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English 10: The Metaphor - Miss Hancock's Character

Miss Hancock was the English teacher of a lively grade 7 class and an unruly grade 10 class, a dynamic and rounded character with many facets and variety. She was an overdone woman, one who loved to wear overly decorative clothing, and had her makeup done like her face was a peacock's tail. She was enthusiastic, always encouraging her students to do their very best with their work, always maintaining an uplifting attitude. She was despised by Charlotte's mother, for she did not like her excitable energy compared to her calm, sophisticated self. But underneath all her flamboyancy and energy, she was a caring and observant person who cared deeply about her students and their feelings. She was a beloved teacher before her untimely death in an accident, and her personality was what made even me, a student she had never taught before, fall in love with the character of Miss Hancock. In The Metaphor, it can be inferred that Miss Hancock is flamboyant and brassy, enthusiastic and talented, and kind and caring.

Miss Hancock was, in Charlotte's mother's words, "that brassy creature from grade 7" (11), a flamboyant person who loved to overdress. She liked to wear frilly and embroidered blouses, have her makeup done with such a variety of shades and tones and colours that if one ever were bored in her class, they could inspect it for half an hour (1). She also did her hair in small curls, carefully set upon the smart head she had on her plump shoulders like a large, curly, golden crown. Miss Hancock wore childish jewelry, with "charm bracelets [on her wrists] jingling" (2) when she was writing examples on the blackboard. She carried a purse, a cardigan made out of fur, and wore leather shoes, which Charlotte described would make clicking sounds as she walked (4). She was truly an odd teacher, a kind clown at a summer fest dressed ludicrously in vivid frills and ribbons, eager to please her audience, but did her job with such enthusiasm and passion that no child could spite her, for they enjoyed her tricks and performances so much.

Miss Hancock was a very enthusiastic and talented person. She "could analyze without destroying a piece of literature" (1), and she was always encouraging her students to "emerge [...] like a mysterious and elegant blossom" (2), urging them to improvise their work and let their thoughts wander to wonderous places in search of ideas. Her class produced "undistinguished, ordinary" (2) work, but they were interesting, and she was delighted for and with her students, "express[ing] her pleasure with small delighted gasping sounds" (2). Miss Hancock also adored reading her student's works, for she "had [a] gift of making [the students] want to write, communicate, to make a blank sheet of paper into a beautiful or at least an interesting thing" (1), and she enjoyed seeing the results of the creativity she had helped them develop. Her enthusiasm is contagious, and her class catches the energy and directs it into their performances in class, described by Charlotte that, "if Shakespeare [...] could do it, why couldn't we?" (8). Miss Hancock was very proud of her class, "presid[ing], [over their performance of Hamlet], hands fluttering, voice atremble with raw emotion" (8), towards the end of the year before they left for junior high. She was a proud, beautiful mother hen that took care of her chicks and taught them well. She cared and loved her students and could even make the most uninterested ones pay attention for she was really a spectacular teacher.

Despite her brassiness and overenthusiasm, Miss Hancock was a very kind and caring woman who wanted nothing but the best for her students. She cared about her students, listening to their voices while presenting, and asking about them outside of class. When Charlotte made a metaphor for her mother, Miss Hancock encouraged her to read it out despite its length and listened. She interpreted what the metaphor meant to Charlotte, and after class, asked if Charlotte "[had] anything [she] would like to discuss about [her] mother's metaphor" (3), since she knew through the Home and School meeting that Charlotte's mother was a polar opposite compared to her. The character foil between the two women creates a contrast that amplifies both of their personalities, making the cold and calm in Charlotte's mother and the warm buzz in Miss Hancock even more pronounced, and subtly explains Charlotte's resentment of her mother. Miss Hancock's grade 7 composition class adored her so much that at the end of the year, they bought her a trophy along with "an enormous tasteless card of thanks" (8) to show their appreciation. This proves that she really was a champion to her class, a leader that taught them well. Lastly, when Charlotte entered high school, she realized that Miss Hancock had switched over to teach grade 10. Even then, despite the physical changes in Charlotte, Miss Hancock recognized her after 10 days in her class, and asked how she was doing, expressing her concern for her that was possibly leftover from the previous impression of her mother. Charlotte, however, didn't directly respond to her questions as she was embarrassed to know her teacher that the class seemed to despise, and avoided answering by saying that she had French class next, and she didn't want to be late (10). When Miss Hancock passed away in the accident, Charlotte was heartbroken, and she cried for several days. Her mother told her she was overreacting, but Charlotte disagreed. She even wrote a metaphor for Miss Hancock, describing her as a "birthday cake [...] filled with party flavours" (12), using the creativity harnessed in Miss Hancock's class to express pent-up emotions built upon by her death and her own internal conflict. In the end, Charlotte wishes "the party wasn't over" (12), meaning she wished Miss Hancock were still here, remembering how she had once cared for her after her mother's harsh comments had affected her in seventh grade. Now, her mother's blunt remarks were knives that stabbed her deep into her heart, without Miss Hancock to shield and divert them for her.

Miss Hancock was an endearing teacher who cared dearly about her students, despite her brazen appearance and overenthusiasm. She dressed like a peacock, had high energy levels like a puppy, but was a caring, proud, and observant mother hen. She will be a remembered teacher, especially by Charlotte, and will stay in both of our hearts for a long time.