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.
Chapters 9–11Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 9 Summary
To thwart rising tensions, Braithwaite has an honest yet off-the-cuff discussion with his class. He tells them he will try to make his teaching interesting and would appreciate feedback from them on what does or does not work. He tells them that because they will be leaving school for the adult world in a few months, he will treat them as adults. He is interrupted by Pamela Dare, who noisily enters the room. He lightly scolds her, forcing her to reenter the room properly, much to Dare’s humiliation.
He returns to his original conversation, telling the students that they will address him properly, as Mr. Braithwaite or Sir, and that they should refer to the young women as Miss and the boys by their surnames. The students protest, specifically Potter, and Braithwaite counteracts this protest by asking Potter if he believes any of the young ladies do not deserve this respect. The young women stare at Potter and “he quailed visibly before their converted eyes” (74). Braithwaite says that to earn this respect, Dale-Evans will teach the young ladies how to act and dress properly in domestic science class, although he reminds himself to ask her to do this later, as he is making up the rules as he goes. He then tells the boys that they should demonstrate toughness of spirit rather than appearance, and they will be expected to be clean and tidy when they come to class. As the top class, Braithwaite says that they represent the standard the other students look up to, so the conduct of the younger students is also the responsibility of his students.
A student asks about Weston’s unkempt appearance, but Braithwaite maintains that the appearances of the teachers, save himself, are not their concern. However, if he should fail to meet their expectations, he hopes they will criticize him. There is no hostility toward this, and the students easily begin calling him Sir. He allows the rest of the time for them to quietly discuss the new rules amongst themselves. During lunch, he explains to Dale-Evans her role in these new rules, and she is pleased, promising to “lay it on thick” (75).
The rest of the day passes pleasantly, as Braithwaite learns to blend informality with academic language, which he trusts the students to understand from context clues or by asking him.Braithwaite ascertains the class leaders: Denham and Moira Joseph, although he is surprised to notice that Pamela Dare, the brightest pupil in the class, is not among them: “If I could get these king-pins to co-operate, the others would probably fall into line” (76). When Braithwaite later explains his plans to Blanchard, she is dubious, but expresses her hope for his success.
Chapter 10 Summary
Upon reading the Weekly Reviews, Braithwaite learns that “some of the boys thought it was silly to have to ‘call the tarts in the class Miss,’” and that “some girls thought it sheer cheek on my part to have Mrs. Dale-Evans talk to them about washing” (77). But for the most part, the class is excited to be treated as adults, and appreciative of the difficult words Braithwaite uses, even if they do not understand all of them. Braithwaite brings the reviews home, but Dad Belmont cautions him against bringing his work home with him. Instead, Dad wishes Braithwaite would get out and socialize with new people his own age. Mom Belmont tells Dad to leave him alone. Braithwaite never again brings his work home, correcting students’ errors on-the-spot, while they are still fresh in their minds.
Braithwaite’s relationship with the students improves, although some boys still resist calling the girls Miss, beforethey eventually acquiesce. Braithwaite discusses everything possible with them, trying to relate all his teachings to their own lives, and most of the students engage, asking questions about Braithwaite’s life. Denham and a few others maintain their bad attitude.
One day, Jackson asks about the people of the tropic who wear very little clothes, and Dare brings up that the ancient Britons painted themselves. Denham makes a comment about cave women wearing fur coats, and Braithwaite and the class laugh. Braithwaite mentions the Victoria and Albert museum, where one can witness the history of British clothing, and Pegg asks him to take the class there. The class is excited at the potential for a field trip. Braithwaite notices a group around Denham making noise, and finds Denham drawing women in bikinis. Without a word, Braithwaite rips up the drawing and throws it away, angering Denham with his lack of confrontation.
Chapter 11 Summary
The following Thursday, the class seems excited, but they won’t tell Braithwaite what their excitement is about. Braithwaite takes the boys to the gym, and Denham asks to have boxing first today. Braithwaite questions him, but Denham evades, and so Braithwaite acquiesces. The boys pair off, and Denham’s partner, Sapiano, has his arm in a sling, so Denham asks Braithwaite if he will box with him. At first, Braithwaite refuses, telling Denham to work in with the other students, but the other students egg him on. Braithwaite refuses again, but realizes that the class thinks he’s scared of Denham, and so he says yes. Sapiano, “strangely unhampered by his mysterious injury” (83), ties Denham’s boxing gloves. When they begin to box, Braithwaite only defends against Denham’s skill, to the chagrin of his students. Denham hits Braithwaite in the face, and Braithwaite starts bleeding, leading Denham to rush in. Braithwaite punches him in the stomach and Denham crumples to the floor. The students rush to help him, but Braithwaite tells them to line up and they obey. Braithwaite helps Denham off to the corner to recover. Braithwaite continues with the rest of gym class.
At the end of the lesson, he goes over to Denham, who still looks “a bit green” (84). Braithwaite says he was just lucky, and tells him to get cleaned up. Denham refers to Braithwaite as Sir.
Denham’s attitude toward Braithwaite changes, and as a result Braithwaite’s relationship with the whole class improves, as there exist no more pockets of rebellion. Braithwaite’s view of the class also shifts: “I found myself liking them, really liking them, collectively and singly” (85). Braithwaite learns their backgrounds, specifically the financial instability and overcrowding that the students face. As a result, Braithwaite tailors his lessons to reflect their own lives. The lessons go so well that intense discussions are often interrupted by the bell, and Florian frequently drops in to join the conversations.
Braithwaite asks Florian for permission to take the students on a field trip, but Florian says it’s probably a bad idea, citing the potential for bad behavior under minimal supervision. Braithwaite presses, and Florian says that if he can find another chaperone, he can take them, and that Florian will watch that classroom for the teacher. Braithwaite asks Blanchard, and she agrees, although the rest of the staff is doubtful about its success.
One of the boys comes into the staffroom looking for a netball, and Weston is astounded to hear him use Miss to describe his female classmate. Weston takes the opportunity to question Braithwaite’s “suburban formality” (87), asking if Braithwaite is exempt and then if the other teachers are expected to follow suit. Slightly perturbed, Braithwaite explains “that my class and I have reached an agreement on certain courtesies” (87). Weston continues to mock Braithwaite and his students, but Dawes comes to his rescue. Weston calls her a “professional virgin” (88), making her blush, but she continues. Clinty cheers her on. Weston dons a “caricature of a subservient Negro” (88), and Dale-Evans steers the conversation to bra use among the students. Weston leers at Dale-Evans, and Dale-Evans shuts him down coldly. Braithwaite grows uncomfortable at the rising tensions in the staffroom, feeling that his presence exacerbates them. He hopes that these hostilities do not enter the classrooms, as “[I]t was the children, not the teachers, who mattered” (89).
Chapters 9–11 Analysis
After the terrible relationship demonstrated in the past few chapters, these chapters mark the beginning of a positive relationship between Braithwaite and his students. Braithwaite finds common ground with his students; rather, he levels the playing ground by indicating they all deserve respect. The importance of equal dignity is integral to fostering interpersonal relationships, forcing Braithwaite to place some of the responsibility for the rocky start on his own shoulders. Here, the audience sees Braithwaite grow as a character; he no longer represents the down-trodden victim of vast systemic oppression, left to waste his talents in an environment he hates. Rather, by recognizing the humanity of his students, he recognizes his own humanity. He must first acknowledge his culpability in matters to get them to change.
Similarly, it is the importance of narrative that solidifies the bonds between Braithwaite and his students. They learn more about him from asking questions about his life and experiences, and he in turn learns more about them through the communication of their trials and accomplishments. This interpersonal narrative exchange humanizes both parties: it allows each side to understand from where the other comes. Understanding a person’s narrative is presented in this story as the key to empathizing with that person. In this way, the novel presents character growth and learning as an exercise in contextualization. To understand language, the students must first understand the context of the words themselves. Similarly, to understand other people, both the students and Braithwaite must contextualize their humanity to promote empathy. In contrast to the blossoming relationship between Braithwaite and his students, the audience sees the beginning of latent hostilities emerge within the staff, foreshadowing greater antipathy yet to come. However, these hostilities are not as important as the wellbeing of the children, again indicating a change in Braithwaite’s personality.
