64 pages • 2 hours read
E. R. BraithwaiteTo Sir with Love
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1959A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapter 17Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 17 Summary
Braithwaite watches the students take part in the biannual Yearly Report of the Student’s Council. His class works very hard in preparation and on the day of the report, the students arrive “smartly dressed and polished” (136), led by Miss Joseph and Denham. Florian’s opening remarks make Braithwaite realize how much Florian identifies with the school and its students’ successes.
The reports begin with the youngest classes, working their way up to Braithwaite’s students. The reports become more detailed the older the students are: “Throughout all the reports, the emphasis was on what they understood rather than on what they were expected to learn” (137). Denham announces the students, making sure to add Miss in front of the female students’ names, which makes Braithwaite proud because he believes the respect will trickle down throughout the school. Miss Joseph talks about “the brotherhood of mankind” (138); Potter speaks to weights, measures, and mathematical relationships; Sapiano instructs on crop pests. Miss Pegg and Jackson speak on countries’ natural resources and human relationships, Fernman instructs on physiology using the skeleton, Miss Dare reports on disease prevention. Miss Dodd reports on the history of England’s Reformation. Denham criticizes gym class.
After, they call Miss Phillips, Weston, and Mrs. Dale-Evans to the stage for questioning. Miss Phillips is surprisingly calm under pressure, while Weston crumples and stammers at Denham’s open criticism of gym class. Miss Phillips comes to his aid, saying that gym class represents preparation for life, in which the students will be expected to do many things they find boring.
Chapter 17 Analysis
Chapter 17 presents a brief respite from the tension that occurs in the preceding and following chapters. While the chapters prior to 17 focus chiefly on theconflict between Braithwaite and his students, the chapters following 17 represent the potential conflict that outside forces may cause in Braithwaite’s relationships. In this way, Chapter 17 arrives as brief respite from the book’s tension.
Braithwaite clarifies how proud he is of his students, juxtaposing this pride with his initial reactions of their appearance and behavior. The students seem to be fully adults in this chapter, able to express themselves and civilly communicate their disagreements with authority figures. In contrast to their original rebelliousness, Braithwaite’s students listen carefully to the opinions of authority figures, instead of blindly railing against them.
Similarly, Braithwaite notices the students’ progress in their continued assertion of the brotherhood of all mankind. The audience sees Braithwaite’s influence upon the students as a Black authority figure whom they deeply respect. He is pleased with their assertions, although the audience can’t help but feel that these assertions are glib; that is, they remain untested by the students themselves. This glibness foreshadows the future racial tensions that will arise because of the death of Seales’ mother; however, the audience remains hopeful that these tensions will work themselves out.
Similarly, Denham’s diatribe against the futility of gym class nicely sets up the conflict that will arise with the new teacher, Mr. Bell.
