To Sir with Love

Braithwaite finds strength in teaching. When he goes out in the community, he is treated with respect because everyone knows he is a teacher at Greenslade. The parents tell him stories of their other children, although Braithwaite is often confused who they are referring to. Sometimes, the deference the parents show Braithwaite embarrasses him, as he frequently receives preferential treatment to other customers. In class, Braithwaite feels that both he and the children are growing—that the students are learning about the world, and how to express themselves and disagree with one another without cursing, and that he is learning how they relate to their surrounding environments.

The school gets a new gym teacher, Mr. Bell, a perfectionist fencer who expects much from the students. Bell picks on Richard Buckley, “a short, fat boy, amiable and rather dim […although] a favorite with the others who … were ever ready in his defense against outsiders” (153). Sometimes the class protests Bell’s treatment of Buckley, “and then Bell would turn on them the full flood of his invective” (153). The students mention this unfairness in their Weekly Reviews, and Florian gently chastises Bell, explaining that financial situations prohibit the students from being as clean as Bell wants. Bell is disrespectful towards Florian, refusing to change his ways.

The next Monday, Bell decides to make Richard Buckley vault, which Buckley does not want to do. Bell yells at him, but Buckley resists, infuriating Bell with “this unexpected show of defiance” (155). Denham tries to come to Buckley’s aid, but Bell yells at him. Buckley decides to try it, but crashes to the floor and breaks the vault. Buckley looks hurt if not dead, and the class rushes to his help, except for Potter, who picks up a piece of the broken vault and comes after a terrified Bell. Jackson goes to fetch Braithwaite, who is in his classroom for the incident. Braithwaite positions himself between Potter and Bell, takes the piece of broken vault, and makes Potter go help Buckley. Bell leaves the room, and Denham curses him, which Braithwaite lets slide.

Braithwaite goes to help Buckley, who is slightly injured but mainly okay, and the other students start talking all at once, which Braithwaite mostly ignores. Braithwaite enlists Seales and Sapiano to take Buckley to Dale-Evans, and then leaves to search for Bell, feeling torn as to what he should do. He finds Bell in the staffroom, and tells him to make a report, questioning his actions. Bell is incredibly defensive. Braithwaite tries to calm him, and tells him he’s asked the boys to remain silent about the incident. Braithwaite tells Clinty what has happened, and Clinty says that maybe he’ll stop bullying the students as much. Braithwaite maintains that the only reason it was a problem was because Buckley got hurt, and the other students feel protective of him. Braithwaite leaves abruptly, feeling uncomfortable around Clinty.

Braithwaite finds his male students in the classroom “closely grouped together, looking rather sheepish” (159). Braithwaite admonishes Potter for his behavior, which he and the other students feel is unjust. Potter tries to explain himself and is backed up by Denham, but Braithwaite will hear no excuse, maintaining that Potter must apologize to Bell. Braithwaite explains that in real life, people will try to upset them, and they cannot resort to violence. Denham is outraged, but Braithwaite is respectful, saying that if Potter is unsatisfied with the way he responded, he should apologize, regardless of whether Bell apologizes.

Seales says Braithwaite does not understand because “nobody tries to push you around” (162). With uncharacteristic emotion, Braithwaite explains that he has been pushed around a lot, but violence is not the answer. Potter goes to apologize to Bell in the staffroom, and Bell comes and apologizes to the class, all of whom want to forget the incident. 

A newspaper comes to the school, which Florian thinks represents “an excellent opportunity to reply to his critics and detractors” (164). He asks the staff for its cooperation, although no mention of the media is made to the children. The students are excited at having their picture taken. The reporter asks to photograph Braithwaite to exemplify the school’s “democracy and tolerance,”and Braithwaite says he will not take part in such “propaganda” (165), disappointing both Florian and the reporter.

When the report is published, it portrays Florian as decrepit, the girls as uncouth, and the boys as bored, depraved cigarette smokers. Braithwaite finds the whole thing vulgar and sickening, although “the children were not upset by the publicity…. we discovered that they had been induced to pose with the cigarettes” (166). The staff are all incredibly upset, each feeling as though they have suffered a personal attack. Florian admits to being misled as to the nature of the report, and Weston tries to blame him, although Clinty sticks up for Florian, saying that Weston also wanted the newspapers there, as did the rest of them.

Miss Phillips asks Braithwaite why he objected to being photographed, and Braithwaite responds that he did not want to be featured as an oddity. Weston asks if he isn’t an oddity, and Braithwaite takes him to task for questioning his masculinity and teaching skills. Weston makes a jab at Florian. Clinty mocks Weston’s dancing. Blanchard speaks for the first time in a staff meeting, saying that they should not fault the reporter himself, but rather the editor and public opinion. She maintains that the public will have forgotten it by tomorrow, which makes Florian feel better.

A few days later, Seales comes in late, breaking down while explaining to Braithwaite that his mother died this morning. The class is sympathetic, and they take up a collection to send flowers to Seales’ home. However, when Braithwaite asks who will take the flowers there, the class devolves from “pleasantly united comradery” to the “watchful antagonism [Braithwaite] had encountered on [his] first day” (69). Braithwaite scolds the students for their rudeness, and then Moira Joseph says, “It’s what people would say if they saw us going to a colored person’s home” (169). Braithwaite is levelled by her comment, convinced that his work has been in vain.

Unable to face his students, Braithwaite leaves class, wanting to talk to someone who will understand him but feeling utterly alone amongst a sea of white faces. He decides to tell Florian, who says that he is glad this happened, for Braithwaite’s sake. Braithwaite gets angry, feeling that Florian is taking the students’ side, but Florian says Braithwaite must be patient; he cannot expect to change long-standing prejudices in a mere, few months. When Braithwaite leaves, he wonders about what would happen if Blanchard and he were to marry.

Upon entering the classroom, Jaqueline Bender tries to explain that if any of the girls went to Seales’ house, their moral integrity would be questioned. The boys don’t say anything. Finally, Pamela says she will take the flowers, adding, “gossips don’t worry me” (172).

The day of the funeral, Braithwaite takes the bus to Seales’ house, his mind spinning with anger at his students’ racism. He arrives to find most of his students outside Seales’ house and becomes overwhelmed with emotion. Pamela Dare gives him her handkerchief. 

Braithwaite meets Blanchard’s parents, concerned with the potential stress he will put on both Blanchard and her parents if they do marry. Braithwaite and her parents exchange pleasantries; her father starts speaking about South America, then Aruba: the native language, the burros, and the club where men played basketball: “It’s a man’s town. Men everywhere and more men” (176).

Blanchard’s father remembers the name of the Aruban brothel, Hija del Dia, much to the embarrassment of Braithwaite, who maintains he “gave it wide berth” (176), although he remembers the lines of men that formed outside of it. Braithwaite remembers that Aruba lacked both natural resources and women. Braithwaite remembers men referring to the prostitutes as meat. Mr. Blanchard says he never went in, either, but he remembers those lines.

Mr. Blanchard says that he and his wife first decided not to interfere when they heard Gillian was dating a Black man, but now that they realize it is serious, he wants Braithwaite to understand the lifetime of difficulties their mixed-race marriage would create, including problems for their children. Braithwaite tries to remain calm, saying that the children would be his and Gillian’s concern—the same as if they had children with deformities. Mr. Blanchard takes offense but remains civil, saying they should wait before making any huge decisions. Mr. Blanchard also says they should be friendly toward one another.