Year 9 - English
Exploring the presentation of the boss in 'The Fly' by Katherine Mansfield
Literary perspectives from the First World War
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils explore and compare texts written about the First World War. They first read Beck's 'Propping up the line', Mansfield's 'The Fly' and Wilfred Owen's 1917 letter home to his mum. They finally read Brittain's 'Testament of Youth', and then plan and write a comparative response.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain how Katherine Mansfield presents the character of the boss in her short story, 'The Fly', in clear and well developed analytical paragraphs.
Key Notes
- A topic sentence states the focus for a paragraph.
- Including multiple quotations in a main body paragraph from across a text can help strengthen your analysis.
- Exploring the methods a writer has used can help to develop your analysis.
- You don't need to analyse every quotation in the same amount of depth.
Vocabulary To Learn
- foil: in literature, a character who contrasts with another character
- topic sentence: the first sentence of a paragraph which states its main idea
- symbolism: when writers use something to represent intangible ideas; the fly in 'The Fly' is an example of a symbol
- methods: the tools a writer uses to create their work; character foils and use of symbolism are both examples of methods
- analysis: in English, to look closely at a text and comment on how it was written and why
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- You must analyse every quotation.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
A topic sentence states the focus for a paragraph. Including multiple quotations in a main body paragraph from across a text can help strengthen your analysis.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'foil'
in literature, a character who contrasts with another character.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: You must analyse every quotation. Correction: There are some quotations that you will want to analyse in depth, and consider their methods and the range of ways they might be interpreted. However, there will also be quotations that link to your topic sentence, but don't need to be analysed.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Analysing the presentation of the gas attack: Ian Beck's 'Propping Up the Line' Study Guide
- Comparing texts about World War One in comparative analytical paragraphs Study Guide
- Comparing texts about World War One using comparative topic sentences Study Guide
- Creative writing in the third person inspired by Katherine Mansfield's 'The Fly' Study Guide
- Debating different interpretations of Katherine Mansfield's 'The Fly' Study Guide
- Ian Beck's 'Propping Up The Line': Alice's experiences on the Home Front Study Guide
- Improving a letter: deliberate verbs and precise adjectives Study Guide
- Improving the style of a letter: sentence structure and rhythm Study Guide
- Katherine Mansfield's 'The Fly' (1922): exploring character foils and symbolism Study Guide
- Letter writing: planning, using Vera Brittain's 'Testament of Youth' as stimulus Study Guide
- Letter writing: planning, using Wilfred Owen's 1917 letter as stimulus Study Guide
- Reading 'Propping Up the Line', a short story about World War One by Ian Beck Study Guide
- Reading Katherine Mansfield's short story, 'The Fly' (1922) Study Guide
- Skim reading and close reading: 'Testament of Youth' by Vera Brittain Study Guide
- Skim reading and close reading: Wilfred Owen's 1917 letter to his mother Study Guide
- Symbolism and motif in Ian Beck's short story, 'Propping Up The Line' Study Guide
- The presentation of trauma in Ian Beck's short story, 'Propping Up the Line' Study Guide
- Understanding why people write about war Study Guide
- Using sentence structure to create rhythm in writing about World War One Study Guide
- Vivid descriptive writing using Ian Beck's 'Propping Up The Line' as stimulus Study Guide
- World War One: propaganda and trench warfare Study Guide
- Writing a letter as a soldier in the trenches of World War One Study Guide
- Writing a letter from the British home front: tone, audience and purpose Study Guide
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