VIVIEN ALCOCK

By : Rifqi Roshdi
Iqmal Afiq


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
- Born in 1924 in Worthing , West Sussex, England
- Author of childrens book who was gifted with ability to blend
reality and fantasy
- She understood the hidden feelings of teenagers, especially he
shy and the overlooked.
- Produced over 20 novels with themes of kindness/pity, the need
for friendships and the complexities of family ties.
- Died in 2003.
VIVIEN ALCOCK

SYNOPSIS
QWERTYUIOP is an entertaining story about 17-year-old
Lucy Beck, the new secretary at Ross and Bannisters, who
struggles with her predecessor over the secretarial position
at the firm. Lucy Beck counts herself lucky to get a job as a
secretary but she does not expect to have a ghost as a rival.
The former secretary, Miss Broome, frightens away all the
new secretaries who come in to replace her. However, Miss
Broome is in for a surprise when she meets her match in
Lucy. Although timid, Lucy manages to tactfully handle Miss
Broome. Communicating through the typewriter, Lucy tries
to convince Miss Broome to leave. The vivid description of
how the current and former secretary fight is both amusing
and entertaining.

SETTING

PHYSICAL SETTING
- Belmont Secretarial
College
- Lucy Becks home
- Office of Ross &
Bannisters

SOCIAL SETTING
* lower middle-class

TIME
* 20 th century
England
CHARACTERS

MAIN
CHARACTERS
* Lucy Beck
* Harry Darke
* Miss Broome

MINOR
CHARACTERS *Mr
Ross, Mrs Beck ,
Uncle Bert
THEMES

* Facing challenges
* Learning to
let go
* Rejection

MORAL VALUES

* Compassion and
kindness
* Discretion and
consideration for
others
* Do not judge a book
by its cover
* Do not give up easily
when we are faced
with problems

MESSAGE

* it is important
to have
courage,
optimism and
perseverance
* Love and
understanding
can help to
heal wounds or
resolve
conflicts

QWERTYUIOP
SETTING
BELMONT
SECRETARIAL
COLLEGE
LUCY BECKS
HOUSE
ROSS &
BANNISTER
S OFFICE

CHARACTERS
LUCY BECK : SMALL SIZED,
17 YEARS OLD,
DETERMINED
HARRY DARKER MISS BROOME
MR ROSS
MRS BECT
UNCLE BERT

LESSON LEARNT
PERSEVERANCE
HELPING OTHERS

THEMES
FACING
CHALLENGES
HANDING DIFFICULT
TASK WITH COURAGE

MORAL VALUES
DETERMINATION
DISCRETION AND
CONSIDERATION
FOR OTHERS
LOYALTY
PERSEVERANCE
IS THE KEY TO
SUCCESS
COMPASSION
AND KINDNESS
THE PLOT
CLIMAX
- The spirit, the late Miss Broome, types out
threatening words to Lucy.
- Lucy declares war and fights back with rapid
typing and lots of correcting liquids
RISING ACTION
- A hidden hand causes havoc with Lucys
typing efforts.
- QWERTYUIOPs would be the letters popping
up every time Lucy types
FALLING ACTION
- Lucy discovers Miss Broomes background
and uses a softer approach to console her
RESOLUTION
- Lucy manages to overcome her problem with
the ghost of Miss Broome, completes her
typing on time and error free, and reaches a
new understanding with her Uncle Bert
THE CHARACTERS
LUCY BECK
MISS BROOME
MR HARRY DARKE
MRS BECK MR ROSS UNCLE BECK
SHY
YOUNG
DETERMINED
BRAVE
COMPASSIONATE
BRAVE
COURAGEOUS
LACKED OF
CONFIDENT

Timid / Shy
* small, mousy-looking and easily overlooked (page 9)
* Looked out of place on her first day at work (page 12)
Lacked of Confidence
* Whoever will want to employ me? (page 9)
* If I get a jobTrouble was that there were hundreds after every vacancy, brighter than Lucy,
better qualified than Lucy(page 10)
Determined
* For an hour, she battled with the machine(page 22)
* Its my job now, she said. I need it(page 26)
* Lucy showed no mercy reached the end of the letter in triumph. (page 22)
Compassionate
* Lucy instantly feels sorry after saying mean stuff to Uncle Bert (page 26)
* Assures him that she and her mother needed him (page 28)
* Feels sorry for Miss Broome, which is noticed by Harry (page 26)
Brave Courageous
* she was not a coward. (page 20)
* She went back and sat down in front of the typewriter and glared at itit crouched, like a squat,
ugly monster, staring at her with its alphabetical eyes (page 20)
* Even though she is young and shy, she faces Miss Broomes spirit bravely (page 20)
* Relentlessly fights the typewriter (pages 20 and 22)
EXPERIENCED
HELPFUL REASSURING
LOYAL

Experienced
* Observes the importance of punctuality
* Wonders how long Lucy will last as a secretary
Helpful / Reassuring / Mysterious
* Tells Lucy that she can ask him about anything (page 12) Anything you want, just ask old
Harry.
* Stresses to Lucy that she shouldnt worry if she makes mistakes when she types (page 14)
* Makes a few under-the breath comments and behaves strangely (pages 12-14)
Observant
* Observes that Lucy was scared/ anxious on her first day (page 13)
* Understood that Miss Broome hated the younger touch typists without needing to be
told (page 25)
* Quick to notice Lucys sympathy for Miss Broome (page 26)
Loyal
* He worked there for thirty years until his retirement and came back to help out as a
handyman.
HARDWORKING
LOYAL
PERSISTENT

Loyal
* Been here forty-three years, girl, woman and old misery (page 25)
Lonely
* This place was her home, this job was all she lived for (page 25)
* didnt want to godidnt have anywhere worth going todidnt have any family
whod own her. (page 25)
Bad-tempered
* It screamed, shaking and snapping its keys like castanets (page 20)

Lucys Mother
Patient- could not help wishing she would sometimes lose her temper. (page 9)
Compassionate - she asked Uncle Bert to leave but has asked him to come back
because she feels sorry for him.
Uncle Bert
An alcoholic- hes not drinking up my pay packet (pages 9-10)
Low self-esteem- you dont think much of me, do you? (page 26)
Caring thought Id have your supper readynow youre a working girl
Mrs Price
Sympathetic- she looked at Lucy Beck, and sighedGood luck my dear . (page 9)
Mr Ross
Lucys boss
Concerned- Did you have trouble with the machine, Miss Beck? he asked. (page 25)

THEME
HANDLING DFFICULT TASK WITH COURAGE
- Lucy finds herself in a difficult position when Miss Broomes ghost keeps on
disturbing her
- However , she handles the difficulties with courage and determination
- She does not allow the spirit to scare her away like all the other secretaries.
- Instead, she communicates with it through the typewriter.
- Finally, through her courage and determination, she outsmarts the spirit .

THEME
FACING CHALLENGES
- Lucy faces up to challenging situations when Miss Broomes spirit haunts her through
the typewriter.
- The secretaries before her all left after just one day of working there.
- Lucy refuses to simply give up and leave.
- So she finds a way to deal with the spirit.
- She wins it and types a goodbye letter to the spirit of Miss Broome.
- The spirit finally leaves and stops haunting the office of Ross and Bannisters.

MORAL VALUES
DETERMINATION
* Lucy shows determination in what she does
* She is determined to keep her job and perseveres
* By handling the spirit properly, she not only manages to keep her job but does
well in it too.
LOYALTY
* Harry Darke is a loyal employee at Ross and Bannisters
* He had been working there for thirty years and has retired
* Being loyal to the company, he comes back to work even after retirement
* Miss Broome was also a loyal staff at the firm
* After her sudden dismissal, her spirit came back to haunt the office.

MORAL VALUES
* Lucy demonstrates these values when she was threatened by the presence of the spirit.
*Although she is only seventeen, she acts with maturity.
* Lucy makes the ex-secretary feel wanted and useful, just like she was when she was alive.
* The knowledge of Miss Broomes circumstances also influences Lucy to change her attitude
towards Uncle Bert. Lucy realizes that he is just another human being who needs to feel wanted.
DISCRETION AND
CONSIDERATION FOR
OTHERS

MORAL VALUES
* Lucy shows her determined character right from the start as soon as she graduated
from the Belmont Secretarial College
* She is focused on getting a job , on getting away from her impoverished and dreary
daily life
* Besides that she also displays perseverance and a fighting spirit as she battles to
prevent losing her job to the ghost of Miss Broome.
* Undeterred by aggressiveness and threats , Lucy learns to think of a practical way to
resolve the problem of Miss Broomes and its presence in the office.
PESERVERANCE IS
THE KEY TO
SUCCESS

* Lucy feels compassion for Miss Broome when she learns the nature of her
circumstances. She kindly helps Miss Broome to let go of the past and be at
peace. Lucy continues this value at home when she learns to be sensitive and
compassionate to her uncle.
* Lucys mother also displays kindness when she asked Uncle Bert to live with
them again after previously throwing him out.
MORAL VALUES
COMPASSION AND
KINDNESS

QUESTIONS
1. What do you think the author means when describing Lucy as easily overlooked?
2. What is the author implying when saying that Lucys typing speed would make a tortoise laugh?
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.
Whoever will want to employ me? she had asked Mrs. Price once, and Mrs. Price had been
at a loss to answer.
Lucy wanted a job. More than anyone, more than anything, she wanted a job. She was tired
of being poor. She was fed up with macaroni cheese and baked beans. She was sick of second-
hand clothes.
Lucy does not have a commanding presence/She is not a noticeable person
Her typing is very slow