The document provides background information on the novel The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit, including a synopsis of the plot. 1) The novel tells the story of three children, Roberta, Peter, and Phyllis, who move to the countryside after their father mysteriously leaves. They befriend the station porter Perks and wave to the passing trains. 2) One day, Bobbie reads a newspaper and discovers her father has been wrongly convicted of a crime. She writes to the Old Gentleman for help clearing her father's name. 3) The children have various adventures near the railway, including rescuing an injured boy from the tunnel. 4) In the

1. FORM 3 LITERATURE
-NOVEL-
The Railway
Children
by Edith Nesbit
(1906)

2. About The Author
EDITH NESBIT

3.  Edith Nesbit was born on 15 August 1858 in
London, England.
 After the sudden death of her father, she lived in
various parts of the country and moved to France
and Germany, where Edith attended school.
 In 1871 the Nesbits settled at Halstead Hall in
Kent, England
 On 22 April 1880 Edith married Hubert Bland. After
Hubert died in 1914, Edith married Thomas Tucker.

4.  Some of Nesbit's additional works:
• The Prophet's Mantle (1885),
• Something Wrong (1886)
• The Story of the Treasure Seekers (1899)
• The Wouldbegoods (1901)
• The Red House (1902)
• Five Children and It (1902)
• The Phoenix and the Carpet (1904)
• The New Treasurer-Seekers (1904)
• The Amulet (1906)
• The Enchanted Castle (1907)
• The Magic World (1912)
• The Railway Children (1906) has inspired television and film adaptations.
• Edith Nesbit died on 4 May 1924 in England.

5. SYNOPSIS
Roberta, Peter and
Phyllis live with their
loving parents in the
comfortable house
London.
However, things change
when their father leaves
away with two
mysterious men on one
night.

6. Since then, the family has to
move to a little house at the
countryside, near a railway
line.

7. The children experience
various adventures.
First, they discover a heap of
coal at the station yard.
Peter takes some coal home
and stacks them at the back of
the house but he gets caught
by the station master.

8. The children also develop the
habit of waving to the train as
it goes by, that make them one
special friend, The Old
Gentleman.

9. The Old Gentleman eventually
helps them out when their
mother fell sick.

10. One day, when the landslide
covers the railway line, they
help to stop the train by
creating a red warning sign
using the girls’ red petticoat.

11. They even ask the villagers to give little gifts
for Perks for his birthday.
At first, Perks the porter becomes upset, but
finally he relent when the children explain
that the gifts are the symbols of respect from
them.

12. One day, Bobbie accidentally
reads an old newspaper given
by Perks. She is horrified when
she reads the newspaper
headline about her father’s
conviction.
Bobbie believes that he is
innocent and writes a letter to
The Old Gentlemen to ask for
help.

13. One day, they watch a ‘Hare and
Hounds’ game by some
schoolboys at the railway line.
The last ‘hound’ fails to appear
when the others leave the dark
tunnel. The children decide to
investigate.
They find Jim the hound
injured in the dark
tunnel and rescue him.

14. The children’s father
finally returns from London
and the family is reunited.

15. THE PLOT
The children experience various One day, Bobbie accidentally reads
adventures. First, they discover a heap an old newspaper given by Perks.
of coal at the station yard. Peter takes She is horrified when she reads the
some coal home and stacks them at the newspaper headline about her
back of the house but he gets caught by father’s conviction. Bobbie believes
the station master. The children also that he is innocent and writes a letter
develop the habit of waving to the train to The Old Gentlemen to ask for help.
as it goes by, that make them one
special friend; The Old Gentleman who
eventually helps them out when their CLIMAX The children continue with
mother fell sick. One day, when the
landslide covers the railway line, they their adventure. One day, they
help to stop the train by creating a red watch a ‘Hare and Hounds’
warning sign using the girls’ red game by some schoolboys at
petticoat. They even ask the villagers to the railway line. The last
give little gifts for Perks for his birthday. ‘hound’ fails to appear when
At first, Perks the porter becomes upset, the others leave the dark
but finally her relent when the children tunnel. The children decide to
explain that the gifts are the symbols of investigate. They find Jim the
respect from them. hound injured in the dark
tunnel and rescue him.
Roberta, Peter and Phyllis live
with their loving parents in in the
comfortable house London.
However, things change when
their father leaves away with One day, the children’s
two mysterious men on night. father finally returns from
Since then, the family has to London and the family is
move to a little house at the reunited.
countryside, near a railway line.
EXPOSITION RESOLUTION

16. CHARACTERS AND
CHARACTERISTICS

17. ROBERTA FATHER
PETER MRS RANSOME
PHYLLIS DR. FOREST
MOTHER MRS VINEY
OLD GENTLEMAN
PERKS

18. ROBERTA (BOBBIE)
A twelve years old girl.
 Twelve lighted candles on it, one for each
of Bobbie’s years. (p 22)
The eldest child in the family
 ....she was always called Bobbie, and was
the oldest.
(p 1)
Very persistent
 “The doctor said so. How can we get them
for her? Think, everybody, just as hard as
you can”. (p 17)
Caring
 “Someone had to stay with you,”
said Bobbie. “I must put out the candles
or it will burn itself out.” (p 49)

19. PETER
The second child and the only son
in the family.
 Next came Peter... (p 1)
Courageous
 “Perhaps he’s had an accident,” said Peter,
“Let’s go and look.” (p 46)
Adventurous
 “Where shall we go?” said Bobbie, although
she already knew the answer. “To the railway,
of course!” cried Peter. (p 9)
Innocent
 “I didn’t think it was stealing,” said Peter.
“There’s so much coal here. I took some from
the middle of the heap, and I I thought nobody
would mind. And Mother says we’re too
poor to have a fire...”. (p 14)

20. PHYLLIS
The youngest child in the family.
 And the youngest was Phyllis, who was
always trying to be good. (p 1)
Insecure
 There was a low noise on the railway line…
“Let me go back!”cried Phyllis. (p 47)
Naïve
 The boy in the red shirt was on
the ground, beside the line. His eyes
were closed and he did not
move when they reached him. “Is...he
dead?” asked Phyllis. (p 47)

21. MOTHER
Homely
 Mother was almost always at home, ready to
play with the children, or to read to them to
the children to them. (p 1)
Protective
 We have to play ‘being poor’ for a while. (p
4)
Practical
 “Then we can’t have any supper,”
said Phyllis, unhappily. “Yes, we can. We can
unpack one of the boxes. There’s some food
from the old house.” (p 7)
Resourceful
 Mother spent every day in her room, writing
stories. Sometimes she managed to sell a
story to a magazine, and then there were
cakes for tea. (p 12)

22. OLD GENTLEMAN
Friendly
 … And a hand waved back! It was
holding a newspaper and it
belonged to an old gentleman. (p
15)
Kind and helpful
 “When I read about your father in
the newspaper at the time, I began
trying to find out things.” (p 52)

23. PERKS
Hardworking
 “And other people said you were
kind and polite and hardworking.”
said Bobbie. (p 38)
Reasonable
 I –I won’t,” said Perks, quietly…I
take every word I said. I- I don’t know if
I were ever so pleased...not only with the
presents, but with the kind thoughts of
our neighbors’.” (pgs 38,39)
Responsible
 “I am pleased to give something to Mr.
Perks. He always pays his bills.” (p 38)

24. FATHER MRS. RANSOME
A civil servant / Sensitive
government  “It’s my birthday
tomorrow,” said old Mrs.
officer Ransome at the post
 The children knew that office. “Nobody
Father worked in a will remember
mine. Why should I give
Government office. (p
anything to
4) Perks? Go away!” (p 35)
Caring Generous
 Of course there’s hope!  “The Perks children will
I’ll mend it on like them. And I’ve got a
Saturday (p 3) pram in the back of the
shop.” (p 36)
Wrongly accused
• FIVE YEARS IN PRISON Appreciative
FOR SPY! And the  “I want to thank you for
name of the spy was the roses.” She
said. (p 36)
her father. (p 40)

25. MRS VINEY DR FOREST
A woman from the Hopeful
village  “I expect you want to
 “Who’s she?” asked be nurse,” Dr. Forest
Bobbie. “A woman said to Bobbie, after
from the village. I he had seen the
asked her to clean the mother. “Your mother
place and make our is ill and must stay in
supper,” said Mother. bed…” (p 17)
(p 6)
Responsible
Responsible  I’ll send some
 “There’s a letter from medicine for her,
Mrs. Viney,” explained but she will need fruit
Mother. “Her son broke and milk, and
his arm and she went some other special
home early. She’s things that I’ll write
coming again later this down on a piece of
morning.” (p 8) paper for you.” (p 17)

26. POINT OF VIEW
• The attitude or outlook of a narrator or character
in a piece of literature, a movie, or another art
form.
• The perspective from which the story is told.
• THE RAILWAY CHILDREN is told from the 3rd
person point of view. (narrator)

27. THANK YOU!