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Year 9 - English

'Small Island': reading Act 2, Scenes 9 to 11

'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 Act 2 Scenes 9 to 11 and evaluate the ending.

Key Notes

  • Queenie asks Hortense and Gilbert to adopt her baby, revealing the impact of societal attitudes.
  • Hortense's feelings for Gilbert transform into love and pride.
  • Hope is a central theme to the play.
  • Edmundson reveals the uncertainty of the future in the lack of resolution and cyclical structure.
  • Offering a balanced argument and exploration of different themes, adds nuance to your evaluative responses.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • futility: something that feels pointless or lacking any worth
  • nuanced: having subtle differences or distinctions that add depth or complexity to something
  • cyclical: a cyclical structure is where the events at the end of a text mirror the start
  • resolution: in terms of stories or texts this refers to the conclusion or the end. More specifically, an ending that feels definite and finished

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • That 'Small Island' finishes with a perfect resolution.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

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

Queenie asks Hortense and Gilbert to adopt her baby, revealing the impact of societal attitudes. Hortense's feelings for Gilbert transform into love and pride.

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

something that feels pointless or lacking any worth.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: That 'Small Island' finishes with a perfect resolution. Correction: What issues are addressed in these scenes? Is Edmundson suggesting that these have all been solved? Why is the theme of hope so important?

More Lessons In This Unit

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