Study Notes: Jane Gardam, ‘Showing the Flag’ (Stories of Ourselves Volume 2)
Hello! Welcome to your study notes for Jane Gardam’s engaging short story, ‘Showing the Flag’. This story is fantastic for exploring themes of identity, age, and how we react to people who are different from us. Understanding how Gardam uses her narrator is key to scoring high marks in your exam!
Remember, the goal in IGCSE Literature is not just to know what happens (AO1), but to understand why the writer chose those characters and techniques (AO2 & AO3), and to form an informed personal opinion (AO4).
1. The Story Essentials: Plot, Setting, and Context (AO1)
Quick Context: What is ‘Showing the Flag’?
This story is essentially a character study, focused on an elderly, reserved woman travelling across the North Sea. It highlights the clash between traditional English reserve and modern, boisterous group behaviour.
• The Narrator: The entire story is told through the eyes of Miss Harriet Marsh, an elderly, very precise woman travelling alone.
• The Setting: The action takes place almost entirely on a North Sea ferry (the Hull to Rotterdam/Zeebrugge route). The setting is crucial because a ferry is a confined, in-between space where different types of people are forced to interact.
• The Conflict: Harriet, who prides herself on her quiet dignity and good manners, is forced to share the journey with a large, noisy group of young people (students or football supporters) who are loud, messy, and totally disregard her sense of propriety.
• The Climax/Resolution: After days of avoiding and judging the group, Harriet has a small, quiet interaction with one of the young men. This moment subtly challenges her rigid judgments, though she quickly retreats back into her isolation.
Quick Review: The story is set on a ferry, focusing on Harriet Marsh’s judgmental observations of a boisterous group of young people.
2. Character Analysis (AO2)
A. Miss Harriet Marsh (The Narrator)
Harriet Marsh is the most complex character. We see everything through her often critical and slightly snobbish lens.
• Identity and Reserve: She represents a certain type of traditional, reserved English identity. She is fiercely protective of her private space and her carefully constructed sense of self. She believes she is ‘Showing the Flag’ by being dignified, quiet, and well-dressed.
• Judgmental Nature: Harriet judges almost everyone: the young people, the ferry staff, and even the carpets. She sees the youth as common, loud, and offensive.
Example: She describes the young travellers as "looking as if they had been put on with a trowel." This use of language shows her deep-seated disapproval.
• Isolation: She actively seeks isolation, believing it superior to the company offered. This isolation is both physical (hiding in corners) and emotional.
• Moment of Change? The ending is ambiguous. When the young man accepts her £1, she feels a tiny, unexpected connection. This small gesture is the only time she breaks her self-imposed rules. However, she immediately feels guilty and resolves to return to her normal, rigid life.
Analogy Aid: Think of Harriet like an old library book. She is highly valued in her own mind, carefully bound and kept apart, but perhaps rarely opened or truly enjoyed by others.
B. The Young Party Group
They are not individuals but a chaotic, unified force—everything Harriet is not.
• Loud and Physical: They are defined by their noise, their messy behaviour, and their sheer physical presence which overwhelms Harriet.
• Representing Change: They represent modern, less inhibited Britain, where old class barriers and strict manners have broken down.
• Irony of the Title: While Harriet thinks *she* is 'Showing the Flag' (of good breeding), the youth are perhaps the true 'flag showers'—loudly broadcasting the energy and messiness of the current generation.
• Their Innocence: Crucially, they are not malicious. They are just thoughtless and exuberant. They pose no actual threat to Harriet, which makes her extreme reaction slightly humorous.
Key Takeaway: Harriet’s character is defined by her internal conflict: her desire for isolation versus her eventual, tiny need for connection. The students act as a catalyst for her introspection.
3. Themes and Ideas (AO2)
A. Age and Generational Conflict
The story focuses heavily on the contrast between the old and the new.
• Harriet represents the past: strict, formal, and obsessed with appearances.
• The students represent the future: informal, emotionally open, and focused on immediate fun.
• Gardam explores whether the new generation is truly 'worse' or simply 'different'. Harriet's perspective makes them seem like vandals, but the final interaction shows they are just ordinary, if loud, people.
B. Isolation and Connection
This is a central psychological theme.
• Harriet chooses isolation, but it makes her deeply unhappy and cynical.
• She spends the entire journey building walls around herself, often literally (sitting in her cabin or behind newspapers).
• The moment she offers the £1 (a token gesture of connection), she feels a fleeting burst of emotion, suggesting that true happiness comes from engagement, not isolation.
C. English Identity (The Flag)
The title is highly significant and deeply ironic.
• Literal Meaning: The phrase 'showing the flag' usually means maintaining a visible, dignified presence internationally.
• Harriet’s Interpretation: She feels she is upholding proper English standards against a backdrop of European/international chaos and the messiness of her countrymen.
• Gardam’s Irony: By judging everyone and refusing to engage, Harriet is actually isolating and stiffening herself. The students, despite their bad behaviour, are perhaps more authentically "showing" a (messy) modern British reality.
Did you know? Jane Gardam often writes about women grappling with memory, age, and English class structures. This story fits perfectly into her usual focus on reserved personalities encountering the messy reality of life.
4. Writer’s Methods and Style (AO3)
When analyzing Gardam’s methods, focus on the unique viewpoint she uses.
A. First-Person Narrative Voice
• The story is told entirely in the first person ('I', 'my'). This means we are completely reliant on Harriet’s perspective.
• Effect: This allows Gardam to use stream of consciousness, showing us Harriet’s inner, often unkind, thoughts. We see her prejudices exposed, but we also feel her vulnerability.
• The Unreliable Narrator: While Harriet is a great observer of detail, her *interpretation* of those details is often biased. Gardam invites us to look past Harriet's judgments and form our own view of the students.
B. Use of Humour and Satire
Gardam uses gentle satire (mockery) primarily directed at Harriet’s snobbery and pride.
• Her descriptions of the youth are exaggerated for comedic effect (e.g., their terrible clothing, their noise).
• The humour stops abruptly at the end, making the small exchange with the young man more touching and serious.
C. Juxtaposition and Contrast
Gardam constantly uses juxtaposition (placing contrasting images or ideas close together) to highlight the central conflict.
• Silence vs. Noise: Harriet’s quiet dignity is smashed by the "roar" and "thumping" of the party group.
• Order vs. Chaos: Harriet’s neat packing and tidy routine contrast sharply with the students’ discarded chip packets and general disarray.
• Analogy: Using the ferry itself—the calm, upper decks she seeks contrast with the chaotic, lower decks where the party is.
D. Symbolism of the £1 Coin
• The coin is not just payment; it is a symbolic connection.
• It’s a small, tangible piece of Harriet's private world offered to the external world she despises.
• When the young man accepts it, it momentarily bridges the gap between their generations and classes, suggesting that human connection, however brief, can break through prejudice.
Quick Tip for AO3: When answering exam questions, don't just identify a technique (like 'description'); explain the *effect* it has. Instead of: "Gardam describes the young people as messy." Try: "Gardam uses vivid, critical descriptions, employing hyperbole to emphasize Harriet's intense disgust, portraying the youth not just as people, but as a force of destructive chaos."
5. Preparing for the Exam (AO4)
Cambridge IGCSE exams often ask you to 'explore the ways in which' the writer achieves an effect. This requires you to combine your knowledge of themes (AO2) and methods (AO3) with your personal response (AO4).
Common Exam Focus Areas:
1. The Power of the Narrator: How does Gardam use Harriet’s narration to shape our view of the events?
2. Isolation and Loneliness: How does the writer make us feel sympathy for Harriet, despite her being judgmental?
3. The Meaning of the Title: How is the idea of ‘Showing the Flag’ explored and challenged by the end of the story?
Personal Response Checklist (AO4):
Ask yourself these questions while reading/planning:
• Do I find Harriet frustrating or relatable?
• Did the final interaction feel genuine, or was it just awkward?
• Did Gardam successfully make me rethink my own judgments about different generations?
Common Mistake to Avoid: Don't assume Harriet speaks for the author. Gardam is observing Harriet; she is not necessarily agreeing with her judgments. Use phrases like, "Harriet believes..." or "Through Harriet's eyes..."
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Final Summary of ‘Showing the Flag’
Jane Gardam's 'Showing the Flag' uses the confined setting of a ferry to stage a confrontation between traditional reserve (Harriet Marsh) and modern exuberance (the party group). By employing first-person narration and subtle satire, Gardam explores themes of generational conflict, social judgment, and the profound human need for connection, even if it is only fleeting.
Keep these notes handy, focus on how Gardam *writes* the story, not just what happens, and you'll be well-prepared!