Novel We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea (Form 3) : Synopsis

SYNOPSIS
John, Susan, Titty and Roger Walker move with their mother and younger sister Brigit to Pin Mill, to
await their father’s return to Britain from service overseas (China). There, they befriend Jim Brading,
owner of the yacht Goblin, who invites them on a quiet cruise on the River Orwell. With their mother’s
permission to spend a night on board the Goblin, on condition that they do not go outside Harwich
Harbour, all goes well, until a series of events leaves the cfour Walkers alone and drifting out to sea in
a fog which leads to a few days being at sea.

Meanwhile, Jim has bad luck. Going ashore, he meets with an accident that lands him in hospital
where he remains unconscious for forty-eight hours (2 days). As the children wait for his return, the
Goblin has an accident and loses her chain and anchor and drifts out to sea.

John proves to be the worthy son of a sailor father, Susan heroic over sea-sickness, Roger and Titty
resourceful, brave and sensible. They finally find themselves in the North Sea. Not everyone could be
so sturdy and so intelligent as John to steer the yacht to safety. The children use their skills and keep
their wits when they are shrewdly tested with so many problems while at sea until their father
appeared to help them sail the Goblin back safely.

Characters
 John, Susan, Titty, Roger, Bridget Walker
 Jim Brading
 Mary Walker (Mother)
 Commander Ted Walker (Father)
 Miss Powell
 Sinbad the kitten
 the Flushing Pilot

THEMES
 Togetherness
 Through thick or thin
 Man proposes, God disposes
 Expect the unexpected
 Man versus nature
MORAL VALUES
Love & Care Responsibility Bravery

Patience Co-operation Courage

Honesty Kindness Determination

Perseverance Helpfulness Obedience

Gratitude Appreciation Confidence

MORAL LESSONS
1. We should always be positive and courageous.
2. Have confidence in everything we do.
3. Never give up.
4. We should try to solve a problem wisely and rationally.
5. We must always stick together as a family
6. Always be prepared for unexpected events in life
Words you might not know:

1. clothes without a crease baju tidak berkedut

 2. luncheon money: duit makan tengah hari

3.Will wonders never cease? adakah keajaiban tidak akan berhenti?

4. No shrieking, childish treble:

Tiada jeritan

5. Today you are a lamb, love:

hari ini awak mendengar kata

6. yesterday a rebel:
Semalam awak seorang pemberontak

7. No rage or hullabaloo: tiada kemarahan dan huru-hara

8. struck by lightning: dipanah petir

9. stunned
Terkejut

10. school report Laporan keputusan peperiksaan

Theme:
1. Honesty

We should be honest with our parents and always tell them the truth. If we lie to
them we might make them feel sad when they find out. Also, if we are honest to our
parents , we can avoid unnecessary arguments. It can also improve our relationships
with one another.
Moral values:
1. We should be honest with our parents, even though it make us feel bad.
2. We should not be afraid to tell our parents about out results.
3. We should be responsible for all the things we do.
4. We should not find excuses for our mistakes.
In the first stanza, the parent is wondering why his child’s behaviour is suddenly
so loving.Thechild even gives a kiss to the parent and the parent is bewildered that the child
offers help. The parent desperately wants to know the reason for the sudden change.

In the second stanza, the parent is surprised to see the child’s face neat and tidy. The child’s
clothes are also neat as if it has been ironed and has no crumples. The parent is also
shocked to know that the child did not spend his money for lunch that day as he usually
does. The parent is astonished with all the surprises that he is getting and thinks when it
would all end.

In the next stanza or stanza 3, the parent is surprised that his child did not drop his school
books as he returns home. The child does not scream or show an outburst of anger. The
parent praises the child for his good behaviour that day as the child acts like a gentle lamb
when just the previous day, the child was going against his parent.

In stanza 4, the parent feels as if the child is a stranger to him – like a new person.

The child does not show any anger or any emotional disturbance. Therefore, the parent asks
the child to come closer so that he can see his child better as he wonders if that is really his
child.

That brings us to the last stanza, stanza five, where he also wonders whether his child had
been struck by lightning or injured during sports that has made him temporarily unable to
react. Finally, he understands the real reason for the change as he noticed that the child has
brought his school progress report.

Point Of View

The first person point of view is used

Setting

The setting is in a house.

Theme

Honesty is the best policy – We should be honest with our parents. We must tell them the
truth so that we can gain respect and trust from them. Without trust, life would be miserable.
Parents will become suspicious in everything we do. This would lead to arguments and lack
of trust. It is more effective if the child behaves in honest and productive ways. Learning to
be honest and eliminating the need for lies can help to clean up one’s conscience and his
relationship with others
Moral Value

Honesty – It is a very important virtue. Speak from your heart and tell the truth. Do not be
bothered even though it would make you feel bad. People respect honesty, even when the
truth is uncomfortable.

Tone

The persona is surprised and astonished with the child’s behaviour. The poem creates a
reflective mood as the persona compares the child’s past and present behaviour. Overall, it
is light-hearted and a little humorous.

Metaphors

The poet uses metaphor to describe the behaviour of the child. ‘Today you’re a lamb’ which
shows innocence and obedience when the child is compared to a lamb; and ‘Where
yesterday a rebel’ which shows disobedience and defiance when the child is said to be a
rebel (lines 11 and 12)

Structure, Style and Language

The poem consists of 5 stanzas with four lines and the rhyme scheme is ‘a, b, c, b’. The
style is simple and direct. The language and choice of words used is easy to understand as
we can relate it to what a child does.

The Title

News Break means reporting something that is unusual. The title is used to indicate that the
boy is doing something unusual by showing a change in his behaviour.

DISCUSSION

The words “News Break” are usually associated to important events in one’s life. In this
poem, the child is afraid to tell the parent about his result. Instead of telling the parent, he
started to behave differently by being nice to make up to the bad news. The child realises
that his report card may not please the parent. Hence, he tries to be extra nice so that the
parent will not be angry. The poem demonstrates what a small child has to do just to please
his parents before the parents take any action against him. He also tells us the fear he is
undergoing when things do not turn out as they are supposed to. The poet has observed the
trauma a child faces before he hands over his progress report to his parents. The job of the
poet is to voice the actions of the small child to gain credit from his parents so that there
would be no shelling from their parents.