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.
Themes
Institutional Racism as Endemic to Colonialism
Throughout the novel, Braithwaite presents racism as endemic to colonialism. As a colonial power, England has created a system of governance which requires the subservience of conquered nations, most of which are definitely nonwhite and many of which are Black. As such, the social hierarchy of colonial England necessitates the equation of whiteness with power and non-whiteness with subservience, rendering a society that is unavoidably racist. This racism permeates the thoughts and actions of white English men, women, and children: “It was like a disease.… they were tainted with the hateful virus which attacked their vision, distorting everything that was not white or English” (170). The disease of racism leads to de facto segregation and negatively impacts interpersonal relationships, indicative in the latent hostility evident in the words and actions of white English society.
Braithwaite’s bitter realization of the racism inherent to colonial England represents a larger historical reality: the dissonance felt by many Black soldiers after returning from World War II:
"I had just been brought face to face with something I had either forgotten or completely ignored for more than six exciting years—my black skin. It had not mattered when I volunteered for air-crew service in 1940…. Now, as I walked sadly away, I consciously averted my eyes from the sight of my face(37–38)."
While many Black soldiers fought and died for their respective countries during the war, they were not welcomed back as heroes. Rather, they returned to find their social positions were not on equal footing with their white counterparts. This inequality raised questions in many minds as to what exactly they had been willing to die for. Many Black soldiers, Braithwaite included, began to see the distinct social divide which inhibited them from pursuing the happy dreams of democracy:
"My own experiences during the past two years invaded my thoughts, reminding me that these children were white; hungry or filled, naked or clothed, they were white, and as far as I was concerned, that fact alone made the only difference between the haves and the have-nots (29)."
In this way, English society was distinctly divided into Black and white, with any Black members clearly considered lesser than their white counterparts.
This division then also coalesced into issues of belonging. As a Black man, it was impossible for Braithwaite to feel as though he belonged in English society, as the reaction of his fellow Englishmen to his skin color isolated him. However, the effects of this racism were not limited to Braithwaite himself; any future children he might have were also to be faced with the same prejudices: “You might have children; what happens to them? They’ll belong nowhere, and nobody will want them” (178). This quotation from Mr. Blanchard demonstrates the English conception of Blackness as an undesirable trait, a kind of social deformity. The blasé attitude with which this comment is spoken demonstrates the widespread nature of racism within English society by indicating that Blackness does not belong in England. Similarly, Blackness represents the alien Other in colonial English society, something that is inherently different from genuine English citizenry.
However, Braithwaite does present racism as something which one can overcome, primarily through individual dignity: “At first it was terrible, but gradually I’m learning what it means to live with dignity inside my black skin” (149). Through this personal decision to live with dignity inside his Black skin, Braithwaite seeks to overcome the trauma inflicted upon him as a result of the racism endemic to colonial English society. Even though Braithwaite has chosen this route, he still must face racism, indicating that individual dignity is not enough in overcoming the deleterious effects of racism. Rather, the end of the novel signifies the importance in interpersonal relationships and collectivity in overcoming racism, specifically through the episode with the funeral of Seales’s mother. In this way, individual response is not enough; rather, it is the collective decision to explicitly go against racist norms that works to lessen the detrimental effects of racism.
Gender Binary
Throughout the novel, Braithwaite engages the idea of identity primarily through the binary he presents between femininity and masculinity. However, as a man, Braithwaite primarily concerns himself with aligning his character with masculinity. He presents his values—dedication to impeccable appearance, education, and respect—as inherently masculine traits, whereas the traits of his foil, Weston, represent the façade of masculinity, someone who can “’shave off [their] manhood whenever [they] like”’ (19). Throughout the novel, Braithwaite differentiates between what he defines as real masculinity and the false masculinity of characters such as Weston. Importantly, this differentiation is shared by characters of high socioeconomic status, namely Gillian’s father, who refers to volleyball as “a real man’s game” (176). Braithwaite played volleyball in the past, thereby aligning himself with so-called real masculinity via the authority of other, mostly white, characters. Similarly, other white adults, such as Grace, inform Braithwaite that he is “probably the first real man” (111) the students have met, implying that the other men in the community impersonate masculinity but fail to achieve it.
In keeping with the gender binary of identity, Braithwaite inextricably links masculinity to sexual intercourse throughout the novel, implying that a celibate man is not really a man at all:
"It seems as though there were some unwritten law in Britain which required any healthy, able-bodied Negro resident there be either celibate by inclination, or else a master of the art of sublimation. And were he to seek solace from prostitutes or ‘easy’ women, he would be promptly labelled as filthy and undesirable. Utterly, inhumanly unreasonable! We were to be men, but without manhood(96). "
In Braithwaite’s conception, masculinity cannot exist without the accomplishment of sexual intercourse; that is, to deny a man his sexual nature would be to deny him his manhood. In this way, masculinity does not exist as a wholly separate identity. Rather, masculinity necessitates the existence of femininity as a kind of foil of identity: a yin and a yang, which together construct the gendered nature of identity.
However, Braithwaite conceptualizes females as lesser, and so the ideals of femininity are presented as secondary to those of masculinity. The ideals of femininity routinely concern Braithwaite’s idea of female decency. As the fairer sex, Braithwaite believes that females are inherently weaker than men, and must be protected. This mindset is exemplified in Braithwaite’s treatment of Gillian, who he refers to as a girl and often regards as a child. However, the audience witnesses the ridiculousness of Braithwaite’s conception of femininity, as women repeatedly come to his aid. Braithwaite seems to largely disregard these acts of female protection of his character, as they go against his beliefs of femininity. Rather, he seems instead to regard women in the prototypical patriarchal mindset of commodification. When speaking to Mr. Blanchard about Hija del Dia, the Aruban brothel, Braithwaite repeatedly thinks of these women as “meat” (177), replacing their humanity with commodification. In this way, Braithwaite substantiates his belief that the most important aspect of femininity is female decency. As soon as females no longer behave decently, they become commodities, no longer human. This idea presents a catch-22 in terms of gendered identity: while masculinity requires sexual intercourse and therefore a lack of female decency, femininity necessitates the opposite. Therefore, the novel presents the problems associated with this antiquated belief in Victorian ideals of the gender binary.
The Power of Language
Throughout the novel, Braithwaite presents language as a powerful tool which can used to change individuals and society at large. When Braithwaite first arrives at Greenslade, he is stunned and horrified to learn that the students regularly curse in the presence of teachers; he finds this language to be completely offensive, and an indication of the students’ lack of respect for authority figures. Although the novel’s modern audience might not understand this response, Braithwaite’s abhorrence at cursing becomes understandable as the novel progresses and he is subjected to numerous racial slurs. Indeed, Braithwaite’s focus on the power of language can be understood as directly resultant from the racism he faces on a nearly daily basis; as a Black man, Braithwaite is incredibly sensitive to the power than language can have as a means to oppress other people.
At first, Braithwaite uses this understanding of the deleterious effects of language in order to shame his students. After the incident with the sanitary napkin, he uses language to differentiate between various kinds of women: “There are certain things which decent women keep private at all times…. Only a filthy slut would have dared to do this thing, and those of you who stood by and encouraged her are just as bad” (70). Braithwaite uses the power of negative language to divide females into two different categories: filthy sluts and decent women. In this way, Braithwaite negatively reinforces Victorian ideals of femininity, forcing his female students to bend to his patriarchal will. However, this method of control—and, by extension, of powerful language—namely uses fear and shame to force others into subservience. As such, the latent hostility in the words allows for the possibility of rebellion. As soon as the female students forget this shame, they will return to their original behavior.
Perhaps realizing that he has overstepped, Braithwaite then appropriates language as a positive tool through which he can exert control over his otherwise unruly classroom. Specifically, he uses titles of address in order to create an atmosphere of respect within his classroom: “Myself you will address as ‘Mr. Braithwaite’ or ‘Sir’—the choice is yours; the young ladies will be addressed as ‘Miss’ and the young men will be addressed by their surnames” (73). Braithwaite capitalizes on his understanding of the importance of language, and specifically, of names, in order to foster an atmosphere of respect in his classroom. In this way, he is able to control his students without force, and witnesses the gradual lessening of their use of expletives, and what he considers “strong language” (152).
Just as the usage of titles of address fosters the atmosphere of respect, the use of names throughout the novel becomes increasingly important in maintaining relationships. Specifically, the use of first names or nicknames indicates an increasing level of intimacy between Braithwaite and the other characters. Towards the beginning of the novel, Braithwaite mentions that he refers to the Belmonts as “‘Dad’ and ‘Mom’ at their own suggestion” (49). Although seemingly trivial, this use of names indicates a level of intimacy that Braithwaite craves, as he has been ostracized by much of English society by being Black. Similarly, as Braithwaite’s relationships with his students progress, they begin to speak of their siblings in the first-person plural—“our” (107)—including Braithwaite as a member of their families. While this indicates an increased level of intimacy, Braithwaite also begins to understand that this intimacy requires a certain amount of obligation and responsibility as well. Although the power of inclusive language allows Braithwaite to feel as though he finally belongs within a community, the behavioral expectations also limit his personal independence, forcing him to similarly bend to the power of language.
