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national 5

Poetry – Divorce by Jackie Kay

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untitledtaken from https://www.flickr.com/photos/mindaugasdanys/3766009204

divorce annotations to copy

Explain how the speaker’s sense of irritation is conveyed in lines 1-6.
The speaker’s sense of irritation is conveyed quite clearly in the opening statement of the poem. She uses full words instead of shortening them down. i.e. she says ‘did not’ instead of ‘didn’t’. This makes it clear she wants the listener to understand how angry she is and that she did not agree to do anything.
The word choice in these lines also exemplifies her anger. She identifies the idea of an agreement with the word ‘promise’. The agreement alluded to is staying together forever. She is saying here that she never made any contract or treaty or oath to stay with this person.

What is the speaker’s attitude to her parents (line 6-14)?
In lines 6-14 the speaker is annoyed and aggravated by her parents. This is first expressed at her mother who she feels is ungrateful. She states that her mother ‘never, ever said a kind word’ showing that she feels her mother is indifferent towards her or does not love her properly. The build up here of ‘never, ever’ suggests that she can’t remember it ever happening.
She mocks her father’s mocking of her with ‘Are you off in the cream puff, Lady Muck?’ It is clear from her derisory follow up – ‘in this day and age?’ that she thinks her father’s nickname for her is derogatory and it upsets her.

How does the tone change in the second stanza and how is this achieved?
The tone goes through several changes in the second stanza. The first one is when the tone shifts from attacking to authoritative. She is no longer picking on her parents but stating simple facts. ‘I want a divorce’ is a clear statement about her desires. It is a direct assault on her parents stating that she wishes to leave them.
The stanza then takes on a whimsical and poetic tone. She begins to talk about other parents but manages to make them sound mythical and fantastical through the word choice. She says ‘there are parents… whose faces turn up to the light’. The use of ‘light’ makes us think about goodness and sunshine and makes these parents sound happy.

Choose two examples of imagery from lines 16-23 and explain in detail how each adds to your understanding of the poem.
There are two examples of imagery in lines 16-23 and both of them are metaphors dealing with other types of parents. The first metaphor states there are parents who ‘speak in the soft murmur of rivers’. This compares the way these parents speak to the sound of rivers. These rivers are soft and calm and soothing. The speaker clearly thinks these parents are lovely as they never raise their voices and are lovely all the time.
The second example still focuses on how the parents sound and now compares their singing to ‘the colourful voices of rainbows’. This sounds like when they singing happy colours come out of their mouths. They seem joyous and magical. You could imagine having a wonderful time with these parents. Both of these metaphors add to my understanding of the poem as I understand that the speaker really wants happy parents and feels she doesn’t get on well with her own.

This poem is about a first person experience. How does Kay use style and techniques to put this across.
This is a very strong dramatic monologue from a child to her parents asking for a separation.
The first thing that makes this clear is the title. She chose to call this poem ‘divorce’. From this word we know that the poem is going to be about two things splitting up, in this instance it is a child pulling away from her parents.
The second thing stylistically is the structure of the poem. This is interesting for two reasons. The poem is in two stanzas, which could refer to the two parts involved – the parents and the child. On the page they are separated by the gap, demonstrating their split, but coming together to make the poem thereby representing the family unit. The other thing to note here is that each stanza is 14 lines long. Usually sonnets are 14 lines long, and normally a sonnet is a love poem. Here though, it is used for the opposite purpose – the speaker declares her lack of love for her parents in demanding a divorce.
The final thing to say about this poem is that it is very clearly a dramatic monologue as the speaker constantly uses the word ‘I’. this makes it clear that the poem is a list of demands and actions. ‘I want a divorce’, ‘I will file for divorce’. The strong use of ‘I’ at the start of sentences convinces you that the speaker knows what she wants.

Advanced Higher

Macbeth Homework questions

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So You have now copied out all the notes on Macbeth and know everything about the man and his crazy wife. Here are two questions for you to have a go at over the holidays. Fun times for you!

1. “Concealment and discovery are central to any drama.”
Discuss the structural and thematic significance of “concealment and discovery” in Macbeth.

2. “The great tragedies stamp themselves on the imagination through a series of powerful theatrical images in which the whole meaning of the play can sometimes seem to be compacted.”
Discuss the effectiveness of theatrical imagery in conveying meaning with reference to Macbeth.

national 5

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde sample class essay

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Choose a novel which explores an important theme. Show how the author has explored this theme.

Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is a novel which explores the theme of good versus evil. We can look at how Stevenson develops this theme through his characters Dr Jekyll, Mr Hyde and Mr Utterson.

The first time we see the theme of good versus evil is in the first chapter when a mysterious figure, Hyde, tramples a child in the street and shows no remorse. The text tells us that ‘the man trampled calmly over the child’s body and left her screaming on the ground’. The word ‘trampled’ tells us how he walked over the child, the word ‘calmly’ makes this seem evil though because he is not bothered about his actions, even worse he ignores her ‘screams’ – a clear sign that she is in pain. This shows us Hyde is evil as a normal person would react to the injured child and help her and apologise – Hyde does none of this showing he is bad.

Another way in which the theme of good versus evil is explored is through the setting of Dr Jekyll’s house – the front represents Jekyll and the back Hyde. We are told Jekyll’s house has a ‘comfortable hall… warmed … by a bright open fire, and furnished with costly cabinets of oak’ whereas we are told the lab is a ‘certain sinister block of building’. Jekyll is quite a jolly person and we see this in his house – it is ‘comfortable’ meaning relaxed, it is ‘warmed’ suggesting it is inviting, and it is ‘open’ which bears connotations of an open personality. Hyde on the other hand is secretive and deformed which is encapsulated in the adjective ‘sinister’ to describe the lab. The front of the house represents Jekyll and therefore goodness and a good reputation and the lab represents Hyde and evil.

A third way in which we see good versus evil developed as a theme is when Hyde brutally murders Carew in public and in cold blood. We are told Hyde behaved ‘like a madman’ and we get a graphic description of Hyde with ‘ape-like fury’ ‘trampling his victim underfoot, and hailing down a storm of blows, under which bones were audibly shattered’. The simile at the start, ‘madman’ tells us he is psychotic and uncontrollable. This is reinforced with the second simile of ‘ape-like fury’ – he is animalistic. The description at the end is nauseating, we can easily picture and hear what is happening. The strength of the attack is given in the word ‘storm’ – Hyde is raging at Carew. This develops the theme of evil as Hyde’s attack was unprovoked, his reaction is instinctive and spurred by frustration, he does not think he merely acts on his whims.

Mr Utterson contributes to the theme of good versus evil as he attempts to protect Jekyll’s reputation through investigating Mr Hyde – there are several points where he should involve police but hides the truth instead. Mr Utterson realises Hyde and Jekyll have the same handwriting and he says ‘Henry Jekyll forge for a murderer!’ before his ‘blood ran cold’. This tells us that Utterson is scared for his friend, Jekyll’s compliance in faking Hyde’s writing shows he sides with the murderer. This shows us good versus evil as Jekyll has made the wrong decision in siding with Hyde and we see him sliding down the spectrum of behaviour towards evil.

The final way in which good versus evil is explored is Jekyll’s suicide at the end which kills both himself and Hyde showing the triumph of good. We are told in Jekyll’s own words that ‘I bring the life of that unhappy Henry Jekyll to an end’ and we know that Utterson and Poole discover the body of Hyde from whom ‘life was quite gone’. Both characters are dead and at Jekyll’s decision, he concedes that his life has not been fun because of Hyde. We can see then that Jekyll in killing himself also kills Hyde, the symbols of good and evil are both dead for the greater good of ridding the world of Hyde.

national 5

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde quotes

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Here are some quotes to help you:

Chapter 1. Mr E tells Mr U about Mr H trampling the little girl

Cain’s heresy
[Utterson is] somehow loveable
Juggernaut
the chief jewel of each week
Chanced on one of their rambles
turns sick and white with the desire to kill him
Detestable
deformed

Chapter 2. Mr U looks at the will and meets Mr H

Murderous mixture of timidity and boldness
the ghost of some old sin
He was wild when he was young
black secrets

Chapter 3. Dr J seems to return to his old self

Man’s rich silence
large, well made, handsome, smooth, kindly face
[Jekyll calls Lanyon] An ignorant, blatant, hidebound pedant

Chapter 4. Mr H kills Sir C

Great flame of anger, ape-like fury, like a madman
[Hyde’s landlady is] ivory-faced and silvery haired
Blackguardly surroundings
unexpressed deformity

Chapter 5. Mr G reveals that Dr J and Mr H have similar handwriting

Deadly sick/feverish manner
changed voice

Chapter 6. Dr L says he knows a secret about Dr J before dying

Chief of sinners
chief of sufferers

Chapter 7. Mr U and Mr E see Dr J begin to transform

An answering horror in their eyes
red baize door

Chapter 8. Mr U and Mr P discover Mr H dead in the lab

Crushing anticipation of calamity
the two narratives in which this mystery be explained

Chapter 9. Dr L’s letter revealing that Dr J and Mr H are the same person

a new province of knowledge and avenues to fame and power
Stagger the unbelief of Satan
tears of penitence¬¬
transcendental medicine

Chapter 10. Dr J’s letter revealing the truth of his experiments

Morbid sense of shame
Profound duplicity of life
Primitive duality of man
[experiment was] towards the worse
The hate which now divided them was equal on both sides
[Hyde can spring] headlong into the sea of liberty

national 5

National 5: OcToBeR hOlIdAyS homework!

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MWAHAHAHA! You thought you were getting away with no English homework, but that’s not the case. You need to practice those essays and so I would like each of you to pick two of the questions below and write a full essay for each. That means an introduction and five, yes five, PEEL paragraphs.
The PEEL questions are:

1) What is the technique/idea/feature you are focusing on in this paragraph?
2) What evidence do you have from the text to support this?
3) Explain how this evidence works or demonstrates your point?
4) So how does this answer your main question?

Right, here are your practice essay questions:

Choose a novel which explores an important theme. Show how the author has explored this theme.

Choose a novel in which the author creates a fascinating character. Show how the author has created this character and why you found them so fascinating.

Choose a novel in which the author uses a memorable narrative style. Explain how the features of the narrative technique contribute to the effectiveness of the text.

Choose a novel in which you feel sympathy with one of the main characters because of the hardships they face. Describe the problem the character faces and show how you are made to feel sympathy for them.

Chose a novel with a satisfactory ending. Explain why you find the ending satisfactory in bringing to a conclusion the main concerns of the text.

Chose a novel with an important human issue (i.e. conflict between good and evil). Show how the author reveals the issue through the portrayal of people and events throughout the text, and show your understanding of the issue deepened.

Choose a novel with a key incident. Give a brief account of the incident and show how this incident is important to the text as a whole.

Choose a novel in which there is a character involved in some form of conflict.
Show how the character comes to be involved in this conflict and how the conflict develops through the text.

Higher

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Chapter 8 notes

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Stevenson uses Poole and Jekyll’s other servants to build tension at the beginning of this chapter as he has them all collected together and frightened in the hallway. They are all freaked out and acting out of character. A maid is actually crying because she is so terrified. Poole’s actions are the weirdest. He usually appears controlled – here though he doesn’t finish sentences and his body language appears tense.

The setting and the weather at the start of chapter 8 contribute to the eerie atmosphere and doomed mood. We know something bad is going to happen. The night is silent and cold and the wind is up. We think something is out there waiting to jump out on Poole and Utterson.

All of Poole’s statements are explained away by Mr Utterson. This tells us that Utterson wants there to be a logical explanation for what is happening, no matter how unlikely them seem. He still wants to believe that Dr Jekyll is one person and not sharing a body with Mr Hyde.

Tension is created in Poole’s account of the man in the lab who ‘walks all day’ and cries out in the ‘quiet of the night’ as we wonder why this thing is pacing and what it is planning. The cries in the night would be shocking as they would startle you in your sleep. We are unsure if they are cries of pain or anger.

Stevenson creates sympathy for the thing in the lab in this chapter as we get a sense of how desperate Dr Jekyll /Mr Hyde must be. He keeps crying out. His voice is full of emotion when he talks to Poole.

Despite finding Hyde’s body at the end of the chapter some suspense still remains as we still need to find out how Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde came to be one person.

national 5

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde – Building and Releasing the Tension

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BUILDING TENSION:

At the start of Chapter 2 we get the first paragraph concerning the will. It tells us that Hyde is a nasty man and we now think he is blackmailing Dr Jekyll.

The next thing to happen in this chapter is Mr Utterson’s ivsit to Dr Lanyon. We discover tha thte relationship between Dr Lanyon and Dr Jekyll has soured. We wonder why this has happened when they are supposed to be childhood friends. We are told that Lanyon now thinks of Jekyll as a ‘scientific heretic’.

Mr Utterson returns home and dreams of Mr Hyde and London. Mr Utterson couldn’t see Hyde’s face and the streets of London were unfamiliar and hidden by the fog. Children were harmed and Jekyll was stalked.

Mr Utterson continues to search for Mr Hyde and finally discovers him. We get a description of Hyde as a person. During the search period, Mr Utterson does nothing else, every spare minute goes towards finding Hyde. He has become obsessive and paranoid about Hyde. Hyde is described as grotesque and arrogant.

In chapter 3 Mr Utterson goes to speak to Dr Jekyll. Dr Jekyll is his usually cheery self until Hyde is mentioned, at which point he becomes snappish and changes the subject. We wonder why he will not be honest about his connection with Hyde.

RELEASING TENSION:

Mr Utterson reveals the truth to us as he finds Hyde in the locked room where Dr Jekyll was. This is not unusual as he is the ‘detective’ figure in the novel and so he should be the one who reveals the truth.

The truth that is revealed is that Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde are the same person. If you were not familiar with the story this may have been difficult to work out as a lot of the clues were covered up, especially by Mr Utterson.

The truth is revealed in the lab. This is noteworthy as the lab is where the whole story begins. It is where Dr Jekyll first created Mr Hyde.

The truth is revealed after Dr Jekyll commits suicide.

It is important that the truth is revealed after Jekyll’s death as the news about his connection with Mr Hyde can no longer harm his living reputation.

national 5

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde chapter 6 & 7

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Hyde’s absence makes Jekyll ill and paranoid. When U goes to see him he becomes very agitated. We are told that he has hidden himself away in his lab. However eventually he becomes his old self again and he begins to socialise once more and throws parties.

Utterson is annoyed that Jekyll’s sociability is not maintained. He feels his friend has let him down in some way and he is frustrated that he has still not worked out what the connection between Mr H and Dr J is.

Lanyon has become incredibly ill too. He appears to be on death’s door. Something has given him a terrible fright. He has grown pale and has lost weight. He has aged and lost hair.

the mention of Dr J, Lanyon looks terrified and asks that U doesn’t talk about him. We are told his hand ‘trembled’ and that Dr J was now dead to him.

Lanyon’s reply to Utterson increases the mystery as we wonder what could have happened between Lanyon and Jekyll to cause such a break in the friendship. Utterson is confused as Mr Hyde doesn’t appear to be involved. He can only blame madness.

Our suspicions about Dr J have grown by the end of this chapter as he has locked himself away completely and refuses to see anyone.

The lines ‘the court was very cool and full of premature twilight, although the sky… was still bright’ suggests something bad was going to happen. There is a contrast between the summer sky of happiness and the dourness and secrecy of the street below. Stevenson uses the light here to alert us to the fact that something bad is about to happen.

Stevenson seems to want us to feel anxious for Dr J at this point. He appears at the window and something strange happens to him, causing him to disappear from sight. We know he has been cooped up for weeks. We are wondering what has gone wrong.

The chapter title ‘incident at the window’ implies an end has been reached – it suggests an event has happened. The end of the chapter, in which U and Enfield see something strange happen to Dr J, leaves us feeling uneasy. We are not told what has happened to Dr J and that leaves us with a sense that it is something really bad.

national 5

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Chapter 5

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The first clear description we get of the lab is that it is a ‘dingy windowless structure’. The word choice dingy suggests it is dirty or badly lit. If it is windowless then that would tie in with the lack of light. We are told by U that the place gives him a ‘sense of strangeness’. One feels out of place in this building. We are told the place is ‘silent’ which adds to this sensation of discomfort. It is also messy – there are packing creates everywhere and chemical apparatus. The windows are barred with iron giving one a sense of captivity. And weirdly there is fog outside which feels as if it has penetrated into the house making it cold and gloomy. This is not a happy place.

Jekyll becomes very ill as a result of the murder. He sits in his cabinet looking ‘deadly sick’. When speaking to U he claims that he ‘will never set eyes on [Mr H] again!’ This is ironic as he looks at Mr H every day in the mirror as Mr H is Dr J. There is also ambiguity in what Dr J tells U. he assures us that Mr H will never be heard from again but cannot tell us why this is so. He also claims that a letter was dropped off addressed to him. When U checks these facts with the butler, Poole, he is told that no one dropped off a letter. U is convinced that Dr J has been hiding Mr H in the cabinet the whole time.

We know Jekyll has lost his confidence as he gives U the letter from Mr H. He wants U to decide what should be done with it and whether the police should be informed or not.

Utterson is still suspicious of the letter and takes it to Guest. Do his comments satisfy his suspicions or increase it? Guest the clerk is an expert on handwriting. He tells U that the handwriting of Mr H and Dr J is the same, it is only the slant of the letters that has changed. U’s suspicions are increased.