Study Hub

Study Guides

This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.

Back to Study HubBrowse Year 8 English Guides

Year 8 - English

Hanan Al-Shaykh's 'The Fisherman and the Jinni': understanding the story

Myths, legends and stories that inspire

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils read and explore a range of text types in connection to classical myths and legends. They first look at poetry before doing some descriptive writing inspired by poetry and paintings. They then explore Chaucer and modern retellings of myths to inspire their narrative writing.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain what happens in Hanan Al-Shaykh's 'The Fisherman and the Jinni'.

Key Notes

  • 'One Thousand and One Nights' is a collection of Middle Eastern folktales.
  • 'One Thousand and One Nights' uses a frame story: a main story around shorter ones, all told by one person, Shahrazad.
  • Shahrazad tells these stories to her husband, Shahrayar, ending each installment on a cliffhanger.
  • In this way, Shahrayar, desperate to know the rest of the story, puts off killing her (his usual custom with his wives).
  • 'The Fisherman and the Jinni' is one of the stories Shahrazad tells her husband.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • jinni: a supernatural spirit with magical powers
  • folktales: stories that are passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth
  • prophet: a person who is able to communicate the will of God
  • sage: a wise person
  • frame story: a main story that surrounds shorter stories

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • 'The Fisherman the and Jinni' is a framing story because there is a story within it.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.

'One Thousand and One Nights' is a collection of Middle Eastern folktales. 'One Thousand and One Nights' uses a frame story: a main story around shorter ones, all told by one person, Shahrazad.

2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'jinni'

a supernatural spirit with magical powers.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: 'The Fisherman the and Jinni' is a framing story because there is a story within it. Correction: The story of King Yunan and his sage is a story within a story. In 'One Thousand and One Nights', the frame story is only that of Shahrazad and Shahrayar. This frame story punctuates all the tales, with dialogue between husband and wife throughout.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 8 English guide library.