Hi guys,

Well done for your hard-work getting your folios in – they are all very strong and I hope the SQA will think so too! Long post today as I have included 3 different plans for you to revise for your timed critical essay on 23rd of March.

Critical Essays

Here are some plans to help with your revision that we have gone over in class.

Essay plan 1) Setting

TARTSS intro – ‘The Test’ by Angelica Gibbs is a short story which has many important settings. These settings help to convey to the reader the unfair situation that Marion, the story’s protagonist, faces when trying to pass her driving test. Gibbs not only uses setting to convey the theme of racism, but also effectively uses word choice and symbolism to get her message across to us.

Para 1

• Gibbs’ choice about setting her story in the 1950’s Southern States of America. i.e. the Deep South.
• Jim Crow Laws – segregation of blacks and whites from public transport etc.
• More conservative (bigoted) attitudes to racism.
• Deep South not as progressive as the Northern States such as Pennsylvania where Marian has moved from.
• She has gone from being allowed her independence – has a degree, driving licence to being treated as a lesser person because of the colour of her skin.
• Relate back to driving test –

‘They probably do like it if a white person shows up with you’

• Shows that the system where Marian now lives is corrupt and unfair.

Para 2

Setting important inside car with Mrs E. – establishes characterisation of Marian – shows that she is responsible and worthy

• M is clearly valued by Mrs E – give e.g ‘You drive beautifully Marian’ Say something about quote
• However, because of the setting of the society, Mrs E is unable to pay Marian an appropriate amount. ‘If only I could pay you half of what you’re worth’. Say something about quote
• The setting is valuable to the reader because we can see that Mrs E is relying on M to pass her test. – quote about the children
• Shows us that Mrs E clearly trusts Marian and that Marian is responsible and deserves to pass the test.

Para 3

Setting important inside car with the examiner. – Leaves Marian vulnerable and isolated.

• M is subjected to abuse from examiner from the minute she is alone with him.
• He begins by being over familiar with Marian and uses diminutive (shortened) forms of her name
• ‘Mandy’ / ‘Mandy-Lou’
• This is the first suggestion of his disrespect as it suggests to the reader that he is not treating as her his equal
• By using her nickname, he makes himself seem more powerful
• In the isolated setting of the car his disrespect grows towards M and he begins to show his true racist colours.
• ‘flock of pickaninnes’
• Highly derogatory term. Word choice of flock has connotations of animals which suggest that he thinks of Marian as subhuman.
• Inside the setting of the car, he is clearly deliberately trying to provoke her in order for her to lose her nerve and fail her test

Para 4

• Marian’s driving test is about so much more than simply learning to drive. It is symbolic of her independence and acceptance to become an equal member of the society in which she lives.
• The setting becomes increasingly more important as M and the driving examiner reach a bridge.
• Gibb’s successfully uses both foreshadowing and symbolism to indicate to the reader that the setting of the bridge is extremely important.
• The sign reads: “Proceed with caution. Dangerous in slippery weather,”
• This is a clear sign to the reader that Marian is on dangerous ground and needs to tread carefully on the upcoming bridge.
• The bridge is a symbol and represents ‘the bridge’ to equality. Marian is trying to make it across the bridge to be accepted into the society from which she is excluded. She stalls the car while making it across which again shows us that the journey to equality for Marian is a lengthy and difficult process.
• The setting here is clearly important as this is when the reader realises that the test means so much. However, at the very last moment, M cannot stand the disrespect and meanness from the examiner and cries ‘Damn you!’ at the last minute and this ruins her chances of gaining equality.

Para 5

• The Examiner is aghast at M for retaliating and because of her retaliation he makes ‘Four random crosses’ 
• Comment on the word choice of ‘random’ and why this is significant
• The final setting is important as the story ends where it began – back in the car with Mrs E
• However, things have changed as Marian is no longer the woman seen in the beginning of the story – the one that had the ‘set profile’. She has lost her determination to pass her test and is left defeated.
• she doesn’t drive home – why is that important? (Paragraph 1 from Key Incident essay)

Conclusion 

Refer again to text, author and task.  Write a personal response.

 

 

Essay Plan 2 – Sympathy

Write about a short story in which you feel great sympathy for, or intense dislike of, one of the characters.

 Paragraph One: Refer to text, author and task. Write a brief summary of the story.

Angelica Gibbs is successful in using a range of literary devices in “The Test” in order to provoke sympathy from the reader for a character. The short story involves a young black woman re-sitting her driving test. She, Marian, is conveyed as a trustworthy and diligent woman. However, as soon as she steps inside the instructor’s car he purposefully taunts her and persists in making racist and inappropriate comments. When Marian finally snaps, the driving instructor takes the opportunity to fail her.

Para 1: When we first encounter Marian the reader is made aware of the high regard in which she is held by Mrs Ericson…

(Think about the dialogue between the two characters. Consider the writer’s description of Marian. How does this make the reader feel towards Marian?)

 Para Two:  When we first meet the driving instructor he calls Marian by a different name and persists in doing so…

(What does he call Marian?  What does this suggest about him? What are the connotations of these names? What kind of dialect does the instructor affect? How does that make the reader feel?)

 Para Three:  Furthermore… (How does the driving instructor continue to undermine Marian? What assumptions does he make about her?  He questions her honesty and integrity, he discusses her personal life. How does the driving instructor react when Marian mentions her degree?  What does that suggest about him?  How does he react when she finally snaps and says “damn”?  How does this affect Marian?  Consider the theme of racism? What about its subtlety? How do you feel about the ending of the story.)  NB: This could possibly be two paragraphs.

 Para Four:  The setting of the story is important… (The story is set in the USA with its history of slavery and it has an effect on the instructor’s attitudes/assumptions. However, more specifically it is set inside the driving instructor’s car. In what way does the setting make Marian even more vulnerable/the driving instructor feel more powerful?  How does this gain sympathy/dislike of the characters…)

 Conclusion:  Refer again to text, author and task.  Write a personal response.

Essay Plan 3 – A Character you Admire

TARTss Intro

Para 1 – Admirable because she wants to be treated as equal in a highly racist society. setting of where she now lives – Jim Crow Laws etc

Para 2 – Admirable because she is very hardworking and highly regarded. Mrs E dialogue. Physical description of Marian – ‘set profile’ ‘strong determined hands’

Para 3 – Admirable because she is dignified – Discuss how she responds to examiner politely despite how horrible his comments are

Para 4 – Admirable because she is clearly intelligent and well accomplished.

Para 5 – Ddmirable because she is resilient and determined. Struggle to cross the bridge of equality.

 Conclusion:  Refer again to text, author and task.  Write a personal response.

Good luck,

Miss P