CHARACTER
LUCY BECK
A young seventeen year old lady who got a job as a secretary at Ross
and Banister’s
Characteristics:
She is a young, shy, a low achiever, not competent and highly qualified
and insecure graduate of secretarial studies.
Textual evidence:
Lucy Beck was young and small and mouse-coloured, easily overlooked.
She had a lonely ‘O’ level and a typing speed that would make a
tortoise laugh.
Characteristics:
She has a very low self esteem, inferior complex, no confidence and
pessimistic
Textual evidence:
She is wondering who will employ her as she is aware of her
inadequacies.
Lucy assumes that there are more qualified and brighter people than her
who are qualified for the job vacancy.
Characteristics:
She became ambitious, determined and optimistic to change her life
style.
Textual evidence:
Lucy is tired of being poor and she is fed up with macaroni cheese and
baked beans. She is also sick of wearing second-hand clothes. She gathered her
strength and determined to get a job to get out of poverty.
Characteristics:
Lucy becomes enthusiastic and a quick learner when she got a job. She
also became courageous when she has to face the conflict with the spirit of
Miss Broom.
Textual evidence:
Lucy got a job at Ross and Bannister’, a small firm with a factory just
outside the town. She is so excited so came to her work place on Monday
morning, at ten to nine and waited as the door to the office is closed. She
faces problems when each time she types, the word ‘QWERTYUIOP” appears on the
paper. When she finds that it was the ghost of Miss Broom, she became
courageous and keep typing and liquid the unwanted words and reached the end of
the letter by triumph.
Characteristics:
Lucy became sympathetic, caring, insightful and understanding after
knowing Miss Broome’s history. She took the initiative to look for an amicable
solution.
Textual evidence:
Lucy is shocked when she heard the news about Miss Broome from Harry
Darke. She was forced to stop working after she had been working for forty
three years. Lucy sympathizes Miss Broome
and tells her that Mr Bannister is only acting out of concern as he was
worried of her health. Lucy managed to convince Miss Broome that the late Mr
Bannister needs her help in the after life.