2. “Packing” is an extract from Jerome K. Jerome's
novel Three Men in a Boat'. This is a humorous
extract about the confusion and mess created by
people who are inexperienced in the art of
packing. It exposes the utter clumsiness of the
three friends – Jerome, George and Harris.
3. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jerome K. Jerome, in full Jerome Klapka Jerome,
(born May 2, 1859, Walsall, Staffordshire, Eng.—
died June 14, 1927, Northampton,
Northamptonshire), was an English novelist and
playwright whose humour—warm, unsatirical,
and unintellectual—won him wide following.
4. The theme of the lesson is that packing for a
journey is a serious matter and it should be
done very carefully lest you should forget to take
those things which might be needed on a
holiday tour.
5. Summary of Packing
Packing is the story of three friends who are getting ready to go for a
journey. This extract from Jerome K Jerome’s ‘ Three Men in a Boat’
follows the packing session of three friends, Jerome, Harris, and
George. Thus, it begins with them starting the most important thing of
a journey, packing! Here, Jerome is the narrator himself and writes
about the experience he has while his friends decide to start packing.
Further, it takes us on a hilarious ride about three adults who struggle
to do a basic thing as packing. The lesson will take you through the
nuisances they experience due to their dog Montmorency’s
contribution. Similarly, it also shows how his other two friends are not
that great when it comes to packing.
6. CHARACTER SKETCH
GEORGE
George is one of J.’s two friends who accompany him on his trip along
the river Thames. He is the only one in the novel who is known to have
a job. He is a banker who lives his life according to a time schedule. His
penchant for following schedule is evident in an incident where he
forgot to wind the alarm clock. He wakes up at the wrong time and is
found roaming the streets of London during ungodly hours. He loves to
have a pint with friends and is always ready for a drink after hours. He
is a vivacious character with a love for music. He believes he can play
the banjo when he really cannot. When he plays his banjo in the boat,
his friends advise him to never play it again. But he is seldom seen
without his favourite banjo. Unlike Harris, George is a pleasant
character and is mild mannered. But despite this J. does not consider
him to be an interesting company.
7. HARRIS
The character Harris in Three Men in A Boat is an extremely vain person who often
pretends to be working very hard. According to the narrator, he is adept at
undertaking a job and then putting it on others’ backs. When he undertakes a job, he
creates a commotion much like the narrator’s uncle Podger. Harris is very outspoken
and does not mind offending his friends with his frankness. In the novel, he tells
George that his new blazer could be hung over a flower-bed to frighten the birds away
in early spring. In the bargain, he upset George. Harris also deludes himself by thinking
he has a good voice. But in reality, the author states that all of Harris’ friends think
that he does not. In the novel, he forgets the words of the song and blames the
musicians for his failure. He also has a fascination for tombs and this annoys J. He has
a foul temper too and his friends prefer to let him have his rant rather than talk to him
when he is angry. Harris is extremely fond of alcohol and can accompany his friends
for a drink at any time of the day. According to the narrator, he always knows a place
round the corner where one can get a brilliant drink. He is unmarried and always lives
for the moment.
8. JEROME
Jerome, usually known as “J,” is the narrator who
lives and works in London. He is taking a vacation
along the Thames River along with two friends
Harris and George. Jerome is confident and fairly
jovial, always ready to exploit the funny failures of
his two friends as he tells readers his story. Jerome
always makes himself seem better than his
companions, he always seems to be “above” their
immature antics.
9. MONTMORENCY
• Although Montmorency is a fox terrier, he has quite a personality.
He is as quirky as the other men in the boat. The narrator says that
his harmless appearance can be deceptive since he is quite vicious.
The three men often complain about Montmorency’s belligerent
nature. He is always picking fights: sometimes with dogs and
sometimes with cats. Strangely, despite his supposedly vicious
nature, he is frightened of cats. It is evident in the story when he
gets intimidated by a cat. He often barks at the kettle for the noise
it makes. After seizing it by its hot spout, he lets out a yelp and runs
to bury his nose in the cool mud. He is adventurous by nature but
he detests the boat trip.
10. YOU TUBE LINK THAT CAN BEEN SHOWN
https://youtu.be/_SoWpTxsZlg
11. ASSIGNMENT
1. Read the extract and answer the questions
that follow
“ Now, I am not like that………………….it is my
energetic nature. I can’t help it”
a. Who is the speaker?
b. Whom is he speaking to?
c. In what context does he say this?
12. 2. Answer in 40-50 words
a. Why did the narrator volunteer to do the
packing?
b. Why did Jerome have to reopen the bag?
c. What did George and Harris offer to pack?
Why?
13. 3. Answer in 100-120 words
a. Who was Montmorency? How did he
contribute to the packing confusion?
