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Year 9 - English

'Small Island': reading Act 1 Scene 2

'Small Island'

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils explore the playtext adaptation of Andrea Levy's novel 'Small Island'. They first explore the transition from novel to stage, before reading the playtext in full and exploring key scenes in detail. They then plan and write an essay on the theme of 'hope' in the text.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explore the relationship between Bernard and Queenie.

Key Notes

  • Both Queenie and Hortense tell their story by directly addressing the audience.
  • Class is a key dimension here - Bernard offers Queenie the hope of a middle class life.
  • Bernard is a caricature of a repressed English gentleman, who is fearful of all that is unfamiliar.
  • The setting of Bernard's cold, closed-off Edwardian house mirrors his personality and is opposite to Queenie's warmth.
  • The playwright uses humour to show the lack of passion between the couple.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • Characterisation: how a writer creates and constructs a fictional character
  • Motif: a dominant or recurring idea or theme in a text
  • Caricature: a description where characteristics are exaggerated to create a comic effect
  • Humorous: describes something that is funny
  • Stoicism: experiencing pain or hardship without complaining

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • That Queenie and Bernard's relationship is only a marriage of convenience.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

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

Both Queenie and Hortense tell their story by directly addressing the audience. Class is a key dimension here - Bernard offers Queenie the hope of a middle class life.

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

how a writer creates and constructs a fictional character.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: That Queenie and Bernard's relationship is only a marriage of convenience. Correction: How do Queenie and Bernard interact with each other? Can you find any clues where love or affection might be present?

More Lessons In This Unit

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