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Different Writers, Different Times

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Different writers – different times

In what ways do you think modern writing is different or similar to writing from the past?

Brainstorm any modern writers you have read.

Brainstorm any pre-1914 writers you have read.

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Roald Dahl wrote many children’s novels and some novels for adults. Many of his novels have been turned into films.

Roald Dahl

Can you name any books by Roald Dahl?

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Do you know anything else about Roald Dahl?

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Read this extract from George’s Marvellous Medicine together:

Most grandmothers are lovely, kind, helpful old ladies, but not this one. She spent all day and everyday sitting in her chair by the window, and she was always complaining, grousing, grouching, grumbling, griping about something or other…

Make a list of all the words beginning with ‘G’ that Dahl uses to describe George’s grandmother.

Roald Dahl

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…Never once, even on her best days, had she smiled at George and said, ‘Well, how are you this morning George?’ or ‘Why don’t you and I have a game of Snakes and Ladders?’ or ‘How was school today?’ She didn’t seem to care about other people, only about herself. She was a miserable old grouch.

What is the tone of the extract ?

What do you think the purpose of this extract is in relation to the entire novel?

George’s grandmother doesn’t do and say certain things. What does this tell you about her?

Roald Dahl

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Geoffrey Chaucer is most famous for The Canterbury Tales which he wrote in the Middle Ages.

What do you know about Chaucer or The Canterbury Tales?

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Geoffrey Chaucer

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Read together this extract from Chaucer’s General Prologue to the Canterbury Tales:

A good Wif was ther of biside Bathe,

But she was somdel deef, and that was scathe

Of clooth-making she hadde swich an haunt…

Hir hosen weren of fyn scarlet reed,

Ful streite yteyd, and shoes ful moiste and newe.

Bold was hir face, and fair, and reed of hewe…

Word Bank somdel – partially

haunt – skill scathe – a pity moiste – supple

reed – red streite yteyd – tightly fastened

Geoffrey Chaucer

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…She was a worthy womman al hir live:

Housbondes at chirche dore she hadde five,

Withouten oother compaignye in youthe,

But therof nedeth nat to speke as nowthe.

Word Bank

housbondes – husbands withouten – not counting

compaignye – boyfriends

nedeth nat to speke as nowthe – there’s no need to go into it

This word is used by Chaucer with a certain amount of irony.

Geoffrey Chaucer

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1. Using your own words, describe the Wife of Bath:

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2. What do you notice about the language of Chaucer's Tales?

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Geoffrey Chaucer

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Chaucer’s English

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Similar to the grandmother Dahl has created, Chaucer’s Wife of Bath is a comic figure.

Brainstorm the ways Chaucer tries to present The Wife of Bath as a comical character.

Remember that The Wife of Bath was meant to have lived 600 years ago:

Geoffrey Chaucer

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George’s Grandmother

List the differences between the two characters:

Comparing characters

The Wife of Bath

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1. Write a monologue from the perspective of the Wife of Bath describing her fellow pilgrims (in modern English).

2. Write a letter from George’s grandmother to her grandson George.

Complete one of the tasks below.

Dear George, Why didn’t you visit me today?

These travellers

are a jolly

bunch… especially

the men!

Activity

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True or false

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Write a short essay comparing and contrasting narrative extracts by Roald Dahl and Chaucer.

language differences

historical context

the presentation of characters

writing styles and techniques.

When writing, bear in mind the following:

Compare and contrast