Welcome to Literature Day

Welcome to Literature Day

Skills targeted:• AO1 Respond to texts critically and

imaginatively; select and evaluate relevant textual detail to illustrate and support interpretations

• AO2 Explain how language, structure and form contribute to writers’ presentation of ideas, themes and settings.

Assessment Objectives

Do you know what assessment objectives are in each exam part? To do list?

Remember What Literature Is…

Characters Events

Themes/Issues/Ideas

Plus, language and techniques – in this case including

stage directions because it’s a play are

used to make these more effective

Characters Events

Themes/Issues/Ideas

Previous Question Focuses

TensionSelfishnessResponsibilityGeraldContrastsSheilaThe InspectorStage Directions

As you can see, they do not ask about events. This is not a assessment of memory. It is a test of understanding,

interpretation and analysis.

AO1 Respond to texts critically and imaginatively; select and evaluate relevant textual detail to illustrate and support interpretationsAO2 Explain how language, structure and form contribute to writers’ presentation of ideas, themes and settings.

Language and

Techniques

So…

You can only be asked about CHARACTERS, THEMES or LANGUAGE/TECHNIQUES

To do: Prepare a basic plan for all the characters, all the themes, all the techniques…

If you do this, you cannot go wrong!

Mr Birling - Revision Rocks

Today, we’ll spend 15 minutes on:

A character questionA theme questionA technique question

Character

Mr Birling

Events?

Themes/Issues/Ideas?

Language and

Techniques

For instance, our essay could cover:

1. How he is introduced/described2. How he speaks3. What’s he like at the beginning?4. What’s he like after being inspected?5. What’s he like at the end?6. What themes does he bring out?

7. What language or techniques are used to present him?

This is separate because you would be looking at this throughout when SALAAL with quotations but it could also be a separate section

This question is 45 minutes long. So you’ve got to rattle

through it.5-6 mins per section?

Do you know the play well enough to be able to do this? To do list???

Take ONE of them1. How he is introduced/described2. How he speaks3. What’s he like at the beginning?4. What’s he like after being inspected?5. What’s he like at the end?6. What themes does he bring out?

7. What language or techniques are used to present him?

Write for FIVE MINUTES

Say something intelligent (A01)Quote (AO1)Analyse language, technique etc and say more intelligent things (AO2 and 1)

Theme

Characters Events?

Respon-sibility

Language and

Techniques

For instance, our essay could cover:1, 2, 3. How different characters (3?)

have different attitudes to responsibility and how Priestly uses them to say

different things.

4. What techniques Priestley uses to discuss responsibility

This is separate because you would be looking at this throughout when SALAAL with quotations but it could also be a separate section

This question is 45 minutes long. So you’ve got to rattle

through it.7 mins per section?

Do you know the play well enough to be able to do this? To do list???

Take ONE CHARACTER and ONE MOMENT

Write for FIVE MINUTES

Say something intelligent (A01)Quote (AO1)Analyse language, technique etc and say more intelligent things (AO2 and 1)

Character

Characters Events?

Themes/Issues/Ideas?

Tension

This question is 45 minutes long. So you’ve got to rattle

through it.5-6 mins per section?

Do you know the play well enough to be able to do this? To do list???

For instance, our essay could cover:

Two or three moments in the play where tension is created.

1. What techniques Priestley uses to create tension including…

2,3,4. How different characters (3?)are used to create tension

Choose ONE momentWrite for FIVE MINUTES

Say something intelligent (A01)Quote (AO1)Analyse language, technique etc and say more intelligent things (AO2 and 1)

Which techniques does Priestley uses to create

tension?

Which characters are used to create tension?

Further Reading/Ativities

Good, solid furnitureConnotations:

The general effect is substantial and heavily comfortable, but not cosy and homelike.Connotation:

The men in tails and white ties, not in dinner jacketsConnotations:

Decanter of portCigar boxChampagne glassesConnotations:

Edna, the parlourmaidConnotations:

Playwrights include stage directions (props, scenery, lighting) to inform directors how they want their play performed. What hints is Priestley giving directors about the atmosphere he wants them to create in the opening scene?Make a note of the connotations.

Eric Birling is presented as immature and foolish by Priestley. In the introductory stage directions he is

described as being ‘not quite at ease’. This implies that Eric lacks the social confidence of the older characters, but his ‘half shy, half assertive’ nature also suggests that he is

uncertain of what type of man he wants to be.Furthermore, in the character’s dialogue he is also shown

to be slightly immature. He responds to the scene of affection between Sheila and Gerald with the exclamatory ‘Steady the Buffs!’ Priestley’s use of this informal language further reveals the character’s immaturity and silliness to the audience. It also intrigues the audience to see how

this immaturity could have contributed to the death of Eva Smith.

LABEL THIS FOR AO1 and AO2 HITS

This review gives 4 interpretations of the play’s message and ends with the idea that ‘no-one ever learns’.

Do you agree that this is true? Do you think that the play still has something to teach a modern day audience? Explain your thinking.

A passionate indictment of social injustice and the widening chasm between the ‘haves and have nots’ in early 20th century Britain, An Inspector Calls ends on a sombre and prophetic note. The inspector’s soliloquy, preaching a unified society where we are all responsible for each other, is a fitting precursor to the magnificent destruction of the set which explodes and shatters around the ears of the distraught Birling Family.

The inspector’s warning that if we cannot learn this lesson ‘we will be taught it in fire, blood and anguish’ would once have been read as a specifically post Second World War I-told-you-so. Considering the fine mess the world has gotten itself into lately, the inspector’s words sound less like a sombre warning, more like an archaic reminder of a morality that no longer exists. The only lesson is, no one ever learns.

http://www.newcastleandme.com/eventsandactivities/an-inspector-calls-at-theatre-royal-newcastle

Timeline the key events

On a large paper, create a timeline of key events. You must include:

• The events• The acts and scenes• The page numbers

Draw an outline of a character on the large paper (draw around yourself if you must). Then cut them

in half.

Focus on how the character is presented at the start of the play, two then focus on how the character is

presented towards the end of the play.

On the inside of the body, fill this with quotes from the play said by or about the character. On the outside of the body write the impression the

audience get of this character and why you think Priestley has portrayed them like that.

Character Focus10 mins

Start End

Quotes

STOP – Back to your timeline

If you were to answer a question on how the character changes, which two key parts of the play would you focus on for:

• Mr Birling• Mrs Birling• Sheila• Gerald• Eric• Inspector Goole?

Task: Using a different coloured pen for each

character, write on your timeline which two parts you would

focus on for that character.

2 mins

ContextThere are four key areas of context that you need to know for An Inspector Calls:

• Class divisions• Gender roles• Socialism and responsibility • Capitalism

You do not get marked specifically on context in this question – however because it is so closely linked to Priestley’s purpose, you have to be able to comment on how he was influenced by context. These may also be classed as a theme and you could be asked specifically about them in the question.

It’s a PLAY!

We HAVE to remember that this is a play – that means it is written to be

performed. There is an audience watching and all stage directions are

crucial to our understanding of this as a piece of drama.

If you can analyse how Priestley has used dramatic devices then you are sure to be moving into the top marks – remember

the mark scheme asks you to analyse language, structure and FORM.

Remember: An Inspector Calls can be classed as a:• Morality play• Naturalistic drama• Murder mystery• Supernatural

drama

Dramatic Devices

Task: focus and research on:

• Entrances and exits• Stage directions• Setting and props• Dramatic irony

4 mins

STOP – Back to your timeline

Another dramatic device is structure.

Task: Identify where Priestley has created moments of

tension and how you think the audience feel at these

moments.

2 mins

Remember: An Inspector Calls has a cyclical structure and makes use of

foreshadowing.

Language Analysis Learning Ladder

One of the crucial elements of your literature exam is being

able to analyse language closely.

But what is it that we look for when analysing language? What comments can you

make? What features should you spot? What techniques

should you be looking out for?

Task: create a ladder of as many different elements of language that

you could possibly comment on.

2 mins

Task: Choose a question and write one paragraph of close language analysis

1. How does Priestley show that tension is at the heart of the Birling family?

2. How does Priestley present the change in Sheila during the course of the play? How do you think this change reflects some of Priestley’s ideas?

3. How important do you think social class is in An Inspector Calls and how does Priestley present ideas about social class?

4. How do you respond to Gerald in An Inspector Calls? How does Priestley make you respond by the way he

writes?

8 mins

Reflection: Priestley’s PurposeOverall – what do you think Priestley’s purpose was?Rank these statements as a group across the bottom of your timeline depending on how much you agree

with them. Be prepared to feedback.

4 mins

The play’s purpose is to show the importance of social responsibility- the idea that people should

act in a way that helps less privileged people.

An Inspector Calls is written to make the audience

question how responsible they are for their own

actions.

Priestley’s purpose was to question whether the world

can learn from past mistakes following two

World Wars.

Priestley’s purpose is to highlight the responsibility

of employers over their workers. He wanted us to

see that Eva Smith was completely at the mercy of

the Birling family.By making the audience wary

of Birling’s short-sighted opinions, Priestley uses

Birling to promote his own socialist ideas.

Inspector Goole was used as a device to make us all question our consciences.