By Vivien Alcock 1

8/13/2019 By Vivien Alcock 1

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By Vivien Alcock


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The Author:Vivien Alcock

Bestselling author of mystery and fantasy fiction for young

adults.

Born: 23 September 1924 in Worthing, England

Died: 11 October 2003 in London, England

Writing was only secondary to art.

Attended the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Arts from

1940

Vivien worked as a commercial artist and it was only whenLeons success began to wane that she produced her first novel.


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The story is about Lucy Beck A young, small and earlyoverlocked girl with a lonely O level. She graduates atthe bottom of the class from Belmont SecretarialCollege.

Lucy comes from a poor family. She lives with her hot-tempered mother and her uncle who is a heavy drinker.

Lucy was offered a job as a secretary at Ross andBannisters.

As Lucy work alone in the office, she encounters strangeincidents. No matter what she tries to type the wordQWERTYUIOP keeps popping on the letter and then

threaten her frighten her. Lucy discovers the existence of Miss Broome who claims

to be the rightful secretary of the office.


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Lucy gets to know from Harry Darke that Miss Broomewas a former secretary of the late Mr Bannister who wasforced to retire after forty three years of service.

Lucy sympathies with Miss Broomes situation but she isdetermined to keep her job. She tells Miss Broome aboutMr Bannisters passing and persuades her that herservices are needed more where he is now. Finally the

spirit gives in and Lucy bids her goodbye.


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Setting:

Lucys houseLucy lives in a poor neighbourhood.

She lives with her mother and Uncle Bert.


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The office of Ross and Bannisters

Ross and Bannisters is a small firm which is over thirty yearsold.

It has a factory just outside the town that makes cushions andduvets.

It has a office in the High Street.

The office is small but airy and bright with a view of the streetbelow.

There are only two other people in the office, Mr Ross, Lucysboss and Mr Harry Drake who does all the odd jobs.


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Main Character: Lucy BeckCharacteristics

Plain looking

A low achieverPoor

Suffers from low esteem

Determined

Sympathetic

Brave


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Caring

Insightful

Quick-learner


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Main Character: The ghost of Miss Broome

Characteristics

PersistentBad Tempered

Vengeful

Loyal and dedicatedLonely

Feels unappreciated


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Minor Character: Harry Darke

Characteristics

Helpful

Judgemental

Concerned

Supportive and encouraging


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Minor Character: Lucys Mother

Characteristics

PatientDoes not expect Lucy to get a job

Compassionate

Minor Character: Uncle Bert

Characteristics

An alcoholic

Low self esteem

Caring


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Minor Character: Mr Ross

Characteristics

Lucy boss

Accommodating

Concerned

Minor Character: Mrs Price

Characteristicssympathetic


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lot1. At Belmont secretarial Collage

The students at Belmont Secretarial

Collage have completed their secretarialcourse.

Among them is Lucy Beck who is theweakest student in the class.

She has only obtained one O level passhas a very slow typing speed.


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2. Lucy want a job badly

-Lucy lives with her mother and uncle.-If she has a job, she can get away from heralcoholic uncle.

-Lucy wants a jobs because she is tired of beingpoor.

-She is tired of eating macaroni cheese and bakedbeans.

-She is sick of wearing second-hand clothes.


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3.Lucy gets a job at Ross andBannisters

-Lucy attends her first interview at Ross and

Bannisters.

-Ross and Bannisters is a small firm with a factoryjust outside the town making cushions and

duvets.

-Lucy is too excited to notice the sudden doubtinhis voice or the hint of anxietybehind Mr Rossssmile.

-Lucy mother is astonished that Lucy can get a jobso quickly.


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4. Lucys first day at work

-Lucy arrives early on her first day at work.-Lucy reports for work enthusiastically.

-She meets Harry Darke, the odd-job man who hasworked for the company for thirty-years.

-Harry hints to Lucy that her predecessors did notlast long in the position.

-He is also cautious and does not reveal too muchinformation.

-He tells Lucy that the electric typewriter in the

office is not an ordinary one.-He also gives Lucy a big bottle of correction fluidin anticipation of problems with the typewriter.

-He then leaves her alone as he has errands to do.


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5. Lucys first terrifying encounter withthe typewriter

-Mr Ross has left Lucy instructions on the taperecorder to type a letter to a client.

-The moment Lucy starts typing she feels

something is wrong.

-The word QWERTYUIOPis repeated many times.

-The typewriter then starts typing funny messagesbut it is unless.

-Lucy uses the liquid paper to erase the messagesbut it is useless.

-Finally a threat is issued: NO ONE LIKES YOU. GOAWAY BEFORE


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6. Lucy remembers Darkes warnings-Lucy suddenly remembers all that Darke has said

to her.-Lucy realises she is dealing with the supernatural.

-She gets up and flees to the door.


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7. Lucy confronts the typewriter-Lucy may be young and shy but she is not acoward.

-She refuses to leave her job, so she faces herfears.

-She returns to finish her letter.

-Lucy discovers that the messages are comingfrom Miss Broome, a Former secretary to the lateMr Bannister.

-The ghost of Miss Broome makes the typewriterscream and shake, snapping its keys likecastanets; it is very determined to shop Lucy fromcontinuing her work.

-Lucy is adamant that she finishes her letters andimmediate deletes any unwanted messages the

minute they appear.


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8. Darke tells Lucy about Miss Broome

-Miss Broome was old Mr Bannisters secretary.

-She was forced to retire after 43 years of service.-She didnt have a family and the office was herhome.

-The jobs was all she lived for.

-She became very depressed and died soon after.

-She has since been haunting the typewriter andforcing all the secretaries to quit.


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9. Lucy types a goodbye note to MissBroome

-Lucy decides to type a letter to Miss Broome and

informs her that

Her services are still needed by Mr Bannister

who passed away three years ago at the age ofeighty-six

Mr Bannister was always saying how much hemissed her (Miss Broome)

None of the new girls were any good-Lucys kindness and compassion help the ghost ofMiss Broome to finally find peace and stophaunting the typewriter.


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10. All ends well for Lucy

-Mr Ross is delighted with his new secretary.-Mr Darke admires Lucy for her bravery in facingthe ghost.

-Lucy is proud to be a secretary.

-It is a job she likes to do and can do well.


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Themes

Compassion and kindness

Determination to succeed

Vengeance

Ghostly encounters

Loneliness and rejection


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Moral Values

Do not judge a book by its cover

Perseverance is the key to success

Do not give up easily when we arefaced with problems

We must go the extra mile to help

others

Protect what is rightfully ours


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Po int o f View

The story is told in the third person

point of view and we only knows

what Lucy knows, thinks and feels

as the events unfold around her.


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Language Style and DictionThe story is told in simple language. Direct

speech is used a lot and the dialogues make

the story interesting. The use of literarydevices such as simile, metaphor,

personification, alliteration and symbol

helps create the right mood and atmosphere

for the story.


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Diction: Good expressions used in

the story

Jobs dont grow on

trees

A hint of anxietybehind his smile

No need to look

like a frightened

mouse

No one breathing

down her neck

Sunlight streamedthrough the window

goose pimples

shivering her flesh


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Literary Devices

ComparisonA typing speed that would make a tortoise

laugh

His collapsing face seemed held togetherin a scarlet net of broken veins


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Simile

Shot off like a scalded cat

No need to look like a frightened mouse

Its keys clicking like badly fitting false teeth

Shaking and snapping its keys like castanetsEvery letter she stared in the face like it was acriminal and she the judge

MetaphorYou are the new broom

Youre a right little lion


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Personification

The typewriter was silent

lucka stranger coming late to the door#

Visual Imageit crouched like a squat ugly monster

staring at her with alphabetical eyes

fingers flying over the keys like white butterflies

The typewriter rocked as if with laughter

keys hitting her fingers from below, leaping up anddown like mad children at playtime


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Sound Images

He wasjinglinga bunch of keysWas the typewriter really hummingin tune?

Its keys clicking

Symbolthe rough sea of life is a symbol of the trialsof life

Come into the parlour, said the spider to thefly is a symbol of Lucy being a prey

Brass clock is a symbol of Miss Broomes timebeing up


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IdiomPunctuality is the courtesy of Kings

Get the chop

Alliteration

Judge and jury creates a special sound

effect .


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MoodTo depict a chilling and suitable atmosphere for a ghost

story, the writer evokes the following images:

Mr Drake (note the association of the name with dark)is portrayed as an elderly man with small darkeyes likecurrants.

Lucy is left alonein the office

The spring breeze makes the roomchilly

The unnaturalscreaming and snapping of thehysterical typewriter

The ominous hintsdropped by Harry with the lastgirl leaving so quick. Left the same day she cameShotoff like a scalded cat and Lets hope you stay longerthan the other ones.


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Presented / Created by :

Chang Jian Cong Lee Zhi Xian

Richard Lainier Bertus Low Kim Xiang


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THE END

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By Vivien Alcock 1