Higher have been working hard over the past few lessons and got to crack open the brand new(!) felt tip pens. Groups only focused on Jenkin’s opening chapter and they looked at different themes; conflict, war, class. They also found evidence for symbolism in chapter 1: the silver trees separating the big house from the cone gatherers, the tree of madness growing inside Duror and the rabbit. Pupils also looked at character work and the importance of setting in chapter one and they thought about how the allusions to Garden of Eden contrasted with the threat of war.

All in all, loads to think about in chapter one – it could very well be the extract you are given in your Higher exam! – and I have included some examples for you to check/print out for your notes.

Can’t wait for your visual representation of novel to be finished too,

Miss Purdon