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Year 9 - English

'Small Island': reading the end of Act 1 Scene 3

'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 explain the events of the end of Act Scene 3 and explore the importance of the incident in the cinema.

Key Notes

  • Pathos is created when Arthur is shot - he is an innocent victim of this incident.
  • As a WW1 veteran, Arthur dies in a violent incident at home rather than enjoying the freedom and safety he fought for.
  • Arthur is characterised as more open-minded than his son, showing that racism is not just a generational issue.
  • Arthur's death shows that racism is deeply damaging to society as a whole.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • Pathos: a literary device that evokes feelings of pity or sorrow
  • Futility: total lack of purpose or feeling that something is pointless or useless
  • Jim Crow laws: laws in the United States from the 19th and 20th centuries that enforced racial segregation
  • Veteran: a former member of the armed forces

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • That segregation only happened in the United States.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

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

Pathos is created when Arthur is shot - he is an innocent victim of this incident. As a WW1 veteran, Arthur dies in a violent incident at home rather than enjoying the freedom and safety he fought for.

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

a literary device that evokes feelings of pity or sorrow.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: That segregation only happened in the United States. Correction: This in the most part is true and Britain certainly didn't have any segregation laws. However, as we see in the play, some individuals and institutions still upheld these ideas of segregation.

More Lessons In This Unit

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