Pink Bow Tie

Characterisation
The Boy
In the story, the narrator describes himself like this:

Well, here I am again, sitting outside the Principal's office. And I've only been at the
school for two days. Two lots of trouble in two days!

I am a very nervous person. Very sensitive. I get scared easily.

I wish she was my girlfriend, but as she is seventeen and I am

only fourteen there is not much hope.

You are not allowed to smoke when

you are fourteen. This is why I am not
smoking at the time.

I walk sadly back to class. My parents will kill me if I am

suspended from school

He also tells us about a conversation he has with the Principal of the school:
'Yesterday,' says Splodge, 'when I saw you, I
noticed that you had black hair. Am I correct?'
'Yes, sir,' I
answer.
'Then tell me, lad,' he says, 'how is it that your
hair is white today?'

Choose some adjectives from the box to describe what you think the narrator is like.

sensible easily affected timid hysterical imaginative virtuous obedient

sad teenage short-haired tall trouble-maker polite

What do you think the boy (the narrator) looks like? Apart from now having white hair,
we don’t know what he looks like. Does he look anything like our drawing above? Can
you describe what you think he might look like?
Pink Bow Tie
Characterisation
The Principal
The narrator of the story is describing the Principal of his school:

I see this bloke walking along the street wearing a pink bow tie.

I notice that little purple veins are standing out on his bald head.

Splodge is fiddling with his pink bow tie. His face is turning the same colour. I can see that he is
about to freak out. 'What utter rubbish,' he yells.

Which of the following pictures do you think best represents Splodge, the Principal?

Look at the picture you have chosen. Work with a partner. Without showing your
partner the picture you have chosen try to describe the picture you have chosen and see
if your partner can recognise it. You cannot point to the picture you have chosen, and
you can’t describe the picture by saying which one it is (e.g. “It’s the first/second picture”
etc)! Take it in turns to describe your picture.
 Pink Bow Tie
Characterisation
People on the train
Here are some descriptions from the story of three people on the train. Decide which of
the pictures below best describe the old lady, the mean guy and the kid.

There is an old lady with a walking stick, grey hair and gold wire-rim glasses. She is bent* right
over and can hardly-walk.

The old lady is too quick for him, 'No you don't,' she says and shoves* him off.

There is also a mean, skinny-looking guy sitting next to me. He looks like he would cut your throat
for two bob*.

He looks at me with a wicked smile. Next to him is a kid of about my age and he is smoking.
*
wire-rim glasses – óculos com armação de metal
He looks straight at the kid who is smoking. 'Put that cigarette
bent right over – not straight (muita curvada)
out,' he says. 'You are too young to smoke.' shoves – pushes hard (empurrão)
two bob – 2 shillings, old money value about
fifteen euro cents
Pink Bow Tie
Pre-reading activity
In this activity, you are being asked to tell the story before you have read it! By
answering the questions, and working in groups (together with the knowledge of the
characters you have already obtained) you will be able to construct a story. It will
probably not be the same story as that written by the author, but that doesn’t matter.
You can then compare your story with that of Paul Jennings.

Answer these questions (in the order presented) and use your answers to make a
story called ‘Pink Bow Tie’

1. Why is the 14 year old boy sitting outside the Principal’s office?

2. Why did the pink bow tie appear to be amusing?

3. Why is the young secretary smiling at the boy?

4. What does the Principal say about the boy’s change of hair colour?

5. Who was on the train with the boy?

6. What made the kid put out the cigarette?

7. What did the kid do to upset the ticket collector?

8. Why was the old lady excited?

9. Why did the mean-looking guy die?

10. Why was the boy trying to open the carriage window?

11. Why did the boy’s hair turn white?

12. What did the Principal say to the boy when he heard his story?

13. What happened to the pink bow tie?

Pink Bow Tie
Guide to Reading
1. Before reading

Look at the title of the story. Can you guess what it is about? Now read through the
story in its entirety, using the glossary to help you with any difficult words. Don’t worry
about understanding everything as long as you get a general idea about what the story
is about, and what happens.

2 Now you are going to read the story again.

2.1 Read the story up to line 34.

a) True or false? Correct the false statements.

The narrator is quite new at the school.

He's got a crush on the principal's secretary.
He's as old as the principal's secretary.

b) Answer these questions.

What did he do that was wrong?

Why are all the boys in love with the principal's secretary?

2.2 Go on reading up to line 150.

a) Put the following events in the order they happen in the story:

• The mean-looking guy takes the Age Rager, moves the knob quickly and
becomes a baby.
• The narrator's hair gets white.
• The ticket collector tells the boy to stop smoking.
• The principal says he'll write to the narrator's parents telling them he is
suspended from school for telling lies.
• The lady takes the Age Rager, moves the knob, gets younger and gets off the
train.
• The baby moves the knob quickly and gets old, then dies and turns into a
skeleton.
• The boy moves the knob of the Age Rager, gets older and gets off the train.

b) Who says

"you are too young to smoke"?

"Am I old enough now?"?
"How did you do that?"?
"You can have it if you want"?
"Give that to me"?
"I'm not your Dad"?
"My hair goes white in just fifteen minutes"?
"Do you expect me to believe that yam?"?

c) Express and justify your opinion.

What do you think happened to the kid-man and to the lady-girl after they got off the
train?

2.3 Now finish your reading.

a) What happens to

the narrator?
the principal?
the secretary?

b) Think about

• What did you like best in the story?

• What character did you like best?
• Were there any characters you didn’t like?
• Did any of the characters remind you of people you know?
• How far do you sympathize with the narrator?
• In this story, everyone that uses the Age Rager only uses it once. Is it to convey
a moral lesson - that it is dangerous to play with and try to change the course of
your life?

2.4 Writing
Imagine and write the letter the principal could have written to the narrator's parents.