QWERTYUIOPby VIVIEN ALCOCK

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=q9ayN39xmsI&feature=fvwp

Vivien AlcockVivien Alcock (1924-2003) was an author of children’ books. Born in Worthing, West Sussex in England, her family moved to Devizes in Wilthire when she was aged 10. She then studied at the Oxford School of Arts.She was married to author Leon Garfield, with whom she adopted a daughter, named Jane after Jane Austen.They met during World War II, when Vivien was an ambulance driver. Her first book was The Haunting of Cassie Palmer which was followed by The Monster Garden and others.

(From Wikipedia.org)

1. SYNOPSIS

This short story is about a young graduate named Lucy Beck who has just finished her ‘O’ levels at Belmont Secretarial College. Being a slow learner herself, she has no confidence that she will find a job. Fortunately, she is offered a job by Mr. Ross, the Manager of Ross and Bannister’s. During her first day, she encounters many peculiar incidents. Later, she finds out that there is a spirit lingering around the office who is adamant in holding on to her position as the company’s secretary. Towards the end of the story, Lucy tries to get rid of the spirit that has been haunting that place for many years by putting the spirit at peace.

2. THEMEa) Determination brings success.

• Lucy determines to hold on to the job as secretary although she scared to the spirit of Miss Broome that haunted her through the typewriter. At last, she managed to convince Miss Broome to go away and stop haunting the typewriter anymore.

b) Opportunities come but once.c) Letting go when necessaryd) Love and care for family members.e) Respect has to be earned.

CHARACTERSa) Lucy Beck : She is a young, shy and insecure graduate of secretarial

studies. She dissatisfied with her current life and is determined to improve it. She obtains a position with Ross and Bannister’s, only to find that the position comes with a chilling secret.

b) Ghost of Ms.Bloome : She was the previous employee of Ross and Bannister·s. She is unwilling to let go of her position and continues to defend her post, even after her demise.

c) Lucy's mother : A housewife who lives a hard life. She has to support her brother.

d) Uncle Bert : Lucy’s uncle. He depends on his sister (Lucy’s mother) for support. He is also a drunkard.

e) Harry Drake : Ross and Bannister·s handyman. He is an old man who has been working with the company for years.

f) Mr. Ross : The younger partner of the company.

3.SETTINGa) Atmosphere

• The story probably takes place in early 20th century when office work was done on typewriters and tapes were still in use. Computers were probably not in use yet.

b) Location• Ross and Bannister’s firm. The story is set in the town of Belmont in the office of Ross and Bannister’s where Lucy Beck works as a secretary and where the haunted typewriter is.• Lucy Beck’s house. At the kitchen where Lucy told her mother about her new job and when Lucy talked with her uncle.

Exposition- how the story starts?Lucy Beck graduates from the Belmont Secretariat College with an ‘O’ level. Lucy was such a slow typist that the Principal, Mrs. Price worried that she could not find a job. Lucy lives with her mother and uncle , Uncle Bert. She wants a job because she does not want to be poor anymore and she wants to leave the house and get away from her drunkard uncle. She goes for an interview at Ross and Banister’s and she is immediately accepted as a secretary.

1

Lucy arrives early on her first day at work. She meets Harry Drake who explains her job description. Lucy sets down to work alone in the office. She types her first letter and being a touch-typist, she does not look at the letter as she types.When she finally glances at the uncompleted letter, she is shocked to find QWERTYUIOPs repeated all over in the letter.Lucy attempts to type anew. This time extraordinary words appear in the letter. She tears out the letter and tries to type on a new sheet again.

Climax- the peak of the storyThe typewriter takes over and types a threat to her.Lucy decides to stay and takes on the typewriter. She discovers the existence of MISS BROOME who claims to be the rightful secretary of the office. Lucy challenges the ghost.

Falling ActionThe typewriter goes berserk with QWERTYUIOPs typed all

over the letter. Each time the unwanted capitals appear. Lucy swipes them with correcting fluid to cover them. She then finally finishes typing her letter.

Mr. Ross comes into the office and fnds some letters to be signed. He enquiries if there is any problem with the typewriter.

The next morning , Harry Darke is surprised to see Lucy back to work. Lucy asks about Miss Broome. She thinks of her Uncle Bert when Harry Darke explains about Miss Broome. Lucy is adamant to stay on and fight for her job.

Resolution – how the story ends…Lucy goes to work the next

day and communicate with Miss Broome via the typewriter. She tells Miss Broome about Mr. Bannister’s passing and persuade her that her services are needed more where he is now.

The spirit relents and Lucy bids her goodbye.

5.Moral Values

One should not be prejudiced towards others. (Do not judge a book by its cover.)

Example 1:The Spirit of Miss Bloome, for example was looked down by others before Lucy. She may be a spirit but she was a lonely spirit .By understanding her loneliness, Lucy succeeded to tell her to serve Mr Bannister who had also passed away and needed her.

Example 2: Lucy was also a victim of prejudice. Being young, small and shy, her principal and even Harry Darke thought that she was a coward. Yet she proved to herself and others that she was a brave person who would not submit to the wish of a lonely spirit.

Do not judge a book by its cover.

a) Do not judge a person by his/her physical appearance or qualification

b) When we want something, we should persevere

c) Problems can be solved effectively through thoughtful actions and compassion

Literary DevicesPoint of view

This story is written from the third person point of view.

Tone

The narrator has empathy towards Lucy Beck.

Diction (the choice of words in the story)

Use of vocabulary to create eerie, paranormal atmosphere.There was something odd!A sudden wrongness felt by her fingers, a tingling, an icy pricking…

Simple vocabulary, short dialogues

Lots of exclamation marks (!) to show emotion, different fonts to indicate typed messages – e.g. capital letters to indicate Miss Broome’s nger in her typed mesage.; use of italic (her) to show emphasis

Continue – Literary DevicesSimileThe story has many interesting similes e.g. shot off like a scalded cat with your fingers flying over the keys like white butterflies straight as a rule like a squat ugly monster like badly fitting false teeth like melting ice-cream eyes like currants….etcMetaphore.g. You’re not the timid mouse you look, Miss Beck. You’re a right little lion; mouse-colouredOnomatopoeiaThe word imitates and echoes the sounds it tries to describe e.g. rattle, snapping, tapping, etcColloquial languagee.g. the old bag ( the elderly lady) who would get the chop (who would be dismissed from the job)Imagerye.g. a thick icing of white hair (grey hair)

PRACTICE 1Read the extract from the short story QWERTYUIOP below and answer the questions that follow.

She stared at it in horrified bewilderment. What had happened? What had she done? Not even on her first day at the Belmont Secretarial College had she made such ridiculous mistakes. Such strange mistakes – QWERTYUIOP, the top line of letters on a typewriter, repeated over and over again! Thank God there had been no one to notice. They’d think she had gone mad. She must be more careful. Keep her mind on the job, not allow it to wander out of the window into the sunny shopping street below. Putting fresh paper into the typewriter, she began again. She was tempted to look at the keyboard . . . “Don’t look at the keys! Keep your eyes away!” Mrs. Price was always saying. “No peeing. You’ll never make a good typist if you can’t do it by touch. Rhythm, it’s all rhythm. Play it to music in your head.”a. What is QWERTYUIOP?

…………………………………………………………………………………b. Why must she be careful?

…………………………………………………………………………………c. What did she decide to do after making the repeated mistakes?

…………………………………………………………………………………d. Do you think you would make such mistakes. Give a reason for your answer.

…………………………………………………………………………………

PRACTICE 2Read the extract from the short story QWERTYUIOP below and answer the questions that follow.

For an hour, she battled with the machine. As fast as QWERTYUIOPs and unwanted capitals appeared, she attacked with a loaded brush. The white fluid ran down the typing paper like melting ice-cream, and dripped thickly into the depths of the typewriter.YOU’RE DROWNING ME, it complained pathetically, and she swiped at the words with her brush.HELP!Another swipe.PLEASE!But Lucy showed no mercy. The large bottle was half-empty when she reached the end of the letter in triumph.Yours faithfully,George Ross,She typed, and sat back with a sigh of relief.The machine began to rattle. Too late, Lucy snatched the completed letter out of the typewriter. Across the bottom of the otherwise faultless page, it now said in large, red capitals:I HATE YOU!Furiously she painted the words out.a. What is the white fluid? …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………b. Why is Lucy battling with the machine? …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………c. Why is the large bottle half empty? …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..d. What quality did Lucy display? Provide a reason for your answer. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

PRACTICE 3Read the extract from the short story QWERTYUIOP below and answer the questions that follow.Lucy typed quickly:re you from outer space?The typewriter rocked, as if with laughter, its keys clicking like badly fitting false teeth. IDIOT, it wrote.Who are you? Lucy typed.Miss Broome, it answered.Lucy hesitated. She did not know quite how to reply to this. In the end she typed:How do you do? I am Miss Beck.GO AWAY, MISS BECKWhy should I?I AM SECRETARY HERE, it sated, this time in red letters.No, you’re not! I am! Lucy typed angrily.The machine went mad. Q U E R T Y U I O P “ / @ Q U E R T Y U I O P £ – &()*QWERTYUIOP+1, it screamed, shaking and snapping its keys like castanets.a. What does the word ‘rocked’ mean? ……………………………………………………………………………………………b. What is Lucy’s occupation? ………………………………………………………………………………………………c. Why did Lucy hesitate? ………………………………………………………………………………………………d. If you were Lucy do you think you would reply to Miss Broome? Give a reason for your answer. ……………………………………………………………………………………………

PRACTICE 4Read the extract from the short story QWERTYUIOP below and answer the questions that follow.

Lucy Beck was young and small and mouse-coloured, easily overlooked. She had a lonely ‘O’ level and a typing speed that would make a tortoise laugh.“Whoever will want to employ me?” she had asked Mrs. Price once, and Mrs. Price had been at a loss to answer.Lucy wanted a job. More than anyone, more than anything, she wanted a job. She was tired of being poor. She was fed up with macaroni cheese and baked beans. She was sick of second-hand clothes.“We are jumble sailors on the rough sea of life,” her mother would say. Lucy loved her mother, but could not help wishing she would sometimes lose her temper. Shout. Scream. Throw saucepans at the spinning, grinning head of Uncle Bert.a. Why is Lucy described as ‘easily overlooked’? ………………………………………………………………………………………………b. Why is finding a job so important to Lucy? ………………………………………………………………………………………………c. What was Mrs. Price’s answer to Lucy when she asked whether she would ever find a job? ………………………………………………………………………………………………d. Describe Lucy’s feelings towards Uncle Bert. Provide reasons for your answer. ………………………………………………………………………………………………

ANSWERSPractice 1

a) The top line of letters on a typewriter or keypad.b) She must not let people know that she is making

mistakes.c) She decided to try again and this time she will focus

on the rhythm.d) Any logical answer.

ANSWERS Practice 2a) correction liquid/liquid paperb) The words QWERTYUIOP keep appearing.c) She used it to correct a lot of mistakes.d) Lucy shows determination in what she does. She refuses to

simply give up and leave and finds a way to deal with the spirit.

ANSWERS Practice 3a) movementb) Secretaryc) She did not how to react to the typewriter or what to ask

next.d) Any logical answer.

ANSWERS Practice 4a) She was small in sizeb) She wanted to move away from her mother.c) Mrs. Price could not give an answerd) She hated him. She wished that her mother would lose her

temper and throw things at him.

Enjoy your day…• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLOMvPC1EzQ

With love always…

Yours, Po Po Tun