THE RAILWAY

CHILDREN

Name : Nur Irdina

Batrisyia Bt Zulkurnain
Class : 3 Bestari
English Subject Teacher :
Puan Rusiah Bt Kasmin

#Synopsis
The Railway Children is a wonderful story . The story
tells about three children, Roberta (Bobbie), Peter
and Phyllis are living a lovely, secure life at
Edgecomb Villa. Their father returns home after
being away on business, two unknown men come to
visit him in the evening after supper, and he simply
disappears. Neither the reader nor the children know
what has happened to him until Bobbie makes a
chance discovery and learns the horrible truth.
In the intervening time, their mother, a capable and
charming woman, takes her children to live in the
country near a railway station, because they must
"play at being poor for a while." The children handle
their new situation with grace and wit, spending
hours hanging about the railway station and
generally keeping themselves busy, and in the
process becoming fast friends with the porter, Perks,
and the station master. They also become
acquainted with their own old gentleman who lends a
hand to help them time and again.
Bobbie is the eldest and sweetest of the children,
with a longing to be truly good. Peter is the boy, who
is madly in love with trains, stubbornly refuses to be
pushed around, and exhibits an extraordinary
courage in the rescue of a baby and a young man in
a train tunnel. Phyllis is the youngest, a funny,

clumsy child with good intentions that often seem to

go awry.
This sentimental favorite children's book has the
moral values of E. Nesbitt, who was a famous liberal
activist (Fabian Socialist) in England. She creates a
household utopian vision of a world where people are
naturally good and where parents raise their children
to be helpful and honest and brave.
This provides the background charm for a really
lovely tale about a family in distress who sticks
together bravely and provides a shining example to
all around them, while being aided by equally highminded and kind folks around them.
A knock on the door at the idyllic middle class town
home of the children ends with a tragedy that they
can scarcely understand. But Mother is brave and
despite rumors of terrible things, they make their
way to a more modest home in the country, next to a
railway line. The children become friends with the
trains and the regular commuters who wave at them.
Their fascination with the train results in a heroic
rescue. Meanwhile, their situation is sometimes
difficult, and they develop some remarkable
strategies for getting aid. There is a happy ending.
The morals taught to the children are particularly
British (helpful, kind, brave) but certainly apply to us
as well. The goodness that the children spread is

really a lovely message and contributes to the charm

and longevity of this great story.

#Setting
A.

Physical Setting

1. London, the capital city of England.

In this country the three children live with their
parents in a warm house in the city before their
father is being taken away by two men mysteriously.

2. The house in the country

They live in a white house near a railway line. The
children always sit on the wooden fence and wave to
the passengers in the trains that pass by.

3.

The railway station

It has platform. The children make friend with Perks

who works as a porter at the railway station.
4.

The tunnel

Some boys from Maidbridges school run through

this long tunnel in the paper-chase. The children,
then, help a boy in a red T-shirt named Jim who
suffered a broken leg while

B.

Social setting

The story tells about a middle-class family living

in England in the 20th century. The period is
between 1900 and 1920 in England. They lead a
happy life until their father is taken away
mysteriously one night. They move to the country

side and live in a white house near the railway

line. They children wander around and meet kind
and friendly workers at the railway station and
make new friends with the villagers. The children
save a train and are given a gold watch each.
Their mother is not pleased at her children acts
at first but realizes they are doing great living and
making friends in the country side.

They received the medicine, delicious food and

twelve red roses from their new friend the old
gentleman.

They receive a present of gold watch each from

their friend the old gentleman

The children collected presents for Perks' for his

birthday

#Characters
1.
The three
character traits.

children

have

some

common

Loving,obedient,thoughtful,kind,helpful,hardworking,
brave,clever,imaginative,loyal,polite, well-mannered,
independent, adventurous and unsure of what is
wrong and right.
Roberta @ Bobbie
She is the eldest child in the family and she is twelve
years old. She is portrait as responsible, brave,

determined, devoted, loving, understanding and

sensitive.
Peter
He is the only boy in the family and the second child.
He is 10 years old. His ambition is to become an
engineer. Peter is a proud boy, brave, clever,
resourceful and generous.
iii.
Phyliss
Being the youngest in the family she always tries to
be good. She is a loving daughter and get upset
easily.
2.
Mother

No name is mention in the story. She has to take

care of the family after her husband was taken away.
She loves reading books to her children and she
writes stories to provide for her family. She is a
loving and devoted mother. She is also a protective,
brave, patience and strong lady. She is describe as
comforting, positive, kind, proud and dignified too.
3.
The Old Gentleman

This gentleman rides on the 9.15 train every

morning. He has white hair and looks kind. He knows

the government people. He is Jims grandfather. He
has the character of a friendly, kind, polite, helpful
and generous old man.
MINOR CHARACTERS
1.
Father

He is a tall man and white-faced. He works with the

government. He is a wonderful father that never
gets angry and are always ready to play with his
children. Sadly, he was accused of being a spy and
was arrested and jailed.
2.
Perks

Perks works as a porter at the railway station. He is

a nice and friendly man. He is kind and polite but he
dislikes being pitied by others. He is good at doing
his job.
3.
The Station Master

He is a kind and friendly man too. He agrees to let

Peter go after he arrested him for stealing the coal.
4.
Jim

He is the boy with the red t-shirt that broke his leg
during the paper-chase. Jim is the old gentlemans
grandson. The children mother nurses him to health
after the incident.
5.
The train driver and Jim, The fireman

They help Bobbie when she gets stuck on their train

and help her mend Peters broken toy engine.

6.
The villagers and other people
Dr Forest : the village doctor, Mrs Viney: the family
helper, Mrs Perks: Perks wife and Ruth the family
maid in London.

#Themes
1. The importance of family love and loyalty
2.
Taking challenges with courage
3.
Facing challenges in life
4.
Growing up to be a well-mannered child
5.
The importance of friends
6.
The importance of community

#MoralValue
1.
2.

Family love and loyalty

Kindness and compassion
3.
Bravery
4.
Selfless acts

#Messages
1.

Family members must love and protect each other

2. Community support is vital

3.

Facing challenges in life

#PointOfView
The story is from the third person point of view

#Language&Style
The writer uses simple and direct language to tell
this story. Here are some of the examples:
1. Direct speech
Wake up! she said. Were in the new house, dont
you remember? page 8
2. Simple description
There was a large kitchen with a stone floor, but
there was no fire, and the room was cold.
3. Simile
it was like a terrible dream (page 40)
4. Personification
I wonder if the railway misses us
5. Contrast
The tunnel was dark after the sunshine outside
(page 46)
6. Symbolism
The railway is a symbol of hope : The railway brings
their father back to them in the end (page 57)
7. Red is a symbol of danger

The children make flags from red petticoats to warn

the train of danger ( page 29)
8. Repetition for emphasis
Well, I wont know, I wont know ( page 24)