Hornbill The Browning Version - Revision Notes
CBSE Class 11 English Core
Revision Notes
Hornbill CHAPTER – 9
The Browning Version
The present extract is from The play “The Browning Version” written by Terence Rattigan which is focussed on two contrasting school teachers Mr. Crocker Harris and Mr. Frank They are different in age, temperament and devotion to their profession.Frank is young more social while Mr. Harris is middle aged and reserved. Frank lacks involvement and devotion while Croker Harris is feared as a hard task master. The one act play also presents the hidden rivalry among the people of the same profession through the characters of these two teachers.It also describes the reaction of a student of Mr. Crocker Harris, towards his teachers.
It vividly brings about the agony of a dedicated teacher who has a strict attitude towards his students and the attitude of a teacher who represents the corrupt way of most of the so called modern teachers who are fond of flattery and have false egos and envious of the teachers who are true to their profession..
It starts with the conversation between a school boy Taplow and another teacher Mr. Frank.In fact ,it happens that Taplow is given some extra work by Mr.Harris on the last day of the week as a punishment for being absent for one day in the class. Teachers likeFrank encourage student like Taplow to make comments on their fellow teachers. Frank asks Taplw not to wait for Cracker Harris and leave. But Taplow waits for him.
In between Millie, the wife of Crocker Harris arrives there and sends him to chemist’s shop with a presecription. The play exhibits that the boy Taplow is much afraid of his teacher and has to stay till his arrival. In this extract the author brings out the character of Crocker Harris through Taplow in a direct contrast to Frank.
The play highlights the wrong and corrupt practices prevalent in education system since ages and also have come to the height now-a-days.It shows that there is no doubt teachers who are friendly with students more than needed, certainly liked by students but in the long run the teachers who are honest,sincere and devoted to their profession possess a respectful, and dignified place in the core of their heart.Today the education has been commercialised and true teachers have become hard to find so it is the duty of every student and teacher and stakeholders to take lesson from Mr.Harris and Student like Taplow.There is no doubt that the teaching strategies have totally changed but a teacher is a teacher in real sense if required distance is maintained between a student and a teacher their relationship becomes healthy as the saying goes-'Access of everything is bad'.We should not forget that a teacher is not only a teacher but a friend,a guradian and a parent.
Students should also take a lesson from Taplow who was instigated by Mr. Frank to leave but he continued to accoplish his task. They should also be respectful, sincere and true to their teachers. Both of them will succeed if they go hand in hand.
