Just William is the first book of children's short stories about the young school boy William Brown, written by Richmal Crompton, and published in 1922. The book was the first in the series of William Brown books which was the basis for numerous television series, films and radio adaptations.
William is an eleven-year-old schoolboy in a village in England.
He is the Leader of the Outlaws,a gang.
William is unique in schoolboy literature – confident, strong-willed, independent-minded with original world-views, a born leader who is keen to be chief in any undertaking of the Outlaws.
He does not care about his clothes or appearance, wears a scowl as his best "company manners" and hates small talk.
He loves to play Red Indians and pirates, and readily embarks on any project, from catching wartime spies or making a "moon rocket", to editing a "newspaper" or organizing a "circus" or "show", often featuring his pet dog Jumble as reluctant star.
William usually has a withering contempt for girls and women (except his mother) but can occasionally be chivalrous although he has a soft spot for his neighbour, Joan, who admires him enormously.
A rebel and die-hard optimist, William often shows a strong sense of responsibility when the situation demands, an unwillingness to back out of challenges and a bulldog-like determination to overcome hurdles.
He frequently has to manage his own ambitions to take along the other outlaws although he never dominates or forces them to go along with him.
His imagination and love of adventure constantly get him into strange and difficult situations. Peculiar complications often arise when he tries to "help" others, but as fortune favours the brave, William usually wins.
I remember watching the dramatized tv series on the ITV network in the 1970's and he was an influence on me, sharing much at the time with a life in boys gangs, wild in some ways but very moral in others.
Re-reading the first story has been a great experience for me.
No comments:
Post a Comment