TV show, film or book. Setting Picture
Coronation Street
The setting is a street. The houses are quite small and close together and this is important so
characters see a lot of one another. They regularly meet up in the pub, shop and many characters also work in the local factory. This means they get to see a lot of one another and as people move on and move in, new characters can be introduced.
Waterloo Road
Cause and effect
1. Lots of people from all sorts of different backgrounds arrived in London. Many had different religions, were from a different ethnic background and spoke different languages.
2. Crime is a common problem in East London and it was quite famous for it in Victorian times.
3. Young people can feel resentful and sometimes turn to crime.
4. Gangs can be quite common because of this.
MARTIN
I always thought that these things happened to other people until it happened to me. The experience really changed my life, but I found out who my friends were and I got to know me.
- What do you think has happened to Martin? Discuss with a partner and brainstorm some possibilities in your exercise book.
- What do you think Martin means by “I got to know me”?
NATALIE
I hate people who discriminate. I think we’re all equal. But I have ambition, I want to make it big, and, let’s face it, I’m trying to sell an image. It’s nothing personal.
- What is discrimination? Who do you think may be discriminated against, and why?
- Natalie says “it’s nothing personal.” What might people mean when they say this?
MATTHEW
I’m no angel, I just try to keep out of trouble. It’s OK to have a bit of fun but I know that if you play with fire you get burnt. That’s reality.
- What do you think “if you play with fire you get burnt” means? - What sort of person do you think Matthew might be?
MARK
I was lucky, it’s as simple as that. I can’t keep looking back and feeling guilty. I’m not going to go around blaming anyone or moaning. I’m just looking after number one.
- What is guilt, and why do you think people feel it? Write down a time you felt guilty. Swap with a partner: do they think that you should have felt guilty?
- Why does Mark say “I can’t keep looking back.” What sort of thing might happen where someone feels the need to keep looking back and feeling guilty?
Using quotations 014
What do they say or think?
What do others say/think about them? What does the author say about them?
Quotation What does this tell us
about the character?
Quotation What does this tell us
about the character?
“Martin Turner could not wait to be set free.”
“He had his ‘up to no good’ look on his face, and
everyone in the class knew it. ‘Sir, have you got any advice on holiday sex?’”
Quotation What does this tell us
about the character?
Quotation What does this tell us
about the character?
Quotation What does this tell us
about the character?
Quotation What does this tell us
Setting and character 015
What does Martin say to the policeman?
What does Mark say about Martin’s prank?
What does Matthew say to Martin about it?
Read page 15 again. It says: “Martin … took much of its cultural diversity for granted.” Name the different sorts of people who live around the East End.
Now look at page 16. We are told that “there was a heavier than usual police presence.” Why do you think there are “usually” police around this area?
Who are the Big E Posse, and who do they consist of?
Write out the following paragraph into your exercise books, filling in the spaces yourself.
While Mark, Matthew and Martin are talking to some of their friends from school, Natalie becomes aware of some black girls staring at her. She starts to feel uncomfortable, but feels pressured to put on a brave face.
After collecting Natalie from her parents’, the friends indulge in a bit of banter. It is a hot evening and they feel sweaty. No one is sure what they want to do, and they wander about aimlessly until the boys see some of their friends.
The three girls approach Natalie and start to chat to her. It becomes clear their
intention is to be friendly, and Natalie feels relieved and a little ashamed of jumping to
conclusions. Before parting company, they invite Natalie to a rap club.
Martin is getting dressed and takes a lot of time over his appearance, wearing branded clothes and
worrying about not having the right trainers. Mark and Matthew come round for him, and the three boys make their way to Natalie’s house.
After some
squabbling, Natalie announces she is going to go to the rap club with or without Martin. He sees that she means it and announces to Mark and Martin that that is where they are going. He is clearly reluctant but decides to go anyway.
Martin is surprised that Natalie was talking to black girls, which suggests that it isn’t usual for the people to spend time with people who aren’t their race. They go to the arcade, but they feel a bit bored with this and try to think where else to go. While Mark,
Matthew and Martin are talking to some of their friends from school, Natalie becomes aware of some black girls staring at her. She starts to feel uncomfortable, but feels pressured to put on a brave face.
After collecting Natalie from her parents’, the friends indulge in a bit of banter. It is a hot evening and they feel sweaty. No one is sure what they want to do, and they wander about aimlessly until the boys see some of their friends.
The three girls approach Natalie and start to chat to her. It becomes clear their intention is to be friendly, and Natalie feels relieved and a little ashamed of jumping to conclusions. Before parting company, they invite Natalie to a rap club.
Martin is getting dressed and takes a lot of time over his appearance, wearing branded clothes and worrying about not having the right trainers. Mark and Matthew come round for him, and the three boys make their way to Natalie’s house.
After some squabbling, Natalie announces she is going to go to the rap club with or without Martin. He sees that she means it and announces to Mark and Martin that that is where they are going. He is clearly reluctant but decides to go anyway.
017
How does Benjamin Zephaniah present the themes of prejudice and independence in chapter 3 of the novel Face?
Prejudice
Who shows prejudice in this chapter?
What quotations can you use to show how prejudice is presented?
Do you think that people intend to be prejudiced? What do you think the author wants us to think about prejudice and jumping to assumptions?
Independence
What is independence, and who shows it and how in this chapter?
Can you find some quotations that support this?
Plot the changes in moods in chapter 4 (‘Dancemania’) 018
Excellent moods
Reasonably good mood.
Some slight tension.
Very
tense/anxious.
The Gang of Three and Natalie enter Dancemania
Natalie and the others are accepted by the
others.
Martin does some dancing, which goes down well
Matthew is offered drugs, which he doesn't agree with. He wants to leave and the others go
After the crash 019
Mark is feeling …
Fill the cloud above with adjectives describing how Mark is feeling as he is led away from the scene of the crash.
The Reality – chapter 7 020
Sympathy
Quotation Who do you feel sympathy
for, and why?
Quotation Who do you feel sympathy
for, and why? Dr Owens paused for a
moment and surveyed Martin’s face. ‘But your face came out the worst. You have what we term deeper partial-thickness burns, sometimes called deep dermal burns. At the moment painkillers are holding back the pain but we want to get you off them as soon as we can. In some parts of your face you will feel no pain at all. This is because some of the nerve endings have been severely damaged.”
Then he opened his eyes and as he did so he began to cry uncontrollably. It was as if he had opened an emotional tap. He cried for Natalie. He cried for
021
He was grateful for his existence, but he couldn’t find words to express how he felt.
How was Martin feeling before the accident (after coming out of Dancemania.)
How was Martin feeling as Pete tried to persuade him to get in the car?
How did Martin feel when he discovered his face was ruined and he was in hospital?
The Unprepared 022
1. Who in this chapter is ‘unprepared’ and what are they unprepared for? (2) 2. How does Martin feel during his bed bath given by the nurses? (2)
3. What physical progress has Martin made: what can he do after his bath that he was previously unable to do? (1)
4. Martin notices that Natalie feels “nervous.” What do you think Natalie feels nervous about? (3)
5. Why are Martin’s friends not looking at Martin when he is looking at them? (2)
6. Matthew says “I don’t want to say this but I got to.” What does Matthew say to his friends, and why do you think he feels the need to say it? (4) 7. What does Martin apologise to Mark for? (1)
8. What does Martin say which makes the group fall into an “uncomfortable silence”? (2)
9. What is Matthew’s response to this? What does this indicate about Matthew? (2)
10. Why do you think Natalie does not know how to respond when Martin asks her for a kiss? (2)
11. Explain in your own words why you think Martin feels “a kind of anger” towards his friends. (4)
12. Why does Martin press the red emergency button? (2)
13. Why do you think the nurse leaves the room so quickly and returns panting as if she had been running? (2)
14. Explain in your own words the advice that Alan gives Martin. Do you think this is good advice: if so, why? What advice would you add to it? (6)
15. How is Martin feeling at the end of this chapter? Do you think that Martin has learned and developed from seeing his friends, or has his mental
Targets 023
Level 7
They can confidently interpret the text in a great deal of detail.
They use quotations and write about their meanings. They discuss more than one possible meaning of a word of phrase in a quotation.
They understand how the author wants us to feel by his use of language.
Level 6
They clearly understand what is happening and why in the text (the smaller aspects as well as the main plot and storyline.)
They use quotations and explain what these quotations mean.
They know the author has used some words deliberately for an effect.
Level 5
They can explain what is happening but might miss some of the ‘finer details.’
They use some quotations but might not explain these in lots of detail.
They understand some words have been used for effect but might not explain in any great detail what these effects are.
Level 4
They know and can comment on what is happening in the text.
They may use some quotations but may just paraphrase. (This is when people put what has been said into their own words.)
Level 3
For or against? 024
Martin has decided to opt for an operation which will improve his physical appearance but won’t make any difference to his health.
Many people now opt for cosmetic surgery and sometimes the NHS pays for this. Some people claim that their appearance is affecting their mental health and so may wish to have their noses altered, their breasts reduced or enlarged or have a ‘tummy tuck’ (where loose skin on the stomach is put back into place.)
Is this right? Write down all the arguments you can think of for and against in the table below.
For Against
Now write a speech. This should include:
Rhetorical questions Rule of three
Success criteria 025
In my speech, I should have:
Used rhetorical questions on several occasions, e.g. “How would you like it if you ended up with a face like this young boy’s? How would you feel if he was your brother or your son?
Used the rule of three to make an impact on the reader, for example – “To take money away from people whose lives could otherwise be saved is cruel, heartless and immoral.”
Used pronouns to speak directly to the listener. “If you have a heart, you must use it now.”
Your speech should be at least six paragraphs in length.
Success criteria 025
In my speech, I should have:
Used rhetorical questions on several occasions, e.g. “How would you like it if you ended up with a face like this young boy’s? How would you feel if he was your brother or your son?
Used the rule of three to make an impact on the reader, for example – “To take money away from people whose lives could otherwise be saved is cruel, heartless and immoral.”
Used pronouns to speak directly to the listener. “If you have a heart, you must use it now.”
Martin’s Caution 026
I think Martin’s caution by the police was/wasn’t fair because …
I think Apache’s
punishment should be …
I think Martin and his parents cried after the visit from the police because …
