The idea behind this task is to use a character from a literary text that you have read this year and use him, or her, as an inspiration for a piece of your own writing. But the first question can sometimes, be the question that ends this task. You end up befuddled.

Let me explain what I mean.

Imagine for a moment: you have read Woman in Black, by Susan Hill [you may have, if you have been searching this site] and you think to yourself that there is only one main character, Arthur Kipps. He is such a dour character. He seems to be so dry at times, so unable to think for himself. He is, in a word, boring! [As an aside, I saw the play the other week and Kipps was nothing like that].

So what do you do with Mr Boring?

In a word, nothing. You opt for someone or something with some life in it. Mr Sam Daly? The solicitor? Kipps’ boss? Or Spider, the dog [yes, the dog]? All except one will be difficult to do, apart from the dog, but then you are sorely tempted to wander off into what I might call a “silly language” style of writing. Do not do it! Do not go there! You will most likely get a U grade.

Instead, think wider. Think about something or someone you have read. You may have read some poetry this year. You may have read the poem called The Clown Punk, by Simon Armitage. If that is the case, there are three characters there who you could choose. There is the driver [Armitage himself] or his daughter in the back of the car, or the Punk himself.

You may have read the poem called The Horse Whisperer. There are two types of character there to choose from. There is the man with the skill and then there is the sort of person who is bigoted and does not wish to allow such ‘witchcraft’ to exist in the world any more. You could get some really interesting ideas from that.

So, you then make your choice. You have it sorted in your head. But what next?

In yet another word, planning.

Planning is vital for this to work. Using a diagram, you need to think of all the possible things that person might say. Then you can begin work. Imagine for example, you did this on the Clown Punk. You may just do this like you see below:

1. People call me names
2. They have no idea who I am
3. My story is a different one
4. I am a clown, yes. But…
5. I have many faces as a clown
6. These faces make me who I am
7. I am a denied father
8. I am a long lost son
9. I am damaged goods
10. I cannot keep a relationship
11. My childhood was an abusive one
12. I gave as good as I got
13. I went into care

Just a few ideas for you. They took me 90 seconds to write down…. Free thinking. If each was one paragraph of a half a page, there would be 6 pages [far too much!] of writing.

Imagine then you rearrange them to make your account, from the point of view of the Punk himself and you get a thought provoking commentary on life in the modern age, a piece of writing that criticizes the social care system, the education system, the way we deny fathers their rights as parents, and so on. All these things can find their way into your piece of work.

So, with all that in mind, go on…. Have a go at one. Have a go at this one if you like. But above all, there is one thing I can say and it is this; enjoy the process.

There are times in life when I want to shake my head and if I was living in America, I would exercise my 2nd Amendment right to bear arms and take my life; this moment in my life is one of those moments.

I find today that the single most famous character in English [and American] Literature is in fact, as racist as they come, or so it seems if reports are to be believed.

I have read about Atticus Finch all my life. In 1991 and 1992 I read the book. I have seen the film more times than I would care to mention. I see images of Gregory Peck in this most famous role and I remember the feeling I get when Atticus walks out of that court room and the only people left rise to show their respect of him and what he has done for Tom Robinson, who we suspect will then go on to his demise.

Now I have to suffer this:

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jul/11/atticus-finch-racist-go-set-watchman

and I see that things I have thought, as well as taught over the years, need to be changed, if reports are to be believed.

If, as we suspect, Go Set A Watchman, the new novel by Harper Lee, shows Atticus, the God of the courtroom, the epitome of fatherhood, to be an ageing racist, then this guy is going to be one disappointed individual indeed. I will cry bitterly.

With this in mind, I ask that you view any comments made on this blog about my favourite novel and character as what they are, a reflection of the novel at the time it was written and a critique of the writer’s skills in the time I was writing them.

When I have read the next novel and have stopped crying, I will venture forth into a critical review of the book for you all and a blog piece on how the 2nd novel makes reading the first a different task indeed.

Until then, happy reading.

Explore the ways Harper Lee presents the differences between the Ewell and Finch families and the significance of these differences in To Kill A Mockingbird.

When I saw this title I nearly had heart failure – what a title to get a group to do. But the question, as always, is how to get them from the point where they have read the book to the point where they can write an answer to this task. Now that is not an easy task for a teacher, I can tell you.

So, here is tip number 1, the numero uno tip of the year: as soon as you start the GCSE course, find out what the title is of the set text you are to study and READ THE THING!

It is that simple really.

The chances are you will not have to actually do anything on it, so if it is Of Mice and Men, or Mockingbird, or Mr Pip, whatever it is, get it read and completed by the end of October in the academic year. You will see the benefit.

Then when your teacher says something like \”right, we are now going to study Book X, you just sit there and think “okay.” Do nothing at that point, especially bragging that you have read it. Then, as your teacher brings you resources about themes, topics, plot structure etc, your knowledge can increase as you prepare for the assessment title.

When you then get the title, you need to do several things:

1. Look at the wording. There are always key words to look for. In this one, they are explore, presents, differences and These will need to be charted in a spidergram picture or something to fully get the ideas out.
2. You need to PLAN this essay in full, selecting quotes that are no more than 10 words long. This is important when sliding them into PEE[D] chains mentioned elsewhere in this blog. You will need to know how to write these so check out my other pages.
3. You will need to select an order to your essay. Structure is vital for success; I care not what anyone says on this one. Without it, do not expect a C grade. With it, you can get the magical A*.
4. When all that is done, type up a DRAFT Work on all the inaccuracies to get it right. Then learn it.
5. Then, create a plot diagram, spidergram etc, for the front sheet of the CA [final year is 2016 for this. After that, you will need to write a plan diagram in the exam as it will all be exam from 2017 exams onwards.

And then of course, you are ready to rumble!

So, what would I put in this thing? Good question!

Well how about:

There is enough to go on there for you.

Have a go yourself at finding quotes for this title and these ideas. Then have a go at the essay and share it here.

RJ

In recent posts I have mentioned when writing something for the exam or coursework, that planning is vital, but how do you go about this?

I have also suggested writing an introduction, followed by a 3 point midsection and then adding a conclusion and in the right context, that would be one way to write an essay, but some students I have been speaking to recently have found that either to be too structured or have said that it does not allow them the chance to be creative enough to write freely and fluently.

So, they asked me to come up with something else.

Then, when teaching one particular student, we came up with something easier for him to remember, especially as the exams are coming up and it came out as a picture, which is now placed below for you.

In essence, it is a diagram that should help you to structure your writing.

Imagine you had to write a description of a time when you had to make a difficult decision. If you write a bullet pointed plan, or numbered, with 1, 2, 3 etc down the page then things can be written down in the wrong order. If you try however, to make a diagram of it, then you use such as this diagram to jot down some ideas.

So, in the centre circle, you add the title task, say for example, the words “DIFFICULT DECISION” and then you think of a time when you have had a difficult decision to make. Then, using one strand at a time, you add single words into each box, but be careful. Be logical. Be prepared to make it up in the exam as well. The more unique the better in exam answers.

Start with the decision, so [for example] the top right strand might use words like [and using the centre circle as well] DECISION – OPERATION – TRUST – FEARS. The second thread might read DECISION – FAMILY – CONCERNS – FEARS and so on, around the diagram. When all four are completed, you then need to think which strand naturally comes first and label them as 1, 2, 3, 4. [The same would be true is writing about a poem in an exam or for coursework].

This entire task should be able to be completed within 10 minutes! It is that simple for a reason, to make you think in terms of one word answers that you will then develop in your writing.

Go on, have a go now. Using the same title as here, use this diagram planner to make your plan in order to write one. Then, as exam practice [this is posted just before the exam in 2015] actually write a 600 word answer.

Happy writing!

Some of the different exam boards, like WJEC [Welsh Board] and the 9715 [AQA] have a thing in the Lit exam where you are required to write an analysis of the texts you have studied and then you have to spend some time writing about a poem, or a pair of poems [WJEC] so that you can show you can write about something literary without any revision or planning.

Now a few years ago, my school opted to take part in the WJEC course and I write a full 2 year scheme of work for it. Indeed, the thing on here called UNLOCKING A POEM is from their teacher pack and appears as guidelines for students as they write their answer in the literature exam.

So, how do you answer it when it appears? For the purposes of this, I am going to use something from a previous AQA exam paper where a poem appeared called Long Distance II. It is a poem about loss and the student is expected to write an analysis on this one. My question then, relates to how you view this and what you do with it, in the first few seconds.

You need to annotate it [make notes near it] so that you can then have something to guide your writing. Here is what I did with it for a student.

The comments in red are short and snappy, for a reason and took about 30 seconds to add in. They are put there to make me see the thing I need to write about. If you like, each one is my point I will then make in my PEE chains, with the idea of the PEED, or development, [see previous posts if seeing this first] being my thoughts from life that I can add into it.

As each verse progresses, so too would my thoughts and ability to use each word and phrase, mentioning any stylistic devices [similes, metaphors etc] as and when needed in my analysis.

This would make me find it very easy to write about this unseen poem, but I also see that the exam texts it was paired with [Duffy etc] were all about loss as well, so there seems to be a link between section A and section B like in the other exams. Thus, when you are completing section A and it is on a certain theme, do not be too surprised if this theme carries on into the final section.

Finally, one thing for you to consider. You may think that this poem has a slightly different meaning to the notes I have put on. This is for one simple reason; your life experiences are different to mine. Because of this, you will react to this poem slightly differently and this is perfectly normal for you to do so, but the thing to remember is that you need to get both ideas written into your analysis [more than two is even better].

In other words, you need to write about your thoughts and then add words like “However, these words could also mean that…” and add other thoughts. The more varied your answer, the higher the grade. The more ‘sophisticated’ the answer, the better chance of getting the A grades and above.

Using this poem, write an analysis of this poem called Long Distance II. Over the next few days, I aim to do the same to show you what I mean, so watch this space. Happy reading folks.

Every now and then, I sense something and mention it to my students. As I presently am laid up and not working, I still sense that something may happen in the exam that may be a surprise to you all.

I refer, of course, to a form of writing that may either be used in Section A [unlikely] or more likely, be used in Section B, where they ask you to do something specific. I refer, to the speech!

Have you ever wondered how to write one? Well, there are no hard and fast rules. I would still adopt the 5 stage plan as found on this site. But, the choice is yours. You would need to think about the three usual suspects; AUDIENCE, FORM and PURPOSE in creating your speech, but once chosen, [and the title will dictate some of this] the rest would be up to you.

To show you what I mean, consider this speech delivered very recently. You need to read this and make notes, making up rules that are used in the writing of this speech, from the British Prime Minister, Mr David Cameron.

***

“I’ve just been to see Her Majesty the Queen, and I will now form a majority Conservative government.

I’ve been proud to lead the first coalition government in 70 years, and I want to thank all those who worked so hard to make it a success; and in particular, on this day, Nick Clegg. Elections can be bruising clashes of ideas and arguments, and a lot of people who believe profoundly in public service have seen that service cut short. Ed Miliband rang me this morning to wish me luck with the new government; it was a typically generous gesture from someone who is clearly in public service for all the right reasons.

The government I led did important work: it laid the foundations for a better future, and now we must build on them. I truly believe we’re on the brink of something special in our country; we can make Britain a place where a good life is in reach for everyone who is willing to work and do the right thing. Our manifesto is a manifesto for working people, and as a majority government we will be able to deliver all of it; indeed, it is the reason why I think majority government is more accountable.

Three million apprenticeships; more help with childcare; helping 30 million people cope with the cost of living by cutting their taxes; building homes that people are able to buy and own; creating millions more jobs that give people the chance of a better future. And yes, we will deliver that in/out referendum on our future in Europe.

As we conduct this vital work, we must ensure that we bring our country together. As I said in the small hours of this morning, we will govern as a party of one nation, one United Kingdom. That means ensuring this recovery reaches all parts of our country: from north to south, from east to west. And indeed, it means rebalancing our economy, building that “Northern Powerhouse”. It means giving everyone in our country a chance, so no matter where you’re from you have the opportunity to make the most of your life. It means giving the poorest people the chance of training, a job, and hope for the future. It means that for children who don’t get the best start in life, there must be the nursery education and good schooling that can transform their life chances. And of course, it means bringing together the different nations of our United Kingdom.

I have always believed in governing with respect. That’s why in the last Parliament, we devolved power to Scotland and Wales, and gave the people of Scotland a referendum on whether to stay inside the United Kingdom. In this Parliament I will stay true to my word and implement as fast as I can the devolution that all parties agreed for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Governing with respect means recognising that the different nations of our United Kingdom have their own governments, as well as the United Kingdom government. Both are important, and indeed with our plans, the governments of these nations will become more powerful, with wider responsibilities. In Scotland, our plans are to create the strongest devolved government anywhere in the world with important powers over taxation. And no constitutional settlement will be complete, if it did not offer, also, fairness to England.

When I stood here 5 years ago, our country was in the grip of an economic crisis. Five years on, Britain is so much stronger, but the real opportunities lie ahead. Everything I’ve seen over the last 5 years, and indeed, during this election campaign, has proved once again that this is a country with unrivalled skills and creativeness; a country with such good humour, and such great compassion, and I’m convinced that if we draw on all of this, then we can take these islands, with our proud history, and build an even prouder future.

Together we can make Great Britain greater still. Thank you.

***

Can you locate all the rules used to create this speech? Once you have seen them, then you may begin to write one of your own. I would choose something you feel strongly about and then write a speech, explaining why something is so important to you.

Go on, have a go! It will be good practice if it comes up in the exam.

I was asked the other day just how a student could  get his work from a B grade, which he was consistently getting from his teacher in the 6th form, to an A grade or even [in GCSE terms] above.

In the end, we went to the Mark Scheme for the syllabus he was studying and looked there, so I strongly recommend you do the same thing. Here is his example:

I believe wholeheartedly that the above is important to look at for you to try and understand, it is not what you write, but HOW you write it.

If the B grade is “accurate” and “appropriate” then it is a good thing that someone is writing like this, in an accurate manner, mentioning key elements in an answer and using the right kind of text or evidence to get the answer right. But that only goes so far to get you the B. It could be that you have a thousand and one ideas in your head based on the inserts or texts that you see. Then you try to write about them and simply do not have the time to develop your essay past the rather good effort that is enough to get a B, but not for the magical A grade.

Then you get this:

Words like “conceptualized” [and I know this is an A Level example so do not shoot the tutor] and “discerning” show us that there has to be that something rather special in your answer to get the A grade or the A* regardless of the level you are at; GCSE or AS/A2.

What I suggest is that you get a dictionary and look up some of these words. For you have to understand the idea of “concept” within what you are writing. Thus, if you had to answer the questions based on the insert showing Jamie Oliver with his school dinners visit a few years ago, as a mock, then you would possibly have to try and think conceptually; about how his vision was to change the bad meals we give our children, about how such values maybe came from his upbringing as a son of a publican [not in the text insert], about the way that such a new thing as this will help the children in the area he is serving meals. It is the depth of your answer that will get you the A*.

What this means is that you have to: WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER!

Then add in the third thing that an A Level Language exam paper 1 would be marked on and you begin to see why all this is important. In the AO3 element you have to do this:

Any answer you give that is “perceptive, analytical and insightful” is bound to get the A grade. But what does each one mean, or suggest?

Perception is something that is down to the individual. Your perception is valued. But, so is that of the other members of your class and so, you need to write something that suggests that there is more than one way to look at something.

Using the Jamie Oliver example again, what that means is to parents, his intervention into the school meals delivery [wherever it was] was wrong and so they challenged it because they wanted to give their children the chance to eat junk food if they wanted. If they wanted pizza, then it is their right; that was their argument. The perception was that they did not support Oliver’s activities and indeed, in the news, were seen passing bags of chips through the iron railings to eager children in need of fatty foods.

But then there is the perception of the Headteacher, who no doubt, was very supportive, because he [or she] believed that better food equals more ‘on task’ children. Less e-numbers means children able to learn more etc. His perception would no doubt be different to that of the parents. And the same would be true of the children, the Borough officers, the press etc. Your answer to any suitable question would need to cover all those areas to get an A grade.

Words like “analytical” and “insightful” refer to how you can see something and then see into it. For example, a 9 year old writes something that is far and above the norm for a normal, typical 9 year old and it is then used as an insert in an exam script/question paper. It uses adverbs for effect, is spelt generally correctly, shows irony and sarcasm, a huge sense of humour and then you have to write about it.

“Analytical” means being able to analyse every word and its meaning, semantically and pragmatically, but “insightful” then goes that one step further by showing how much insight you have into and about such a text. So, mentioning that there are hints towards social class of writer, age, whether home schooled, state schooled, or more likely, private schooled make the answer more insightful than the usual B grade answer.

I wonder how many would mention left or right handed writer?

Not sure what I mean? Read this below and consider everything about the writer:

Words like “ignite” and “hastily” from a 9 year old?

Assuming he [or she, but handwriting suggests male] did not get any help, that is a very articulate young man, someone who in my opinion, is clever, private schooled, possibly extra tutored, a future PM in the making. He is accurate, fixatedly so, able to show irony well, so has a deep sense of humour for his sister and also a massive love for her as well. As humans, we only do this to our siblings because we adore them. Suddenly, you are writing about something in real depth and the wide ranging essay becomes something that has fewer items to write about, but is a much deeper analysis.

Got it?

Good, now go and do likewise……in your next assessment [or exam].

Have you ever been in that position where someone says to you that your ideas are good but you need some more development in there? You need some padding in there to set out and develop those ideas more.

In one sense this is an insult for it is saying that your work, for whatever reason, simply does not cut it. On another, it is saying that by doing this, you can get better grades in your exams and be more successful. So what do they mean when they say such things? Well, here are a few tips for you to assist you with ‘padding out’ an answer.

Imagine for a moment you are in a ‘valley of dry bones’ experience with your writing in the exam. No matter what you do to write a description of a place you know well it is simply not happening for you. No matter how hard you try, you cannot get started, or you get going and then, horror of horrors and you find yourself drying up after ten minutes of the 25 or so you are supposed to spend on this task.

What do you do next? Panic? Turn and run for the hills, believing you will never get that C grade? Well, I think the answer lies in your ability to plan your piece of writing and this all happens in the opening 5 minutes of the task. Imagine this is your task then, to write a description of a place you know well.

Now imagine drawing some form of plan, or diagram, for yourself, something that represents all the areas you want to cover. Imagine adding numbers to that plan to ensure you know where you want to move from and to, in order to make the writing easier. When that is done, as your plan states, you are ready. But you have to do this in 5 minutes from reading the task set for you. You have to then do it all over again for the final task in the exam.

Life is never easy eh?

So, you want to pad out something in description. The trick is to first, get down all that you can in writing, but then to add detail as you go and in order to do that, one has to employ one’s nose a little. How odd, you think, but what I mean is this; use the senses, all 5 of them, of touch, smell, taste, sight and hearing and as you do so, do not forget to add a few extras in for good measure, whatever comes to mind. If you like, add extra ideas in at this point to make the writing fluid and ultimately readable. Above all, in the exam, SHOW OFF and write your head off. Have fun if needs be.

Here are a few silly examples as to how you can take something so trivial and mundane and make it into something that is radically different.

Example = adding adjectives

Mary had a little lamb.

Mary had a little, brown lamb.

Mary had a little, brown, fluffy lamb.

Mary had a soft, little, brown, fluffy lamb.

Now add more ideas…

Mary had, by the throat, a little brown, fluffy lamb.

And a few more ideas… maybe even some humour

Mary, who by this time, had lost the will to live, suddenly grabbed by the throat a little brown, fluffy lamb and prepared to throttle it.

Or to put it more succinctly ….. begin with the place in this old exam task

York is a tourist trap. [then add some data]

The city of York is known the world over as a tourist trap.

Make the sentences more complex

The idyllic and historic city of York in the north of England is known the world over as a popular tourist trap for many.

Add a little more detail in there to make it more complex

The sun sets smoothly over the idyllic and historic city of York in the north of England, which is known the world over as a popular and romantic tourist trap for many a honeymooning couple.

Then add something else to such a complex sentence ….. a setting

The sun sets smoothly over the idyllic and historic city of York, in the north of England, which is known the world over as a popular and romantic tourist trap for many a honeymooning couple. During winter, this is a special place; cold and dank but at once, still attracting many folk from across the world to its sights and Medieval city ruins.

Then begin to actually ‘describe’

The sizzling sun sets smoothly over the idyllic and historic city of York, in the north of England, as the summer day comes to an end. York; the one place which is known the world over as a popular and romantic tourist trap for many a honeymooning couple. During winter, this is a special place; cold and dank but at once, still attracting many folk from across the world to its sights and Medieval city ruins. During summer however, the place comes alive with a hive of activity, becoming somewhere where one can accidentally bump into the rich and the famous as they all take in the delights of such a quaint and beautiful place that rests on God’s own earth.

Suddenly, your brief description of a place has some style, some pizzazz. Now it begins to stretch into the higher grades.

Now consider the following, written by a 12 year old in 2 one hour tuition sessions. Can you do this in the exam?

The Seasons of Cliffe [a real place]

The village of Cliffe, near Selby, in North Yorkshire, is so desolate in the winter. The sky is grey and dull; it’s like someone has taken a black and white photo of the village. Everybody has frowns on their faces and nothing will cheer them up until the sun comes out to shine its bright, welcoming light on the village. This is when everyone comes out to enjoy the sun’s rays of heat in the summer.

But in the winter, the rain taps on the windows of each house where everyone is silent and everyday there’s more rain, more thunder and more black clouds that appear in the colourless, frightening sky. Every month nothing changes! The clocks keep ticking in warm, welcoming houses but all the people stand lifeless watching the time fly by as they glare out of their windows. The singing birds have been silenced over three months ago but everyone waits for the first chirp of the birds at the beginning of summer. There’s no sun in the sky; it’s dark and inky while the clouds release their bullets of water.

Winter is horrible in Cliffe until the sun comes out. In winter there is no one at the park. The playing field is lonely. There are no children to run on the grass which now is brown and muddy, resembling the field at the Nass festival [an extreme sports and music event] rather like Glastonbury on a very bad day!

The image of a dead tree is stained on the mind as one looks out of the window only to see the dilapidated plants that once had colour on their petals. It is an image that reflects decay on the mind of anyone who is walking to get the local paper from the shop.

But, in the height of summer, the place comes alive; everyone steps outside to breath in the fresh air. Children start to smile and grin and start to ask their friends to come out and play. The happiness leaks through the village as everyone starts to wake up and takes a stroll to the park, which is now buzzing and alive with children running around on the field.

The swings that were once neglected are now full of children pushing each other through the fresh summer breeze, the dull climbing frame has now transformed into an assault course, full of children determined to get to the top. All this happens while their parents prepare for a barbeque; the scent of the sausages drifts through the air like a glider up in the clear blue sky; there is laughter and excitement as the village enjoys the first day of summer.

Neighbours play loud music as they wake up to enjoy the sunny days ahead of them. The birds tweet to signify that it is going to be a good day. The trees are raw with colour and all the cheerful people enjoy a sunbathing session in the scolding hot sun.

The flowers that were once a blank canvas are now exploding with intense colour in their petals as they devour the shimmering, glowing light from the sun as the effect of photosynthesis of the flowers kicks in. But it all ends very swiftly as the season shifts into autumn and the days go by.

Here is a student example of work in answer to the AQA set recently about Claire Francis. Enjoy. Can you do better?

Throughout the text Claire Francis’ feelings and thoughts are continuously changing, a bit like the sea on which she sails. To begin with there is a strong feeling of misery as when she looks for clean dry clothes every time she puts her hand in “a locker it came out wet.” No one likes wearing wet clothes and if you do it just makes you cold, miserable and puts you in a foul mood for the rest of the day.

Although she remains a bit down a sense of surprise comes over here as she is amazed at how the boat can withstand such a battering from the sea and weather. As the boat is constantly under stress as the “terrible juddering crash as the bow hits the water,” which would not just make Francis surprised at how strong the boat is but it would make anyone wonder. As well as a sense of surprise it feels like she also has a sense of panic and fear inside her as she lays there on her bunk “in a state of mental paralysis.” She is trying not to allow the thoughts of the worst case scenario to enter her mind.

Although she tries not to let negative thoughts enter her mind she lets positive one in and hopes for the best, as she “allowed [herself] to become excited at the sight of clear sky ahead.” This shows she has a positive mind set and always hopes for the best at the worst of times. Even though she hopes for the best the worst still appears because to her dismay “the wind blew as strongly as ever.” This shows that anything like this can ruin your day and possibly the whole trip, unless her dreams of bright, clear blues skies were to come true.

Imagine doing a poetry Controlled Assessment and not doing that well on it. You had to write about 2 or 3 poems and for whatever reasons, it got by you. The end result is a lower grade than the rest of your other grades. This can happen and is so demoralising and if you are in a school setting and not FE, your only option is a resit of the CA but AQA state that you cannot do the same title again.

Awkward!

This places your teachers in a somewhat impossible position, somewhere that this lad would refuse to put himself if made to. Let me explain with a true story. Someone I know well took their GCSEs a couple of years ago. She did not do that well on one CA, so her teacher, in what the Bard would call “chop logic” made her do one that to me, was far harder.

Where is the logic in that?

The answer is that there is none. Instead, the teacher, or the department, or even AQA, made her do one that had the following title: How are the men responsible for the demise of the women in each of the three texts you have studied?

The texts to be written about were: Havisham, by Carol Ann Duffy [post 1914 poem], My Last Duchess, by Robert Browning [pre 1914 poem] and then 5 scenes from Romeo and Juliet [from the English Literary Heritage], arguably Shakespeare’s most famous play.

Now, I hate and loathe it when a teacher uses this play against a student or students to set them up for a fall. I doubly dislike it when there are SEN students in the class, of which she was one of many. So when a teacher or organization does this, it makes me want to chain myself to the railings of Number 10, shouting “Power To The People” at the top of my voice.

It is just plain WRONG on every level.

For a start, it is a sexist title, aimed at aiding the girls in the class at the expense of the boys. SHAME on all those who choose these titles. Then it is only made accessible by 5 chopped scenes hastily copied and pasted together [and in this case without page numbers] to make for a scene of confusion and carnage when my eyes descended upon it in a home tuition session, which I still continue to offer locally.

But then, there is the difficulty factor.

Yes, you can know all about the writer’s views about the treatment of women at the time, about language techniques used and about how the format [poem/play] impacts on the writer’s message. But that will only get you so far. You then need confidence the size of a cow in order to be able to link all that together and your teacher [and she knows who she is] knows you are dyslexic and therefore going to struggle in pain through this.

This is tantamount to child abuse in my estimation!

So, enough ranting and how does one write the damn thing? Well, it is not as obvious as it seems. Firstly, if it was me I would make some notes on the PC under the following 3 headers.

1. THE WRITER’S VIEWS ABOUT THE TREATMENT OF WOMEN AT THE TIME THE TEXT WAS WRITTEN
2. THE WRITING TECHNIQUES USED IN THE TEXTS FOR EFFECT
3. HOW THE FORM [POEM, PLAY ETC] IMPACTS ON THE WRITER’S MESSAGE

I would do as asked and find as many links, similarities and differences between the texts. But that would only help me so far. I would need someone to write one as an example, so as to show me how to go about this doozie of a question.

Well look no further for the rest of this blog piece does just that. It is by no means perfect but it aims to show that these three elements can be put together in a straightforward manner.

Enjoy.

RJ
April 2015

How are the men responsible for the demise of the women in each of the three texts you have studied?

In each of the three texts studied there is one common theme and that is the idea that women are objects to be owned, admired, looked at from afar and ultimately rejected when they fail to obey.

In Havisham, by Carol Ann Duffy, a poem written in the modern era, the reader sees how Duffy writes using modern English words from the perspective of a character from a Charles Dickens novel who has been previously at the altar on her wedding day. Rather like her recent poem from the mouth of King Richard III, this again is a monologue of sorts, airing Miss Havisham’s views as she lives out her reclusive life in solitude.

It is a modern poem set in an ancient setting in the sense that the 1850s seem so far away from the realities of the modern world and as she is a character out of Great Expectations, it is clear from the poem that the attitudes to women were as objects to be traded, loved but owned, objects that mainly came with dowries which were a sum of money and paid by the father of the wife to be. It was a payment made to the groom’s family to take her off their hands and as such, women at the time were expected to marry early and if they were not married as they aged, then their worth lessened and their value went down.

This is clearly shown in the poem as Duffy has Havisham airing her views, for she is now a bitter old woman who cries out to the “beloved, sweetheart, Bastard” that jilted her at the altar. Such language uses antonyms, or opposites in meaning. “Beloved” and “sweetheart” are terms of endearment, but “bastard,” in any context, is insulting and is nowadays used as a firm insult from one person to another, so although Duffy is airing her views, she is doing so in a very modern fashion. She does so and reveals a Miss Havisham who uses such language in the context of the poem. She is definitely not being very lady-like but she also reflects Duffy’s own sexual orientation as she berates the man responsible for her demise.

Along with this, those three opening words are spoken alliteratively, with the repetition of the three consonant sounds which are strongly felt, reflecting the feelings and emotions that exist within her heart at the time. Clearly, the triplet usage, as in the opening line, allows the reader to really feel her venom as she almost tries to emulate a stutter, or crying sound at the end. These triplets, along with the use of the rule of three in the opening three words makes this first person narrative or thoughts from the woman in the novel come to life before the reader in an exciting manner. It appeals to the modern reader from the beginning and keeps the momentum up as it continues.

Written in 4 verses, or stanzas, there is an example of a slight rhyme at the end with “cake” and “breaks” but otherwise there is no rhyme used and this is done for effect, to get the emotions across to the reader in a simple and straightforward manner. It is a blunt hammer used to smash the reader in the mind as he or she feels the sense of confusion at first, not quite understanding the meaning but then when the reader knows about the character the feelings change to those of understanding and sorrow, sadness and sympathy.

That third word sets the tone of anger and it is one aimed at the man who jilted her at the altar, the same man who stole her life from her, who ruined her in the public gaze and who made her “hate behind a white veil” for the rest of her life. It is suggestive of the idea that a man may have hurt Duffy at some point for her to choose such a person to write a poem about. Clearly, the man in question is responsible for Havisham’s demise in the public eye and in such a society at the time, this would not have been a regular occasion; indeed such a person then became known as a “Cad” or a “Bounder” for dealing so falsely with the woman he had promised to marry.

In the poem My Last Duchess, by Robert Browning, the reader immediately sees the links between the first poem and this one. In this poem, there are two men; the Duke and his visitor. The Duke is showing the visitor a portrait, painted by Fra Pandolf, an imaginary painter who only exists here in this poem, which depicts the image of his now deceased last wife. But the reader is always asking the one, same question: who killed the wife and why did it happen?

This poem is set in more ancient times than Havisham in that the Duke and his visitor seem to be from an older time, which is interesting because as much as Duffy is writing about someone from a time 150 years before she lived, it is possible to say that Browning is doing the same thing. Browning was born in 1812 and died in 1889 and was a major poet of his time, so this could be set in the mid 1850s like Havisham, but is likely to be set in a previous time because the language suggests older, with words like “durst” being a good example of archaisms no longer used in the English language; it is the language of Shakespeare and his time rather than Dickens and Miss Havisham.

Indeed, “t’was not her husband’s presence” suggests the possibilities of this being set in the 1700s or earlier, where the use of rhyming couplets all the way through the poem have an effect on the reader, one that could be one of joy. To write this way is a very difficult thing to do as a poet so to then do so and reflect the attitudes to women at the time; how they were harsher than in Havisham’s time and how they did not have a free will is a very brave and bold thing to do.

This poem shows just how much the plight of women has changed over the years. Women did not get the vote till the 1920s but in times before that they were seen as commodities and the Duke uses the word “my” a lot, along with references to “my lady” as if he owns his wife outright. The language hints in the poem that he killed his own wife, or that he had her killed, or maybe, because of too much of a stressful life in his hands, she killed herself. The Duke says “she liked whate’er she looked on, and her looks went everywhere” suggesting to the reader that he was not very happy at all with her flirtatious behaviour towards other people, most notably the males of the land. This would give him motive to have her removed from his life.

In essence, if he did kill her, or have her killed, this shows that he was responsible, in some way or another, for her demise. What is left is a graven image of a once beautiful woman who still radiates a glow into his life, which maybe now, is a life filled with regret and pain at her passing. It is a slightly difficult poem to read and understand but fairly easy to understand in terms of love, life, death and murder most foul.

Evidently the sense of ownership felt keenly by the Duke is one where he knows his place, his opportunities and how he can exercise authority and control as the head of the household where he lives. This is something that is alien to the modern world of Political Correctness, but at one time and not too far back in history, this was the norm in British society.

This has always been the case and always will be the case in some societies. In British culture back in the late 1590s, there lived a man who constantly sought to fight the ways things were done. William Shakespeare, that monument of English Literature, was the sort of poet and playwright who could write something, change a language immediately and make you go home from watching a tragedy, feeling uplifted because of the nature of love.

In Romeo and Juliet, perhaps his most famous play, the reader, or audience, for it was written to be acted first and foremost, sees two families at war with each other. Written in about 1599, the story is set in Verona, Italy where two families are constantly fighting, warring, killing each other. Into all this, Romeo, who is a Montague, meets a stranger, aged thirteen, called Juliet and they fall in love but she realises that he is a Montague, her family’s worst enemy. They marry by the permission of Friar Lawrence and marry in secret, having their wedding night in secret. He thinks this marriage will unite both families.

After more fighting Romeo kills Tybalt and is banished, or exiled, so he goes to live in Mantua but Friar Lawrence hatches a plan; Juliet will fool her family into thinking she is dead, Romeo will return and they will live happily ever after, but this plan does not work and Romeo dies first by poisoning himself and then Juliet wakes in the tomb and sees him dying and kills herself with a dagger. It is the tragedy that brings these two families together to live in peace from that point on, because of their loss. This is their shared tragedy!

In act 2 Scene 4 the audience observes how the social expectations of women were that you did what your parents said. Juliet is expected to marry The Count of Paris, who is rich. Evidently, her parents have found her a good match and it is true that in the time, when marriage at thirteen was allowed, she could learn to love him, in time [Paris]. This shows Juliet to be weak and feeble in character, but this changes towards the end of this scene. At first we see a typical woman of the era but she is bold and fearless towards the end.

At this point, Shakespeare uses a variety of writing techniques, including the poetic use of iambic pentameter, a ten syllable beat within each line [or most lines] of verse he is writing. In this sense, Duffy, Browning and Shakespeare all adopt a similar approach in their language used. All use verse to share their feelings towards how women are being treated by others in their society. By having a strong willed Juliet at the end of the play, strong enough to end her own life, it shows just how much we need sometimes to stand up for our beliefs and actions.

Romeo is interestingly vague at first. He is happy to “call her mine” but lets her have her way in the planning and execution of their marriage and their plans later in the play. In Extract 1 Romeo and Juliet are happy to get married but Romeo still sees her as potential ‘property.’ He knows that this marriage could end the fighting which is why he refuses to fight Tybalt later and then feels he has to kill him in revenge for his slaying of his close friend, Mercutio.

In the second extract from Act 3 Scene 4, the audience observes how Lord Capulet plans to marry Juliet to Paris but there is a problem, because she is already married to Romeo [a Montague] and her family do not know this. When she refuses, her father issues some strong words: “hang thee, you baggage, disobedient wretch!” Capulet thinks she is offensive to him, just as much as he is offended by her refusal to marry Paris. He is angry at her defiance and is hurling insults at her. He ends up threatening her with being disowned if she refuses his desires to marry Paris. Clearly, he is in control of her life at such a tender age. He has the paternal right to marry her to Paris. No-one can stop him, apart from the church law which states that “what God has put together, let no man put asunder [Marriage Ceremony Liturgy].

This then continues into the next extracts as in Act 3 Scene 5 Capulet calls Juliet his “Headstrong” in a near term of endearment but also with a slight degree of venom, which means she is still defiantly saying no to marrying Paris. Only she knows in that setting that she cannot legally marry Paris, so she hatches the plan with the Friar and Romeo to pretend to end her life. It is a drastic plan that backfires with alarming pain and heartache for all, leading to her real death after Romeo has taken the poison, believing her dead already and in the tomb.

At the end of the play, in Act 5 Scene 3, the audience are treated to a scene that makes for a quite poetic ending to their “woes” where the Prince, the local judge of Verona, tells both Lord Capulet and Lord Montague that they have lost something so valuable together and so, the families begin to live together in peace.

In this final scene in the play, the most sombre of messages is being sent to the audience, who realise that Capulet and Montague have learnt the real meaning of the words “faithful” and “truth” by having their children kill themselves for love. This makes them realise that love is a very important and powerful thing and it is the language of Shakespeare that allows this to happen.