bounces at lists.project-wombat.org 
> [mailto:project-wombat-bounces at lists.project-wombat.org] On 
> Behalf Of Bye, Dan J
> Sent: 31 March 2008 10:28
> To: list at project-wombat.org; swguardian-wombat at yahoo.com
> Subject: Re: [PW] To Sir, with Love by E.R. Braithwaite
> 
> 
> "To Sir, With Love" was reviewed in the Times Literary 
> Supplement of April 3, 1959 (p.194).  Some relevant points 
> from that review:
> 
> "Mr Braithwaite describes his popularity with the children 
> and the way he took part in their lives.  He occasionally has 
> the irritating habit of singing his own praises through the 
> mouths of other speakers, and he is not slow to criticize 
> other members of the staff. But it is obvious that he did a 
> great deal educationally and emotionally for chidren from 
> sordid homes. His book is told dramatically - with 
> reconstructed conversations.  Sometimes it reads like a 
> novel. Mr Braithwaite does not mince words - either in his 
> own narrative or in the conversations he quotes. His teachers 
> seem to bicker in a most uninhibited way, and there is a good 
> deal of emphasis on sexual matters both in adults and 
> children. Characters are described in full and intimate 
> detail... Mr Braithwaite also goes into the fullest detail 
> about his own love affair, reconstructing dramatic moments 
> and passionate conversations. There is no suggestion that any 
> of the more lurid scenes are touched up... Some critics may 
> feel that the inclusion of so many intimate scenes is not in 
> the best of taste, but they do add up to make a vivid drama."
> 
> The book was also reviewed by The Times of April 30, 1959 
> (p.13).   Not much to that notice, but the reviewer notes 
> Braithwaite's "compassion and perspective".    
> 
> Dan