I like this example of David Adams' artwork. Once again, an example of what you can get away with in art that you probably couldn't stage as a photograph.
Standing outside the office of the headmistress, waiting to be summoned inside to be lectured and then firmly and painfully punished is bad enough at the best of times. To be made to stand facing the wall with your hands on your head makes it ten times worse, as anyone passing will immediately realise what is going on. But the added dimension here is the disparity of ages.
The younger girls have almost certainly never been in trouble this serious before and are already scared witless by whatever punishment awaits them. The older girl almost certainly has been here before and knows full well how hard a punishment from the headmistress can be. Added to that, she is enduring the terrible humiliation of being treated just the same as these silly first-year girls. She has no idea what they have done to cause them to be waiting here with her, but it's mortifying that she has to stand with them and everyone passing by being in no doubt that they'll soon all have very sore bottoms.
The added concern for the older girl is that if she's called in first, they are likely to witness her leaving the office with her face streaked with tears and clutching her hands to her seat.
