Miss Nelson Is Missing is a comedic children's illustrated book penned by Harry G. Allard Jr. and illustrated by James Marshall. The tale delves into ideas of discipline, respect, and appreciation using comedic exaggerations and irony.
Action occurs in room 207. Miss Nelson is a gentle and kind teacher. However, the students in her class are extremely misbehaved. They talk loudly. They do not follow rules or care about anything connected with schooling. They take advantage of Miss Nelson’s gentle nature. It makes the students misbehave in the class. This behavior makes teaching difficult. This is because the students are more concerned with disrupting classes.
However, one day, Miss Nelson just vanishes mysteriously. She is replaced by a new teacher, Miss Viola Swamp, who is the exact contrary of Miss Nelson. Miss Swamp is strict, scary, and tough. She imposes tough rules on her students, gives them a lot of homework, and keeps them under control by fear rather than by favor. her class becomes neat, quiet, and miserable.
With the passage of days, the children begin to miss Miss Nelson dearly. They begin to feel the absence of Miss Nelson more and come to understand that she was far more courteous and understanding compared to Miss Swamp. Overwhelmed with the guilt of their past actions, the children feel the need to look for Miss Nelson. They start with checking her house and later contact the police. This is an indicator that the children are beginning to empathize with the situation of the teacher. They are understanding that they have the ability to affect the behavior of the teacher towards them.
Finally, the scene ends with the return of Miss Nelson to the classroom. The students are happy and promise to behave better. Miss Swamp shows signs of a mysterious disappearance when it is subtlety indicated by things such as a similar dress and behavior that Miss Swamp and Miss Nelson could be the same person. There is a great twist to the story where it shows that Miss Nelson used a lesson to teach her students.
Eventually, the class shapes up and shows courtesy because they learn to appreciate the kindness in Miss Nelson, as opposed to taking advantage of it. This children’s story effectively portrays the message that kindness must not be confused with, or equated to, lack of strength, as discipline and courtesy go hand in hand. With the help of the concepts of exaggeration and irony, Miss Nelson Is Missing imparts the significance of this to children.
