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.
GHOST OF MS.BROOME
The spirit of Ms Broome who haunts the office where she once worked as she is so attached to her job.
Characteristics:
Loyal, dedicated and took her job seriously at Ross and Bannister’s.
Textual evidence:
Ms Broome had worked for forty three years :girl, woman, old misery. She is unwilling to let go of her position and continues to defend her post, even after her demise.
Characteristics:
Lonely as she had no family and friends.
Textual evidence:
The office was her home; the job was all she lived for as she did not have any family of her own. She had no place worth to go and she insists to stay on.
Characteristics:
She is persistence, vengeful and also possessive over her secretarial job at Ross and Bannister’s.
Textual evidence:
Miss Broome dies but she does not want to leave her job and insist to stay on. She types nasty messages to new secretaries to instill fear. The typewriter rocked as if with laughter, its keys clicking like badly fitting false teeth. She creates havoc with intention to scare those who will replace her place at the office.
Characteristics:
Finally she is convinced that she should leave as her help is needed.
Textual evidence:
Miss Broom leaves the office permanently after Lucy managed to convince her that Mr Bannister needs her help in the afterlife. The typewriter became silent, sunlight glittered on its keys making them looked wet.
HARRY DARKE
Ross and Bannister’s handyman. He is an old man who has been working with the company for years.Characteristics:
Helpful and concern
Textual evidence:
He does all the odd jobs in the office and helps out new employees. He is helpful in giving useful information to Lucy regarding the spirit of Miss Broome and shows concern to her. He even told Lucy not to be like a frightened mouse, and not to worry.
Characteristics:
A loyal worker at Ross and Bannister’s.
Textual evidence:
He has been working for thirty years with Ross and Bannister’s, retired with a silver watch but still can’t keep away from his job.
Characteristics:
Encouraging and supportive to his colleague
Textual evidence:
He praises Lucy for her braveness and determination to keep on her job even after she has confronted the spirit of Miss Broome. He said that Lucy is no longer the timid mouse and she is a right little lion. Then he gives her chocolate biscuits with her tea as a credit and encouragement.
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