Gunby Hadath (1871–1954)

The tradition of the school story began in earnest with the publication of Thomas Hughes's Tom Brown's Schooldays in 1857, which opened the door for a multitude of books, comics and tales flowing well into the 1970s. While the focus of these works varied, they were subject to a series of shared conventions, the recognition of which made them a familiar, nostalgic experience, even to readers who did not attend boarding school. Typically, school stories uphold the virtues of bravery, decency of character and honour. The plots may be formulaic and the genre based on a system of education which no longer exists, but the themes of fairness, hard work, the defeat of bullies and excellence in academic and sporting endeavors remain accessible and compelling.

Published in 1913, Schoolboy Grit is the story of Tom Strong, a British boy who, by winning a County Council Scholarship, enters Claybury, a prestigious public boarding school at the same level as Winchester or Harrow. There he faces classist discrimination by some of his schoolmates because of his humble origins, and the senior boy who had promised to look after him is kind of a cad, and wants to have nothing to do with him, for fear of that discrimination spreading to him. However, he also makes some friends, including a boy named Derry who stands by him from the beginning.

Tom wins through by sheer force of character and pluck, and his prowess on the sport fields end up making him popular. However, at a certain point he accidentally gains some knowledge about Derry that the other boy had taken pains to hide. Tom is then suspected of dishonourable behaviour, and he can only clear those suspicions by revealing what he knows about Derry. However, not only does he not reveal the information, but he even hides from Derry the fact that he is in trouble, because he knows that if he doesn't do that then his friend will feel compelled to come forward and reveal his secret.

At the end of the year his housemaster must report on Tom's character to the committee that oversees the scholarship, and he has made it clear that if the suspicions are not cleared, much against his will, he'll feel compelled to give a negative report, which would surely make Tom lose the scholarship and force him to leave Claybury.

Gunby Hadath was a popular author of school stories, many of which appeared in serial form in the Boy's Own Paper. He was a schoolmaster himself, as well as a skilled cricket player. That results in this story feeling authentic, in the way the boys speak and in the description of cricket matches. It very much follows the conventions of the Boy's Own Paper's school stories, but it's very readable and entertaining. It's a drama, with a few comedy elements and a happy ending, and it's a very fine example of the genre.… (meer)