Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. Revision Support Booklet

Transcription

1 Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress Revision Support Booklet 1

2 You will write about Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress in two of your exams: English Literature exam: Understanding prose Date of exam: Monday 18 th May Example question: Explore the importance of the character Four Eyes in the novel Remember to consider social, cultural and historical context in your answer. Assessment objectives: AO1: Respond to texts critically and imaginatively; select and evaluate relevant textual detail to illustrate and support interpretations. AO4: Relate texts to their social, cultural and historical contexts; explain how texts have been influential and significant to self and other readers in different contexts and at different times. English Language: The Writer s Voice Date of exam: Tuesday 2 nd June Example question: 3 Answer all parts of the following question. (a) Explore how the language in the extract influences your view of the Little Seamstress and her father. (b) In the extract the writer describes the Little Seamstress. Explore how the writer presents the Little Seamstress in one other part of the novel. You must include examples of the language the writer uses in your answer. Assessment objectives: AO3: Explain and evaluate how writers use linguistic, grammatical, structural and presentational features to achieve effects and engage and influence the reader. 2

3 English Language exam: The Writer s Voice Date of exam: Tuesday 2 nd June Example question: Use this extract to answer Question 3. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress Extract taken from Part I, Section 3. 3 Answer all parts of the following question. (a) Explore how the language in the extract influences your view of the Little Seamstress. You must include examples of language features in your answer. The adjective untamed implies there is something wild and unknown about her. When she laughed I noticed an untamed quality about her eyes, which reminded me of the wild girls on our side of the mountain. Her eyes had the gleam of uncut gems, of unpolished metal, which was heightened by the long lashes and delicate slant of the lids. You mustn t mind him, she said. He s just an overgrown child. Her face clouded suddenly, and she lowered her eyes. She scratched the base of her sewing machine with her fingertip. My mother died far too young. Ever since her passing he has done exactly as he pleases. She had a glowing complexion and her features were fine, almost noble. Her face possessed an impressive, sensual beauty, which aroused in us an irresistible desire to stay and watch her work the treadle of her Made in Shanghai. The room served as a shop, work place and dining room all at once. The floorboards were grimy and streaked with yellow and black gobs of dried spittle left by clients. You could tell they were not washed down daily.. The place lacked any sense of order or aesthetics, an emanated an atmosphere of complete informality.. This was a sign that she had taken a liking to us. On this mountain an invitation to take a drink of water meant that your host would crack some eggs over the boiling pan and add sugar to make a soup. The metaphor comparing her eyes to uncut gems implies there is something beautiful and exquisite about her but that it is lying beneath the surface waiting to be exposed. The statement about her father reveals her maturity; she tells the boys her mother is dead so we may infer that she plays a motherly role to her father from the way she speaks of him.: you mustn t mind him Sijie juztaposes the sensual beauty of the LS wth the grimy room he does this to highlight how special she is and that she is incongruous to her surroundings. We see that the LS is friendly and trusting since she invites the boys to have tea. We might also assume from this that she is lonely and keen to develop new friendships or that she is interested in new people and opportunities since her life on the mountain may be quite mundane. 3

4 3 Answer all parts of the following question. (b) In the extract the writer describes the Little Seamstress. Explore how the writer presents the Little Seamstress in one other part of the novel. You must include examples of the language the writer uses in your answer. For this part of the exam you must: Choose a relevant extract Choose an extract should be of similar length to the one given to you in the exam. Make sure you choose an extract that gives you sufficient language features to write about. Example extracts you could use for the above question: Page 58 Lou describes to the narrator how enraptured the LS was when he read her the extract from Balzac. From: After I had read the passage.to: for a fresh opportunity to arise. OR Page 20 The narrator describes the LS and her father From: The princess of Phoenix mountain.to: aspiring to win her favour OR Page 147 The LS tells the narrator she is pregnant and that she fears the reaction of her father. They make a plan for the narrator to find out about getting an abortion. From: I m in trouble.to: I felt weak at the knees 4

5 English Language exam: The Writer s Voice Date of exam: Tuesday 2 nd June Now apply your learning: 3 Answer all parts of the following question. (a) Explore how the language in the extract influences your view of the Phoenix of the sky You must include examples of language features in your answer. Identify 5 points that you would write about use the example of page 3 to help you. In 1971 there was little to distinguish us two one the son of a pulmonary specialist, the other the son of a notorious class enemy who had enjoyed the privileged of touching Mao s teeth from the other hundred odd young intellectuals who were banished to the mountain known as Phoenix of the Sky. The name was a poetic way of suggesting its terrifying altitude; the poor sparrows and common birds of the plain could never soar to its peak, for that was the reserve of winged creatures allied to the sky: mighty, mythical and profoundly solitary. There was no road into the mountain, only a narrow pathway threading steeply through great walls of craggy rock. For a glimpse of a car, the sounds of a horn, a whiff of restaurant food, indeed for any sign of civilisation, you had to tramp across rugged mountain terrain for two days. A hundred kilometres later you would reach the banks of the Yong Jing. The only Westerner ever to have set foot here was a French missionary, Father Michel, who tried to find a new route to Tibet in the 1940s. The district of Yong Jing is not lacking in interest, the Jesuit commented in his notebook. One of the mountains, locally known as the Phoenix of the Sky, is especially noteworthy. Famed for its copper, employed by the ancients for minting coins, the mountain is said to have been offered by an emperor of the Han dynasty as a gift to his favourite, who was one of the chief eunuchs in his place. Looking up the vertiginous slopes all around me, I could just make out a footpath rising from the shadowy fissures in the cliff towards the sky, where it seemed to melt into misty air. 5

6 3 Answer all parts of the following question. (b) In the extract the writer describes the setting Phoenix of the Sky. Explore how the writer presents the setting in one other part of the novel. You must include examples of the language the writer uses in your answer. Identify 3 extracts you could possibly use for this question: OR OR 6

7 English Language exam: The Writer s Voice Date of exam: Tuesday 2 nd June Sample answer (a) Explore how the language in the extract influences your view of the Little Seamstress. 5 clear points made, each supported with a quotation The narrator s attention to detail in his descriptions of the Little Seamstress reveal that she is captivating and stands out from her surroundings. The adjective untamed implies there is something wild and unknown about her and implies that there is perhaps more to her than meets the eye. This is further supported by the use of metaphor to compare her eyes to uncut gems implies there is something beautiful and exquisite about her but that it is lying beneath the surface waiting to be exposed. This could represent her beauty but also her personality or her mind which is as yet unpolished. The Little Seamstress states that her father is an overgrown child The statement about her father reveals her maturity; she tells the boys her mother is dead so we may infer that she plays a motherly role for her father; that at times she takes on the responsibility and mature role in the relationship. The Little Seamstress maturity is also shown in her hospitality towards the boys. Furthermore we see that the LS is friendly and trusting since she invites the boys to have tea. We might assume from this that she is lonely and keen to develop new friendships or that she is interested in new people and opportunities since her life on the mountain may be quite mundane. Finally Sijie juxtaposes his description of the seamstresses sensual beauty and her grimy surroundings. Sijie does this to highlight how special the Little Seamstress is and that she is incongruous to her surroundings. Specific reference to Sijie s language choices. Short, embedded quotations. 7

8 English Language exam: The Writer s Voice Date of exam: Tuesday 2 nd June Now apply your learning: 3 Answer all parts of the following question. (a) Explore how the language in the extract influences your view of the Phoenix of the sky You must include examples of language features in your answer. Write your response using the model example on page 7 to help you. Extra challenge? Time yourself : allow yourself 30 minutes The verb banished to describe Lou and the narrator s having been sent to Phoenix of the Sky immediately creates the impression that it is an unpleasant place; somewhere that criminals and wrongdoers are sent. Furthermore 8

9 English Language exam: The Writer s Voice Date of exam: Tuesday 2 nd June Sample answer 3 Answer all parts of the following question. (b) In the extract the writer describes the Little Seamstress. Explore how the writer presents the Little Seamstress in one other part of the novel. Clearly identify the You must include examples of the language the writer uses in your answer. extract you have chosen. We learn a lot about the Little Seamstress when the narrator describes her appearance on page 20. We learn about the Little Seamstress through the eyes of the narrator, meaning that our impressions are influenced by his opinions. It seems as though the Little Seamstress has had a profound effect upon the narrator given his attention to detail, shown through references to her brand new red silk ribbon and the white nylon socks that set off her ankles. This in turn creates a sense of intrigue around the Little Seamstress; an air of mystery that we, like the narrator, want to explore; we desire to know more about her. Make about 5 clear points; each one supported by a quotation. Like her shoes the Little Seamstress stands out from those around her, the pause created by the embedded clause and yet creates the impression that the Little Seamstress makes you take a second glance at her; that there is something about her that draws your gaze. Much like her shoes which are practical, sturdy and supple, whilst also being feminine, shown by the colour pink, the Little Seamstress seems to be a someone that embodies many characteristics and is therefore of interest to the narrator and as a result the reader too. We know that Little Seamstress is beautiful given the detailed description of her oval face, and the sparkle in her eyes and the exaggerated statement that her eyes were without doubt the loveliest pair of eyes in the district of Yong Jing, if not the entire region. Furthermore, the use of the word Princess as her title immediately sets her apart as different from everyone else; she is beautiful, regal even, and once more encourages us to find out more about the character who is at odds with her simple and basic surroundings. 9

10 English Language exam: The Writer s Voice Date of exam: Tuesday 2 nd June Now apply your learning: (b) In the extract the writer describes the setting Phoenix of the Sky. Explore how the writer presents the setting in one other part of the novel. You must include examples of the language the writer uses in your answer. We learn a lot about the setting Phoenix of the Sky on page. Now try some of the past papers in the pack you were given 10

11 English Literature exam: Understanding prose Date of exam: Monday 18 th May Example question: Explore the importance of the character Four Eyes in the novel Remember to consider social, cultural and historical context in your answer. Assessment objectives: AO1: Respond to texts critically and imaginatively; select and evaluate relevant textual detail to illustrate and support interpretations. AO4: Relate texts to their social, cultural and historical contexts; explain how texts have been influential and significant to self and other readers in different contexts and at different times. His mother represents the corruption inherent in society: She bribed the village headman. Sijie could be making the comment that corruption was prevalent in China at all levels of society, Four Eyes is very suspicious of Lou and the narrator despite their being friends and is unwilling to share his books with them: The heightened vigilance and distrust shown by Four Eyes Under Mao s leadership the Red Guards, who were mobilized by Mao to further the ideals of the Cultural Revolution, created an atmosphere of suspicion and mistrust this manifests itself in the way Four Eyes treats his friends. Four Eyes is defined by his physical defect - hence his name and whether he is fully able to work In propaganda posters of the time peasant workers were often represented as physically powerful with arms as thick as Sylvester Stallone s Englis Sijie is perhaps criticising the value Mao placed on physical skills whilst ignoring other qualities. Explore the importance of Four Eyes in the novel. He is a parallel character to Lou and the narrator and is used to show the hardships of re-education: His thin body was dotted all over... Sijie uses Four Eyes to criticize Mao s down to the countryside movement which involved the re-education of young intellectuals. Mao valued physical labour and traditional culture and wanted to instill these values in Chinese youths. Four Eyes represents one of the major themes of the noel which is the power of knowledge. Because Four Eyes has access to books he is described as Cruel master of the Leather Suitcase implying he is cruel to deny the boys access to the literature. Under Mao s Cultural Revolution all books were banned apart from Mao s little red book which included his poetry and writings. Sijie uses the powerful effect the books have on the boys and the LS and the lengths they will go to to read them to show the importance 11 and power of knowledge..what if we stole them?

12 English Literature exam: Understanding prose Date of exam: Monday 18 th May Now have a go at planning a response to the following question (aim for 5 points) : Explore the importance of the narrator in the novel 12

13 English Literature exam: Understanding prose Date of exam: Monday 18 th May Now have a go at planning a response to the following question (aim for 5 points) : In what ways are cultural customs and beliefs significant in the novel? 13

14 English Literature exam: Understanding prose Date of exam: Monday 18 th May Explore the significance of the Little Seamstress to the novel. Remember to consider social, cultural and historical context in your answer. Read the model response (it got full amarks) below and then have a go at writing your own: 14

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17 English Literature exam: Understanding prose Date of exam: Monday 18 th May Now apply your learning: Choose one of the questions you planned and write your response. Remember to consider social, cultural and historical context in your answer. Aim for about 5 points Remember the assessment objectives Assessment objectives: AO1: Respond to texts critically and imaginatively; select and evaluate relevant textual detail to illustrate and support interpretations. AO4: Relate texts to their social, cultural and historical contexts; explain how texts have been influential and significant to self and other readers in different contexts and at different times. Now try some of the past papers in the pack you were given 17

18 Analysing Language: some terms you should try and use in your analysis of texts Ellipsis Imperative verbs Verbs at the start of a sentence which are commands e.g stand up Pronouns Words which replace a noun e.g. It She They Adverbs A word that described a verb she walked slowly Modal verbs A verb, such as have, can, or will, that accompanies the main verb in a clause and helps to establish mood or tense. Superlative adjectives Superlative adjectives are used to compare things, when we want to suggest something is the most or the best etc we use superlatives e.g. I am the smallest in the class. Second person The use of you pronoun Third person Writing a text from an absent speakers point of view e.g. they went Adjectives Describing words Jargon The specialized or technical language of a trade, profession, or similar group Standard English refers to whatever form of the English language is accepted as a national norm Exclamative sentences Sentences which end in an exclamation mark. Imperative sentences Sentences which give commands e.g Pass the salt Minor sentences A one-word sentence Smiles A comparison of two things using like or as e.g. the sun is like a ball of gold Metaphors Where one thing is described as something else e.g. the sun is a ball of gold. Emotive language Language which is designed to arouse emotion in the audience. Irony the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning: the irony of her reply, How nice! when I said I had to work all weekend.... Quotations Including other people s exact words in a text. Hyperbole Exaggeration for the sake of emphasis e.g. I ve been waiting for ages Tone The general mood or atmosphere of a piece of writing. Comparative adjectives used to compare the difference between two nouns e.g. my house is better/bigger than yours First person When the pronoun I is used so the texts is written from the writer s perspective. Nouns Naming words objects, people, places Interrogative sentences Sentences which ask questions. How was your weekend? Personification Where non-human things are given human characteristics e.g. the pencil case yawned 18

19 Tricolon Onomatopoeia Assonance Antithesis / oxymoron Declarative sentences A group of three similar words or phrases in a sentence Words which sound like their meaning e.g. crash, squelch, meow, whisper Repetition of vowel sounds in words close together A pair of opposites placed together for effect in a text e.g. wise fools Sentences which are statements (make a declaration) I am going home. Starting sentences for explaining quotations / explaining your ideas (alternatives to this shows ): This illustrates. This implies. This exemplifies. This highlights.. This emphasises This conveys This creates the idea that This puts across the point that The impression given is.. Notes: 19