Fiji Year 13 English. Literature-Short Story. "Harry" by Rosemary Timperley. Notes Discussion.

Summary

This video lesson delves into Rosemary Timperly's short story 'Harry,' exploring themes of love, horror, and desperation. Set in 1950s London, it tells the haunting tale of a ghostly presence, Harry, who seeks to reunite with his sister Christine, now adopted by a loving family. The story examines the complexities of family bonds, the struggle to understand children's minds, and the consequences of desperate acts. The lesson highlights Timperly's effective use of imagery and first-person narration to build suspense, leaving viewers with a chilling and thought-provoking experience.

Takeaways

• 📚 The video discusses a literature lesson focusing on the short story 'Harry' by Rosemary Timperly, a British novelist known for her ghost stories.
• 🎓 Rosemary Timperly was a prolific writer who published 66 novels and hundreds of short stories, with 'Harry' being one of her most famous works.
• 🏡 The story is set in London, England, with a significant part taking place in the James's residence, which is affected by the ghostly presence of Harry.
• 👻 The ghost of Harry is central to the story, as he is the deceased brother of Christine, who is now adopted by the James family and is the focus of his supernatural attention.
• 👶 Christine, the adopted daughter of the James family, starts talking to her imaginary brother Harry, which raises concerns for her foster mother, Mrs. James.
• 👩‍⚕️ Mrs. James consults Dr. Webster about Christine's behavior, but initially, there is no cause for alarm as it is seen as a normal part of a child's development.
• 🏢 The story's background includes the historical context of the 1955 Slum Clearance Act in London, which affected the living conditions of Harry's family.
• 🔍 As the story unfolds, Mrs. James learns about the tragic past of Christine's biological family and the circumstances that led to Harry's death.
• 😱 The story builds suspense and horror as it is revealed that Harry's ghost may be trying to take Christine away, leading to a chilling climax where Christine goes missing.
• 👪 The themes of the story include unconditional love, the struggle to understand children, and the desperate acts people may commit when faced with adversity.
• 🖋 The writing style of 'Harry' effectively uses imagery, first-person narration, and a compelling beginning and ending to create a sense of horror and suspense.

Q & A

Who is the author of the short story 'Harry'?

The author of the short story 'Harry' is Rosemary Timperly.

What was Rosemary Timperly's profession besides being a writer?

Besides being a writer, Rosemary Timperly was also a teacher and a staff writer for Reveal magazine, where she edited the personal advice column under the pen name Jane Blythe.

What is the setting of the short story 'Harry'?

The short story 'Harry' is set in London, England, primarily in the James's residence.

What is the significance of the year 1955 in the story 'Harry'?

The year 1955 is significant because it is when the Slum Clearance Act came into effect in London, which is relevant to the background of Harry's family living in unsanitary conditions and facing relocation.

What is the central theme of the short story 'Harry'?

The central theme of the short story 'Harry' is love, specifically the love between siblings and the lengths one would go to protect and be with a loved one.

What is the relationship between Christine and Harry?

Christine and Harry are siblings. Harry is Christine's older brother who appears as an imaginary friend after his death.

Why does Mrs. James become concerned about Christine's imaginary friend?

Mrs. James becomes concerned because Christine starts talking to an imaginary friend named Harry, and later develops a new accent, which raises suspicions about the influence of this imaginary friend on Christine.

What does the story suggest about the nature of Harry's death?

The story suggests that Harry died while trying to save Christine from their father's attempt to kill the family by gassing them, and that he fell to his death with Christine in his arms.

How does the story end?

The story ends with the implication that Harry, as a ghost, has taken Christine away, as she is never found after he supposedly comes to pick her up from school.

What are some of the writing styles used by Rosemary Timperly in 'Harry'?

Some of the writing styles used in 'Harry' include an effective title, use of imagery, effective beginning and ending, and first-person narration.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to 'Harry' by Rosemary Timperly

The video begins with an introduction to a literature lesson focusing on the short story 'Harry' by Rosemary Timperly, set under the theme of love. The author's background is detailed, highlighting her prolific career as a British novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter known for ghost stories. The story's setting in London, England, during the summer, is described, along with the main characters: the James family, who have adopted Christine, and the ghostly presence of Harry, who seems to affect their home environment. The video also touches on the historical context of the 1955 Slum Clearance Act and its impact on characters' lives.

05:02

👻 The Plot and Horror Elements of 'Harry'

This paragraph delves into the plot of 'Harry,' a chilling tale of a young girl named Christine who talks to an imaginary friend, Harry. As her adoptive mother, Mrs. James, becomes increasingly concerned, the story unfolds with a visit to Dr. Webster and a subsequent visit to the adoption registry to uncover Christine's biological family's tragic past. The narrative builds suspense as Mrs. James learns about Harry's death and his ghost's possible intentions to take Christine away. The story's open-ended conclusion leaves viewers with a sense of mystery and horror.

10:03

👨‍👧‍👦 Character Analysis: Harry and His Family's Struggles

The third paragraph provides an in-depth analysis of the central character, Harry, and his relationship with his sister Christine. It discusses Harry's selfless act of saving Christine from their father's desperate attempt to end their lives due to poverty. The paragraph also explores the psychological aspects of Harry's character, his love for his sister, and the impact of his background of poverty and neglect on his actions, even after his death.

15:28

👩‍👧‍👦 Unconditional Love and Desperation in 'Harry'

Here, the focus shifts to the themes of unconditional love and desperation. The narrator discusses the love between Mrs. James and Christine, as well as the love between Harry and Christine, highlighting the conflict between these relationships. Desperate acts, such as Harry's father's attempt to gas the family and Mrs. James's own actions to protect Christine, are examined, showing how desperation can lead to tragic outcomes.

20:30

📖 Literary Themes and Writing Style in 'Harry'

The fifth paragraph examines the literary themes present in 'Harry,' such as unconditional love, understanding children, and the actions of desperate individuals. It also analyzes the writing style of Rosemary Timperly, including the effective use of the title, imagery, and the first-person narrative perspective. The paragraph emphasizes how these elements contribute to the suspense and emotional impact of the story.

25:32

🎓 Conclusion and Encouragement for Students

The final paragraph concludes the discussion on 'Harry' by Rosemary Timperly, summarizing the key points and themes. The narrator encourages students, particularly those preparing for exams, to engage deeply with the story, emphasizing the importance of reading, writing, and listening in mastering the English language. The video ends with a call to action for viewers to like, subscribe, and support for more content.

Keywords

💡Literature

Literature refers to written works, especially those considered of superior or lasting artistic merit. In the context of the video, literature is the focus of the lesson, with a specific emphasis on a short story as part of the broader literary analysis.

💡Short Story

A short story is a brief work of fiction that typically deals with a single theme or plot. The video discusses 'Harry' by Rosemary Timperly, a short story that serves as the central text for the lesson, exploring themes of love and horror.

💡Theme

The theme in literature refers to the underlying message or main idea that the author intends to convey. The video's main theme revolves around love, particularly the supernatural love between siblings as depicted in the short story 'Harry'.

💡Author

An author is the creator of a written work. Rosemary Timperly is the author of 'Harry' and is discussed in the video for her contributions to literature, particularly her ghost stories which include the story in focus.

💡Setting

Setting refers to the time and place in which the story takes place. The video describes the setting of 'Harry' as London, England, and the contrasting environments between the affluent James's residence and the impoverished area where Harry's family lived.

💡Characterization

Characterization is the process by which an author creates and develops the characters in a narrative. The video discusses the characters in 'Harry,' focusing on their traits and motivations, such as Harry's protective love for his sister Christine.

💡Plot

The plot is the sequence of events in a narrative. The video summarizes the plot of 'Harry,' which involves a ghostly presence, an adopted child, and a tragic past that influences the present.

💡Ghost Story

A ghost story is a tale involving spirits or supernatural phenomena. The video mentions that Rosemary Timperly is best remembered for her ghost stories, and 'Harry' is one such story, featuring a ghostly character who influences the narrative.

💡Unconditional Love

Unconditional love refers to love without any conditions or limitations. The video discusses this concept as a central theme in 'Harry,' where Harry's love for his sister transcends even death, and Mrs. James's love for her adopted daughter Christine.

💡Desperate Acts

Desperate acts are actions taken in extreme circumstances when one feels there is no other option. The video describes how characters in 'Harry' commit desperate acts due to their dire situations, such as Harry's father attempting to gas his family due to poverty.

💡First Person Narration

First person narration is a point of view in which the narrator shares experiences from their own perspective. The video mentions that 'Harry' is narrated from Mrs. James's perspective, allowing readers to experience the story through her eyes and emotions.

Highlights

Introduction to the lesson discussing the literature of a short story on YouTube, focusing on 'Harry' by Rosemary Tinkley under the theme of love.

Emphasis on the importance of correctly spelling authors' names and titles, using quotation marks for titles.

Biographical information about Rosemary Tinkley, her prolific writing career, and her best-known ghost stories.

Tinkley's transition from teaching to writing, including her work at Reveal magazine and later as a freelance writer.

Setting of the story 'Harry' in London, England, during the summer, with a focus on the contrasting warmth of the sun and the coldness of the James's home.

Background of the story, including the Slum Clearance Act of 1955 and its impact on characters' lives.

Plot summary of 'Harry', detailing the mysterious presence of an imaginary friend and the fear it instills in Mrs. James.

Character analysis of Harry, including his physical appearance, background, and the love he has for his sister Christine.

Mrs. James's role as a foster mother, her intuition about the danger posed by Harry, and her efforts to protect Christine.

Christine's character development, her connection with Harry, and the impact of her imaginary friend on her life.

Themes of unconditional love, understanding children, and desperate acts in the face of adversity within the story.

Writing style analysis, including the effective use of title, imagery, beginning and ending, and first-person narration.

Discussion on the ambiguity and suspense created by the story's writing style, leaving readers with a sense of unease and curiosity.

The impact of the story's setting and background on the plot development and character relationships.

The role of the Slum Clearance Act in shaping the story's social context and the characters' motivations.

The story's open-ended conclusion, inviting readers to interpret the fate of Christine and the nature of Harry's presence.

Encouragement for students to engage with the story actively, emphasizing the importance of reading, writing, and listening in language acquisition.

Transcripts

[Music]

so

welcome you to another lesson for today

today i will be discussing on youtube

literature specifically

froze short story

and um

under the theme love

there are two short stories

i will be discussing one of them which

is harry by rosemary tinkly

just another reminder whenever you are

writing the authors of the works that

you have studied and also the titles

make sure the spelling is correct

the title need to be quoted so there are

to be quotation marks

and the authors poets

or drummers

playwright sorry the playwright's names

are to be correct so rosemary timberly

is the author of our

short story one under the theme

love without further ado we will now

discuss about the writer

rosemary timberly now she was born on

the 20th of march 1920

and died on 9th november 1988. she was a

british novelist

short story writer and screenwriter

she wrote a wide range of fiction

publishing 66 novels in 33 years and

several hundred short stories but is

best remembered for her ghost stories

which

which appear in many anthologies

her story harry has been filmed

several times

in the mid-1940s while still working as

a teacher

she started submitting short stories to

magazines and newspapers with the first

hot air in penelope being published in

august 1946

still writing she left her job as a

teacher to become a staff writer for

reveal magazine in 1949

editing the personal advice column under

the pen name jane blythe

readers letters and writing a number of

stories feature articles and book

reviews

and then after reading a number of

novels she left

revealed to become a freelance writer

when you want to write a number of radio

and television scripts

and that is a very short and brief bio

that of our author rosemary timperly you

can see that she has

she has a great tenure she has written

and most are of stories and one of her

famous

stories is harry which will be discussed

now we have the setting and background

of our story

now the story takes place in london

england the main part of the story takes

place in the james's residence

it is summer and although the sun shines

brightly the james's home seems cold to

mrs james

the ghostly presence of harry seems to

be having this effect

the james cannot have children they have

adopted christine and bring her up as

their own

they seem to be well off and love

christine as if she was their flesh and

blood

mrs james in particular is very attached

to christine

and her mother's instincts tells her

that something is not right

harry's family comes from the very poor

side of town the father is the sole

bread winner and the wife has just had a

second child

his father was laid off from work and

then and this drives him to kill his

families he cannot provide for them

in 1955 the year that harry was written

a slum clearance act came into effect

and that meant that many who lived in

these areas would be relocated

this is referring to the old lady who

refused to leave her home

harry's family lived in unsanitary

conditions which explain the father's

long illness which led to him losing his

job

in many instances in my previous video

when i had discussed on the kabuliwala

the year 12

short story

the setting in the background

however different

they both are tied together

the setting is the physical place where

the story takes place and the background

is usually the political or the social

atmosphere of the story

our setting is in london england

this is where the story takes place the

physical setting however the background

it also ties together with what is

happening in the foreground

and background so

it happened in 1955 very

um a year where there was a slum

clearance act in london england that

where all those who lived in slums were

relocated

and a character the woman who tells

mrs james about the fate of the little

boy harry and his family

she refuses to leave her home

so this all ties together to

how it also affects how

the story pans out

so if you've read the story which i have

and it's a very interesting read the

first time i read it i have i had

goosebumps and i still do whenever i

read for my year 13s

it talks of

an unlikely and strange

horror story

moving on we have the plot

or the summary of the story

now when mrs james finds out that her

five-year-old daughter chris or

christine is talking to an imaginary

brother as she becomes scared and

curious

as a foster mother of christine she is

protective and mentions this to her

husband

he however does not find anything wrong

in it but when mrs james tells him that

christine has a new accent the next day

he suggests that she should see dr

webster

after talking to christine dr webster

does not see anything wrong in

christine's behavior she is told that

christine is expected to leave this

habit when she joins school

and mrs james is glad that christine

will start school soon

before going to school christine tells

her mother that she doesn't want to go

to school because harry will leave her

after persuading her she agrees

the next day mrs james takes christine

to school and goes to the adoption

registry

she acts as miss clever about

christine's biological family miss

cleaver refuses to give her any

information at first but when mrs james

explains her reasons she agrees

she is told that christine's parents

were very poor the father is the sole

breadwinner who is struggling to make

ends meet

when they have another child christine

things become even more difficult

one day her father locks up all the

windows and doors and turns on the gas

christine's brother was able to break

through the window to save christine

after getting the address mrs james goes

to visit christine's parents home

the neighbor tells her about how

christine's brother harry

used to take care of christine when her

parents ignored her

she tells mrs james about how harry

falls to his death with christine in his

arms and a bush of white roses

where he used to sit and play with her

she also claims to see harry's ghost

coming back wanting to take christine

with him

mrs james suddenly realizes

that she's running late to pick

christina from school

when she reaches the school she is told

that christine's brother had come to

take her home

a search is mounted for christine

but she is never found

whenever i read this story to my

students and when we reach to that part

where

harry picks up his

little sister and they

supposedly go off

it always leaves them one team one and i

think that's the beauty of the story

it leaves us wanting more and also you

can have your own interpretation of what

happens to christine

so the story is full of mystery it is

full of um horror you get goosebumps

you are also wanting to know more

you share mrs james's struggle trying to

understand why harry is coming back for

his sister

supernatural entity is coming back to

take a very live little girl

and but you also want them to be

reunited because the hardship that they

had both indeed especially harry

so um yeah the story is such and it's a

very interesting story

and um

if you

think about under the theme love

harry's love for his sister did make him

go back to try and get back his um

his sister for them to be together

so for in his mind

if

his

own biological parents couldn't love

christine

mrs james

who didn't birth christine wouldn't love

her as much as he would so i think that

is his um

main motivator to why he wanted to take

christine with him

now let's move on to the characters

so we're gonna now discuss about the

characterization of each character in

our story

first we have the central character

which was uh harry

makari is christine's brother his

physical appearance

as mentioned by

mrs james at the beginning of the story

that really

um

[Music]

found her terrified of which was red

hair and he is tall for his age

he speaks a cockney accent of london

he loves christine and saves her from

death by jumping out of the window with

her in his arms so that talks about how

selfless he is and it is described how

his mother neglected

or had a postpartum depression

so he never actually showed any any form

of affection towards christine

and um that's where harry um

would always um

be there for her and even after death he

came back to rescue her supposedly from

what he thought

was

a life that was that he wasn't in it so

he came to take her

he does as a result but comes back from

the dead to take her with him

to understand harry one needs to

understand his background of poverty and

improvident her parents so the hand that

was dealt to him

really does show what type of person he

was

and to be against all that

adversity he still showed love

and that love was mainly towards his

baby sister and this is probably why

hair returned to christine as someone

who could he could share his affections

with

and as the little girl obviously adored

him he probably felt that he owned

her affections and wanted his little

sister all for himself

he most probably didn't trust that mrs

james loved christine as much as he did

and that shows in the store where he

kept wanting her attention and

eventually

uh leaves with her to go

we could only

uh help but wonder

our next character is mrs james

and mrs james is christine's foster

mother she loves christine as if she is

her own child

and her instincts and her instincts are

concerning christine are well founded

because she is proven correct at the end

as her suspicions about herring are

confirmed so mrs james she's an

intuitive person

now sometimes we obviously as a

biological mother to children we just

assume that

we know our kids more than anyone but

sometimes those who are adoptive parents

as mothers we have this

instinct

that

kicks in when our child is in danger

and another characteristic of

mrs james is she does her best to give

christine a loving home

and wants to protect her from the danger

she senses in harry which is well

founded because

he does take away now you please be

reminded harry is a ghost

and to take

christine who is still alive into the

supposed afterwards how would he do that

and that would only be to kill her so um

anyone can

[Music]

have their own theories about whatever

happened at the end of the story that's

the beauty of um

literacy and that's the beauty of this

story

next character we have christine now she

is harry's sister who is now five years

old and about to start school life

as she is the only child in the

household this is father for harry who

was able to convince her

[Music]

[Music]

[Music]

[Music]

he used to feed and protect christine as

a baby

saving her from being gassed to death by

jumping out of her window thus saving

her would die himself now

there is unconditional love between

mrs james

and christine

and then you have the unconditional love

between harry and

christine so a common denominator is

christine this little girl is loved

dearly by two different people however

they are both fighting for their love

for christine

and they both have their own agendas

so harry feels that

mrs james won't love

christine as much as he does

and mrs james is very cautious of the

fact that a little boy or a sorry

a

imaginary friend

has taken away the innocent child

and has

also taken away the attention or the

love between a mother and child

and now christine has

projected that love onto

something else

another theme is understanding children

now although it is difficult to

understand children's feelings and needs

dr webster dr webb stays the therapist

that mrs james goes to see about

christine's imaginary friend

actually the whole family so christine

could speak to dr webster

dr webster and mr james associate

christine's imaginary friend as part of

child talk

even her direct conversations with harry

and descriptions of him do not trigger

cause for concern for the two

the story shows that it requires a lot

of time and patience to understand

children especially during their phase

of language learning

that is so true so children

like sponges

so they will

quickly soak up what they see that is

around them

so if they see violence they will

project that kind of violence in school

like the playground

christine

develops the cockney accent from harry

because he gives her more attention

rather than mr and mrs james

so dr webster and mr james

however founded their

um

their

their their understanding towards

christine do not find it a cause of

concern

so

and there it then they later find out

that there was a dire consequences to

that

so

we need to understand that children go

through different phases and we need to

be patient

and understanding of these visas

the third theme is people who are in

desperate situations often commit

desperate acts

a christian's father found himself in a

desperate situation when he lost his job

and was unable to care for his family

the birth of christine made matters

worse and she was an extra mouth to feed

as he was unable to find another job he

decided to kill his family by gassing

them

mrs james also becomes desperate when

she finds that harry has been trying to

put christine away from her

in her desperation she further alienates

christine by shouting at and hitting her

she also goes out of her way to find out

about christine's past

allowing harry to go to the school to

pick her up

so there are two desperate acts

happening here we have the first

desperate act of harry's father who

um

tries to commit murder suicide

but there's a survivor if it wasn't for

harass quick thinking

and then we have mrs james who is

desperate to find out

why christine has developed a new

imaginary friend

and what does she do she further

alienates

christine and shouts and hits her

one can almost say that that it was her

way of trying to get to christine by

showing her love and also the father he

would um

he committed a desperate act because he

loved his family enough for them not to

continue suffering and christine

was a innocent victim and harry as well

in all of this

so um those are the themes in our story

we have

unconditional love understanding

children people who are desperate who

are in desperate situations often commit

desperate acts

so those are the themes for our short

story and

you can also garner your own

from the your own interpretation of the

short story so

it's always open for interpretation

lastly we have our style of writing

which is our final element of our short

story

this is a very important element as well

because they bring out

the

the suspense of the story

the imagery of the story different ways

of

the different ways the author rosemary

typically brought out

the the beauty of this short story

called harry

first one is the effective title

now the title has been aptly chosen

because the plot centers on a red-haired

boy by the name of harry who poses a

danger to mrs james because he wishes to

take christine away with him

the name harry is an ordinary name but

invokes so much fear in mrs james

because she instinctively senses that he

is dangerous to her family the readers

also sense that harry is dangerous

because they are looking at him through

mrs james's eyes

so the title is very effective the first

time when i read my short story to my

year 13

whenever i begin the story i become as

ambiguous as i can be so they assume

harry is probably a

um

a hero that tries to be a um

uh tries to rescue a damsel in distress

because under the theme love

but we get in a totally different

perception of this character he does

portray love but in

a way that no one expected

so that's what makes the title very

effective

hari is an ordinary name but it

invokes fear and a character it also

invokes

suspicion curiosity

the list is endless so that is a very

effective title

moving on we have the use of images

in the beginning and ending of the story

which tie up the story well now such

ordinary things make me afraid

sunshine

sharp shadows on grass

white roses

children with red hair

and the name harry

such an ordinary name

now these images connect the narrator's

fear for harry and the readers upon

reading out why she fears these things

get to understand her fears and also

feel harry's

presence now this

these lines

start the story and also end the story

when you first started the story and you

read this there's not much

um of in emotion or it doesn't stir up

anything until you get to the end and

when you read these lines

it brings about so much

that you

in a sense get goosebumps you

uh because of that imagery it comes to

your mind and then you realize how these

very mundane things

sparks a reaction out of you

the third style of writing is the

effective beginning and ending

it gives unity to the story and in this

case gives the readers a creepy

sensation as they read in the beginning

as the narrator voices her fears the

reader is interested to know why but

doesn't feel her fear

just as i said earlier

however at the end of the story those

same words fill the reader with a sense

of horror

the last style of writing

the first person narration

through the eyes of mrs james the reader

gets to see the story through a mother's

eyes and no one can see her desperation

as she tries to find ways to get

christine away from harry

she expresses her fears and the reader

follows her to the adoption agency and

to the old house where christine was

born

the readers see her fear she rushes back

to the school to find that harry has

been taken away so we only get the

perspective of mrs james throughout the

story and from her perspective you can

see the horror you can see the different

emotions that she goes through and you

can you can't but help but feel for her

that you are

going through this journey of

trying to love a child that she did not

birth but she loves the child even more

and find out about that child's past

which comes back to haunt not only

christine but also

the the james's family

now that is the end of our discussion i

hope you uh enjoyed um

the very brief discussion and

thank you once again to

viewing this video i hope it will give

you some clarity towards your

queries if you have read it and you do

not understand and those of you who are

in fiji on

sitting for year 13 exams

please

the questions

are quite easy if you understand the

story

english is not a subject it's a language

and in order to become better the

subject or to become better the language

story you have to be able to read it

write it and listen to it more so i

thank you for listening to my very brief

discussion on the short story harry by

rosemary templey and uh if it'd be great

if you can like and subscribe for more

content for fiji 13 and year 12 english

and i thank you once again for joining

with me