Q2. Look in detail at lines 3-10

How does the writer use language here to describe the narrator’s first impressions of the countryside?

The June grass, amongst which I stood, was taller than I was, and I wept. I had never been so close to grass before. It towered above me and all around me, each blade tattooed with tiger-skins of sunlight. It was knife-edged, dark, and a wicked green, thick as a forest and alive with grasshoppers that chirped and chattered and leapt through the air like monkeys. I was lost and didn’t know where to move. A tropic heat oozed up from the ground, rank with sharp odours of roots and nettles. Snow-clouds of elder-blossom banked in the sky, showering upon me the fumes and flakes of their sweet and giddy suffocation. High overhead ran frenzied larks, screaming, as though the sky were tearing apart.

 

EXEMPLAR ANSWER A

The writer uses language to describe the narrator’s first impressions of the countryside as dangerous. Firstly the word choice of “towered” suggests overpowering, being oppressive and something to be scared of as it is bigger and dangerous. This shows the narrator feels the countryside is overwhelming and unavoidable. Secondly the word choice of “tattooed” suggests leaving a permanent mark, of something that causes pain and of something that harms the body. This shows the narrator to feel the countryside as being something that has damaged them in a lasting manner. Finally the word choice of: “knife-edged” suggests damage, hurt and severe danger. These words all show the narrator’s first impressions of the countryside to be that it is dangerous and could cause them serious, lasting harm.

EXEMPLAR ANSWER B

The narrator’s first impressions of the countryside are threatening and scary. The writer describes the grasses surrounding him with frightening, aggressive imagery. The grass is described using the word “blade” alluding to the “knife-edged” shadows which now show as “wicked green” in the darkness and confusion of the new surroundings. These shadows coupled with the light falling through the trees and shining on him are also described as being “tattooed with tigerskins”, an image of being hunted by a primitive enemy, being a hunter and indulging in violence, and being permanently marked by this experience.

 

Exemplar English Language Q2 response:

Q - How does the writer use language to describe the daffodils.

The writer uses language to describe the daffodils as beautiful. Firstly the word choice of fluttering suggests elegant movement, movement which catches attention and suggests being delicate and so beautiful. Secondly the word choice of dancing, which is also personification, suggests the daffodils are energetic, vibrant and artistic and so beautiful. Finally the word choice of stretched suggests careful movement, elegance and also slow so showing the dafodils to be beautiful.

Writing a Critical Response to a text

Essay question:

Key words (no more than 4): outsider society Scrooge

What do I think (use the key words in these sentences linked with your own words)	What phrase ‘backs me up’	How does a word or part of this phrase back me up?
Scrooge is an outsider in society because his manner and character is unique and unmatched by even the weather.                                   Scrooge is an outsider in society as he is shunned by all aspects of society – from the young, to the animals and even others groups normally shunned.	This is shown when we are told: “Foul weather didn’t know where to have him.”                                       This is shown by the list Dickens includes of those who ignore Scrooge. The list ranges from the young: “children” to even “beggars”.	The word choice of foul suggests the weather is disgusting, awful and to be avoided by others. By suggesting that even “foul “ weather is not akin to Scrooge, shows that Scrooge is such an outsider as he is worse than “foul”. It highlights the depth of his awfulness and the extent to which he is not a part of his surroundings. Although Scrooge is an outsider in this text, in Victorian times his harsh and cold personality was very much the status quo, as shown through the Poor Law and the Workhouse.

28/09/16 page 11

Short sentence: “The cold became intense.”

Church…court (religion….justice)

“ragged men and boys” The word choice of ragged has suggestions of…

The word choice of ragged is also emotive language (what emotion is the writer trying to evoke in the reader?)

This evokes (EMOTION) in the reader

“pale faces ruddy” – CONTRAST

The use of contrast (Lord Mayor …little Tailor) further isolates Scrooge and shows how far removed from society and humanity he is.

 

PATHETIC FALLACY – when the weather reflects the mood/or character thoughts/ feeling etc/ action

Personification of the house – likening the house to Scrooge. Even Scrooge’s external environment is as isolated and lonely and depressing as his internal environment.

“fog and frost” – alliteration/ pathetic fallacy

Supernatural element

 

Page 16

“hearse” – vehicle which carries a coffin – yet again another reference to death to and the gothic” Darkness is cheap, and Scrooge liked it” – literally interpretation – Scrooge is a penny-pincher. Metaphorical interpretation is that Scrooge likes evil.

Repetition of “nobody” – emphasises Scrooge’s aloneness.

Dickens is evoking sympathy for Scrooge from the reader: “little saucepan”

“clanking” – A)2 onomatopoeia, the use of onomatopoeia highlights the grotesque sound and furthers the grotesque atmosphere Scrooge is surrounded by.

“boom” the onomatopoeia heightens the terror.

Marley – repetition of “pigtails” constantly associates Marley with pigs – animals often used in literature for their cunning and sly characteristic (e.g. Animal Farm)

“caustic and cold as ever” – alliteration of c – describing Scrooge.

Caustic - sarcastic in a scathing and bitter way.

 

Marley’s first name is only revealed by Marley when we meet him. The use of the surname alone until this point possibly links to Scrooge’s distance between himself and other humans as by referring to someone only as their surname is such a formality – perhaps by only using surnames this keeps Scrooge at a formal distance form others (and the reader). DOUBLE CHECK

Q – when do we first learn of Scrooge’s first name – is this highlighting the distance between reader and Scrooge, and everyone else and Scrooge.

Scrooge believes in nothing. This is highlighted when he explains to Marley’s ghost that he is probably the effect of food poisoning.

“persecuted by a legion of goblins, all of my own creation” – word choice and metaphor. Yet still Scrooge refuses to believe in consequences as he believes these to be his “own creation”. He believes himself to be entirely unconnected to others and religion. He is unaware of the idea of afterlife.

Page 22 – links to Doubting Thomas, further religious connotations/links

Condemned – word choice has associations with religion (afterlife)

Key theme (idea) – consequences of deeds/ acts done during life

Key theme 2 – forgiveness/ the possibility of change / hope/ redemption  (“solitary as an oyster”)

 

Page 29

“ferret eyes” – metaphor

Just as a ferret can be vicious, is not a pet and is not known for being friendly so Scrooge can be vicious, does interact with other humans and is not friendly. (AO2)

“chimes of a neighbouring church” – alliteration of “ch” sound which draws attention to the detail of the presence of the church. In this text Scrooge appears to constantly be surrounded by churches, hence Dickens is suggesting that no-one can escape religion.

It is interesting that of all of the hours Dickens chooses to have the first ghost visit Scrooge it is on the twelfth hour. Twelve (just as three earlier) is a number with strong religious connotations – there are 12 disciples, again linking the events to religion.

“I wear the chain I forged in life” – metaphor

“trembled” – word choice/ repetition shows Scrooge being affected

Jacob – religious connotations

“speak comfort to me”  - Scrooge is alone, desperate and childlike

Dickens lived in a time of great social inequality and division. The monetary roles of Scrooge and Marley highlight this.

Scrooge meets Marley’s ghost on his knees – a religious position of prayer

Incessant – word choice/ repetition – suggestions of continuous , negative suggestions

 

Scrooge’s main concern and view of life is business

“It” – Marley’s ghost is sometimes referred to as this. The use of the pronoun shows that, if you live a bad life, you are insignificant and uncared for in the afterlife. Cold/ harsh.

Trembled – quake Scrooge becomes more affected (word choice)

3 – huge religious suggestions – holy trinity/ 3 wise men

 

 

Day One: A Christmas Carol

Class of 2018

English Literature Paper 1: Shakespeare and the 19^th Century Text

A Christmas Carol: Capturing our study of the text

AO1 – Informed ideas and relevant quote

A02 – Analysing language and structure (using subject terminology)

A03 – (Historical context)

A Christmas Carol Introduction – 090916

·       A 19th Century England (AO3)

·       Dickens author - presents Victorian England as dark and depressing.

·       Dickens was angry at the treatment of children and the poor.

·       The first sentence of the text references death as we are told that “Marley was dead”. The placing of this information at the very beginning of the book highlights the gothic element of the text and also creates a sinister atmosphere form the very beginning of Dicken’s text.

·       In the text a simile is used to refer to Marley as “dead as a doornail”. This implies that Marley is lifeless. Just as a doornail is stationary, stiff, lifeless, keep things together, not noticed by people

So Marley is…

·        

Just as (comparison) is… so (subject) is….

Just as a doornail is stationary, stiff, lifeless, keep things together, not noticed by people

So Marley is…

Analysing Similes and Metaphors

She was a bubble amongst her peers.

Just as a bubble is translucent, self contained and easily popped, so she was rarely noticed, kept herself to herself and fragile.

“Scrooge never painted out old Marley’s name”

Scrooge does not want to waste his money painting out Marley’s name. We can also infer he is heartless as he is clearly unaffected and not bothered by seeing Marley’s name every workday.

Scrooge does not care about himself or others, he is devoid of humanity as we are told he “answered to both names”. Names are hugely personal and important to most people, Scrooge’s lack of care about being named correctly shows he has lost any care he might have had for himself and does not care about making human connections. He is anti-social.

TASK –

“Solitary as an oyster”

Just as an oyster is

 

 

A Christmas Carol Class notes continued

page 11

Short sentence: “The cold became intense.”

Church…court (religion….justice)

“ragged men and boys” The word choice of ragged has suggestions of…

The word choice of ragged is also emotive language (what emotion is the writer trying to evoke in the reader?)

This evokes (EMOTION) in the reader

“pale faces ruddy” – CONTRAST

The use of contrast (Lord Mayor …little Tailor) further isolates Scrooge and shows how far removed from society and humanity he is.

 

PATHETIC FALLACY – when the weather reflects the mood/or character thoughts/ feeling etc/ action

Personification of the house – likening the house to Scrooge. Even Scrooge’s external environment is as isolated and lonely and depressing as his internal environment.

“fog and frost” – alliteration/ pathetic fallacy

Supernatural element

“It’s enough for a man to understand his own business and not to interfere with other people’s” Word choice of business, corporate, cold highlights Scrooge’s economical stand point in life. Shows Scrooge’s lack of empathy and unwillingness to be a part of human society.

Scrooge: “solitary as an oyster”

“church” – constant references to religion in the text (mortality/ heaven and hell)

“church whose gruff bell” – the word choice of gruff has negative suggestions, it has suggestion of being unpleasant, of being harsh to those in its presence and of being cold.

(AO3 – 19^th Century Christian Britain)

“the church…whose gruff old bell was always peeping slily down at Scrooge” The word choice of peeping

Word choice- words all have a denotation (literal meaning), and some have a connotation (suggestions)

 

Example – She walked into the room

She strolled into the room

She meandered into the room

She ambled into the room

She marched into the room

All above words  the same denotation = walk

However their connotations (suggestions) are all different.

Words are often chosen for their connotations and not for their denotations.

The word choice of…has suggestions of (3)

The word choice of ambled suggests she is not concerned with the event she is attending, she is relaxed and not worried.

What does that word suggest about the way in which the action is performed and what does it say about the person doing it.

The corpse lay cold.

The word choice of corpse is associated with the horror genre, is clinical and has suggestions of a lack of feeling towards the victim.

 “the church…whose gruff old bell was always peeping slily down at Scrooge” The word choice of peeping

Peeping – watched

The word choice of peeping has suggestions of watching without wanting to be noticed, of being sneaky and being invasive and unwanted. Furthermore by describing the church bell as “peeping slyly” Dickens uses the bell as a symbol of religion therefore suggesting that religion/ God is ever present in Scrooge’s life even if it is unwanted.

The word choice of slily…

Along with religion, Dickens also frequently includes the Gothic element e.g. “phantom” “Gothic window”.

Here is a list of some common elements found in Gothic novels: Gloomy, decaying setting (haunted houses or castles with secret passages, trapdoors, and other mysterious architecture) Supernatural beings or monsters (ghosts, vampires, zombies, giants) Curses or prophecies