Detailed explanation on the chapter the browning version with its character sketches .

1. The Arcadia School
Project file
2022-2023
Name – Aryan
Class – 11th
Roll no. – 10
Date – 22nd
March2022

2. Subject – English
Submitted to – MR. Jaspal khurana
Acknowledgement
I would like to express my special
thanks of gratitude to my English
teacher mr.Jaspal khurana for their able
guidance to and support in
completing my project.
I would also like to extend my
gratitude to the principal mam MRS.
Gurpreetkohli for providing with all the
faculty that was required.
Date - Aryan
22nd
March2022 12th
‘Science’

3. Certificate
This is to certify that “Aryan” student of
class- 11 has successfully completed their
English project on “The Browning version”
under the guidance of “Mr.Jaspal
Khurana”

4. Theme of the Project
The theme of the story revolves around
three characters Taplow, Frank, and Mr.
Crocker – Harris. Taplow is a sixteen
years old student, Frank is a young
teacher and Mr. Crocker-Harris is a
middle-aged schoolmaster. Taplow has
arrived in the school to do extra work for
Mr. Crocker Harris. He meets Frank and
they both engage in a conversation while
Taplow waits for Mr. Harris. Later, enters
Millie, Mrs.Crocker-Harris who talks to
Taplow.

5. Summary
This is a play, whose first scene is set in a
school. In the opening, there is a sixteen-year-
old boy, Taplow. He has come to do some
extra work for his teacher Mr Crocker-Harris.
Moreover, he has to wait for him as he still has
to arrive. Frank (another teacher) dins Taplow
waiting and strikes a conversation with him.
During the conversation, Frank get to know
that Taplow is waiting for his result which is
yet to be hand out.

6. The boy is keen to specialize in science and
hope to get a good result. Mr Crocker-Harris
does not declare the result himself. Instead
request the headmaster to declare the result on
the last day of term. The conversation also
delivers the insight of Taplow mind. He tells
Frank how much he dislikes the play
‘Agamemnon’. He confesses that the play is
not that bad but he like science. Also, he points
out that the way Mr Harris teach it is terrible.
They have to do extra work as he missed a
class a week ago. Certainly, Frank remarks that
Taplow will get his “remove” for doing extra
work. However, Taplow feels different. As he
is not like other teachers so such rules don’t
work with Mr Crocker-Harris, Taplow states.
Also, he doesn’t appreciate the extra work of
students. As per Taplow, Mr Harris is different
from other teachers. He is strict and inhuman.
Moreover, he doesn’t tell them their results
before judgement day. When Taplow ask about
his remove Crocker-Harris says that is exactly
what he deserves- “No less; and certainly no
more.” Frank pointed out that Crocker-Harrisis

7. 10 minutes late and Taplow has a chance to
leave and play golf.
But, Taplow looks shocked at this suggestion
as he thinks that Mr Crocker-Harris might
follow him home. Frank envy Mr Harris for the
influence he has on his students.
When Frank asks Taplow that if Mr Harris
beats them, Taplow replies that he is not a
sadist. And he is not a person who would beat
students and vent his frustration.
In spite of all this, he likes Mr Harris and
narrates an incident when he laughs at the
classical joke that Mr Harris, although he
didn’t get it. After that, Mille Crocker-Harris
(Mr Crocker-Harris’ Wife) enters the room.
She suggests Taplow run away for a quarter of
an hour and come back. As Mr Harris has been
at Bursar’s and may take quite a time.
Mrs Harris behaviour puzzles Taplow. Taplow
is not willing to leave as he doesn’t want to
disobey the teacher whom he fears. When
Mille assures Taplow that she will take the

8. blame and proposes an excuse for his absence.
Mille hands Taplow a prescription and asks
him to take it to a chemist and get it for Harris.
So, Taplow accepts the proposal and leaves
Frank and Mrs Harris behind.
Through the Browning Version summary, the
writer wants to say that teachers are not as bad
as they seem all they
want is good for their
students.
Author - Terence
Rattigan
Characters of the
browning version
1. Mr Crocker-Harris
He was very strict and a disciplined
pedagogue who had the last day in
school. He was leaving and gave extra
work to Taplow. Taplow has missed

9. school for a week.
Harris told that he
would come and see
his work and with this,
we can see how strict
he was with his
students. He was very
impartial with his
students and never
does anything against the rules and
regulations of the school campus. We can
say Crocker-Harris was an ideal teacher
and that was his last day.
2. Taplow
He was a student of Crocker-Harris and
studied in lower 5th grade. He has a keen
interest in science but hates arts. He also
doesn’t like His teacher Harris and
presents his views very frankly to Frank,
his science teacher. Mr Crocker Harris
gave him extra work to do as he was
absent for a week. He does not like this
but has Hobson’s choice as he was afraid

10. of him. He laughs at his jokes deliberately
out of respect.
3. Frank Hunter
He was a young science teacher who had
an affair with Crocker Harris’ daughter,
Millie Harris. He was liked by all the
students but this is also not good as there
is a thin line
between a
teacher and his
or her students.
He grows a
sympathetic
attitude towards
Andrews and at
the end of the
play, he broke
his relationship
with Millie.
4. Millie Crocker-Harris
Millie Crocker-Harris, the
unfaithful wife of

11. Andrew. Bitter about his professional
failure and their marital failure, she has
been involved in a desultory affair with
Frank Hunter. She expresses her
contempt for her husband in a grippingly
climactic moment when, in the presence
of Hunter, she taunts Andrew with the fact
that she had witnessed Taplow mimicking
Andrew.
Moral of the play
The moral of chapter the browning version
was to present the relationship between a
student and a teacher. Taplow a boy was asked
to stay for extra work by his teacher Mr.
Crocker-Harris. He was naturally very
disappointed and his later conversation with
Mr. Frank reveals this. But instead of his
anger his words show his love and dedication
towards his teacher Mr. Crocker-Harris. Frank
quiet failed in tempting Taplow to abuse
Crocker-Harris. Thus Taplow represents an
ideal student who stays there for extra work

12. even after Frank tells him to get
dismissed.May be this can help.
Learning from the play
In The Browning Version, everyone seems to
equate success with popularity and
sports. On one hand we find the example
of Mr. Frank Hunter, who is a successful
schoolmaster because he relates better to
the boys. On the other hand, there is Mr.
Andrew Crocker-Harris who is not at all
popular in spite of being a gifted classical
scholar because of being a strict
disciplinarian. However, Hunter is
envious of Harris, as he lacks the devotion
of the latter; he teaches science but
shows no interest in his subject. The

13. author through this play vividly brings
about the agony of a dedicated teacher
and how we many a times fail to realise
the real worth of a person.
Bibliography
I Aryan of class 11 ‘Science’ have
successfully done this project under
the guidance of my English teacher
Mr. Jaspal Khurana.
And some help from the articles on
the play the browning version.
I have also taken help from some
internet websites:-

14.  Wikipedia
 Google
 Vedantu
 Byjus
Thank you