STONE COLD Setting Understanding the setting is a vital part of understanding the text
Helping the homeless Complete the activity below Robert Swindells Stone Cold largely takes place on the streets of London and focuses in particular on the places that homeless people congregate. Indeed the overarching concern of Swindells novel seems to be the plight of the homeless. Having looked at the context in which Swindells wrote the novel we know that homelessness was a very real concern for the people of London in the 1990s. With the recent economic downturn may people are unable to find work and unable to access services- from here it can be a small slide into homelessness. BRIEF The National Lottery Commission has recently decided to donate 150,000 to a homeless charity. They have invited presentations from all the main charities who work with the homeless in order to help them decide which charity to give the money to. Your task is to research a homeless charity and prepare a group presentation to persuade the Commission to give your charity the 150,000. 1. Shelter 2. Salvation Army 3. The Children s Society 4. Centrepoint 5. The Trussell Trust 6. The Big Issue 7. Whitechapel Mission 8. St Mungo s 9. Crisis 10. SHP THERE ARE VARIOUS CHARITIES WHICH HELP THE HOMELESS. SOME ARE LISTED ABOVE- SELECT AN ACTUAL CHARITY TO SUBMIT YOUR PRESENTATION FROM AND INCLUDE SOME RESEARCH ON WHAT THAT CHARITY DOES FOR THE HOMELESS AND WHAT IT NEEDS TO CONTINUE PROVIDING ITS SERVICES. STEP ONE Select and research a charity from the list provided. Using the information you collect, decide which information you will include in your presentation. STEP TWO Think back to the work you completed on persuasive writing in Women Speak Up!l and plan the structure of your talk. Produce a script of the talk, remembering that your aim is to persuade. STEP THREE Organise any visual aids to accompany the presentation. Film and submit your presentation.
Character STONE COLD This section will ask you to take an in depth look at the characters in Robert Swindells novel
CHARACTERISATION One of the ways composers create interesting and engaging texts is through characterisation.writing about characterisation means you need to think about what the set of characters in your text are like, and it is really important to demonstrate how you know what the characters are like. Look at what characters say (dialogue) and what they do (action). How are they described by the author, or narrator, and how they are seen by other characters? Consider what happens to them at the end of their story. Link pages 3-6 How old is Link when his father leaves home? List three opinions that Link holds about Vince. How does Link think his mum has changed since meeting Vince? What are some of the reasons why Link leaves home? pages 8-10 What problems does Link encounter as a homeless person in Bradford? Why is Link unable to stay with his sister Carole? Ensure you use full sentences in your responses On page 9, Link says that leaving Bradford is, sad and scary. What are the reasons to be a) sad? b) scared? Why does Link s experience of Christmas make him determined to leave for London? Shelter Daily Routine Orders 3 What is Shelter s opinion of the homeless people in London? Shelter tells a homeless boy, I d change you, my lad, if I had you in khaki for six weeks. What does he mean by this? We discover that Shelter is forty seven towards the end of this extract. What clues are you given about his age before this? Shelter had been discharged from the army on medical grounds. Basing your answer on the last two paragraphs of page 12, explain what you think these medical grounds might have been. Before he was discharged Shelter was a Sergeant- Major. How do you think he would have treated new recruits to the army, based on what you have read about him so far?
DIARY ENTRIES FOR LINK AND SHELTER Final thoughts... It is twelve months since Shelter was arrested. He has been accused of the murders of seven homeless people from the London area. The day of his trial has arrived- if convicted of murder he will be imprisoned for life. Write the final diary entries for either Link or Shelter, on the night before the trial. Use the ideas listed to help you. LINK Link has been called to testify at the trial. His diary could include the following: feelings about being called to testify feelings about Ginger feelings about Shelter feelings about Gail whether his life has improved- is he still on the streets? whether there has been any contact with his family Try to write in the style of Link SHELTER Shelter has been in prison for twelve months, awaiting trial. Write his diary on the night before the trial. You could include: how he has been coping in prison how he feels about the murders now and his feelings about homeless people whether he thinks he will be acquitted at the trial whether he is sorry for his crimes Try to adopt the style of writing used by Shelter in the novel
Themes STONE COLD The overarching theme in Stone Cold is the issue of homelessness
Sleeping rough on pages 55 to 57 Link describes the horrors of sleeping rough So you pick your spot. Wherever it is (unless you re in a squat or a derelict house or something) it s going to have a floor of stone, tile, concrete or brick. In other words it s going to be hard and cold. It might be a bit cramped, too-shop doorways often are. And remember, if its winter you re going to be half frozen before you even start. Anyway you ve got your place, and if you re lucky enough to have a sleeping-bag you unroll it and get in. Settled for the night? Well maybe, maybe not. Remember my first night? The Scouser? Course you do. He kicked me our of my bedroom and pinched my watch. Well, that sort of thing can happen any night, and there are worse things. You could be peed on my a drunk or a dog. Happens all the time- one man s bedroom is another man s lavatory. You might be spotted by a gang of lager louts on the lookout for someone to maim. That happens all the time too, and if they get carried away you can end up dead. There are guys who like young boys, who think that because you re a dosser you ll do anything for dosh, and there s the psycho who l knife your for your pack. So, you lie listening,. You bet you do. Footsteps. Voices. Breathing, even. Doesn t help you sleep. Then there s your bruises. What bruises? Try lying on a stone floor for half an hour. Just half an hour. You choose any position you fancy, and you won;t find it comfy, I can tell you. You won t sleep unless you;re dead drunk or zonked on downers. And if you are, and do, you re going t wake up with bruises on hips, shoulders, elbows, ankles and knees- especially if you re a bit thin from not eating properly. And if you do that for six nights you ll feel like you fell out of a train. Try sleeping on concrete then. And don t forget the cold. If you ve ever tried dropping off to sleep with cold feet, even in bed you ll know it s impossible. You ve got to warm up those feet, or lie awake. And in January, in a doorway, in wet trainers, it can be quite a struggle. And if you manage it, chances are you ll need to get up for a pee, and then it starts all over again. And those are only some of the hassles. I haven't mentioned stomach cramps from hunger, headaches from the flu, toothache, fleas and lice. I haven t talked about homesickness, depression and despair. I haven t gone into how it feels to want a girlfriend when your circumstances make it virtually impossible for you to get one- how it feels to know you re a social outcast in fact, a non-person to whom every ordinary activity is closed. On pages 55-58 of Stone Cold Link gives a vivid description of what it is like to sleep on the streets of London. Re-read the extract, then complete the following activities: 1. Make a list of 10 of the worst things about sleeping rough 2. How does Link manage to involve the reader in the description? 3. How does Swindells make effective use of sentence structure in this extract? 4. How successful is the description in allowing you to understand what it is like to sleep rough? Use evidence from the text to support your response. 5. How does this extract make you feel sympathy for homeless people?
A night on the streets... TIPS: Try and put yourself into the situation of someone who has been made homeless. 1. This is called empathy (when you imagine how someone else must be feeling) 2. Write in the first person (using an I viewpoint as opposed to a he / she one). 3. Include as much detail as you can to make your writing interesting, vivid and realistic. Paragraph 1: TASK You should aim to create a real feeling of what it must be like to sleep on the streets. To describe the sounds, feelings and things you can see and touch (make use of the five senses). To draft a detailed description of how it must feel to spend one night sleeping rough on the streets Describe how you arrive in London and how you are feeling before your first night on the streets. Make sure your writing includes answers to the following: where do you find a spot to sleep? what kind of place is it? how badly is the cold affecting you? can you get to sleep? are you scared for your safety? Paragraph 2: Describe the middle of the night. Make sure your writing includes answers to the following: do you manage to fall asleep? do you get disturbed by anyone or anything? how are you coping with your feelings of loneliness? why do you feel so unhappy? what is the most difficult aspect of sleeping rough? What do you miss most of all? Paragraph 3 Describe waking up the following morning Make sure your writing includes answers to the following: what can you hear? what can you see? what can you smell? how do you feel after a night sleeping rough? will you be able to bear another night on the street tonight?
Language STONE COLD A close study of text requires in depth consideration of the language forms and features are used to communicate meaning
What s in a Name? You can call me Link. It s not my name, but it s what I say when anybody asks, which isn t often. I m invisible see? One of the invisible people. Right now I m sitting in a doorway watching the passers-by. They avoid looking at me. They re afraid I want something they ve got, and they re right. Also, they don t want to think about me. They don t like reminding I exist. Me, and those like me. We re living proof that everything s not all right and we make the place untidy. Hang on and I ll tell you the story of my fascinating life. Shelter. Yes. I like it. It s got a ring to it as I m sure you ll agree. Shelter, as in shelter from the stormy blast. It s what they are all seeking. The street people. What they crave. If they can only find shelter everything will be fine. Well- get fell in, my lucky lads, I m ready for you.answer the following questions in full sentences 1. Why does Link not get asked his name very often? 2. Why do you think he is not using his real name? 3. What is your first impression of Link? 4. Why does Shelter call himself by this name? 5. What is your first impression of Shelter? 6. How are the characters of Link and Shelter immediately connected by these introductions?
Language used to describe the homeless Down and outs Scruffy blighters Crims Invisible people Dossers Winos Street people THE HOMELESS Above are some of the terms used to describe homeless people in Stone Cold. Read them carefully and answer the following questions: 1. What do these terms tell you about the way homeless people can be viewed- what impression is created of them? 2. Can you think of any other terms that are used to describe homeless people in a negative way? 3. Why do some people feel this way about the homeless? 4. Make an alternative list of terms that present homeless people in a sympathetic way.
Street lingo An accent is the way a certain group of people pronounce words, phrases and sentences, including dropping sounds and joining up sounds from words. Accents often show which country people are from or which area within a country people are from. Traditionally, accent would denote social background. A dialect is the type of language typical to a particular groups of the language s speakers, often dependant on where someone is from. Different dialects have their own vocabulary and grammar. An idiolect is a form of language unique to an individual. It is shown by the words or phrases individuals select and the grammar that they use regularly and is unique to them. With a partner list as many accents as you can. Try to include where the accent is from. e.g. A Cockney accent may show that someone is from London. Try to think of some examples of words that are used in different dialects. See if you can think of five more examples. e.g. In Yorkshire nowt can be used to mean nothing. Try to answer the following questions alone. Do you have an accent? If so, can you define it? What words/ phrases that you use are part of your dialect? Do you use any words that you think are specific to the way that you speak and are part of your idiolect? Now, with a partner compare the notes that you have made and discuss why accents/ dialects might be important in Stone Cold. Be prepared to feed back your ideas to the class.
Street lingo BELOW ARE SOME WORDS AND PHRASES SHOWING THE DIALECT AND IDIOLECT OF CHARACTERS IN STONE COLD. TRY TO DEFINE EACH OF THE WORDS/PHRASES USING THE CONTEXT OF THE WORD TO HELP YOU. PAGE WORD MEANING 10 dossers 12 winos and crims 19 green 22 tabs off 26 caff 37 manky 40 doss down 44 bolted under 45 punters 55 fuzz 56 zonked 75 lick him 78 tap/tapping 96 the scene 108 grimmer
Writing task TASK Write your own chapter in Shelter s voice titled Daily Routine Orders 5a. You must include at least one example of each of the types of language listed below. Firstly you will need to plan what you want to happen in your chapter. Remember that in Daily Routine Orders 5 Shelter has just murdered his first victim. Your chapter will follow on from this. Ideas for your chapter could include: Shelter kills his second victim Shelter disposes of his first victim s body Shelter attempts to kill second victim but nearly gets caught Shelter meets somebody that he knows from his past on the streets When you read the Daily Routine Orders chapters, written in the voice of Shelter, you will notice a number of similarities. Shelter uses vocabulary that links closely to his military past. e.g. recruiting, mission, 19.00 hours, victory. Shelter uses offensive or taboo language. e.g. cheeky little bugger, cracker up his arse, arse-licking, it was pissing it down. Shelter uses a lot of similes in his descriptions. e.g. as easy as falling off a log, like a ruddy poodle, like a pair of new boots, as fit as a butcher s dog. Shelter uses a lot of informal and dialect words. e.g. scruffy blighters, dossers, winos and crims, woofta. Shelter also uses some words that suggest he is well-educated. e.g. anticipation, meticulous, commence, perished. He also uses rhetorical questions. e.g. Who loses?, What thanks do I get?, They re all par of the plot, see?, I can clean up the garbage, can t I?. Here are some sentence starters to help: The time was 06.00 hours when I left the house that morning... I knew that today was going to prove successful to my overall plan The decontamination of the streets is starting to make an impact on me: I feel exhausted! Am I doing this for thanks? No. I am clearing the streets to satisfy my own mission as well as to improve the quality of life for others
PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES In chapter 8 (pp. 52-61) Link describes a typical night on the streets. Robert Swindells uses a lot of persuasive techniques to convince the reader how awful it is. Find examples of each of the following persuasive techniques from this chapter of the novel. Some have been done for you. PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUE EVIDENCE HOW AND WHY DOES THIS MAKE US FEEL SYMPATHY FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE? Rhetorical question Settled for the night? the psycho who ll knife you... The words psycho and knife imply a dangerous situation. This is a real threat that creates emotions of fear, panic and upset. Triples Footsteps. Voices. Breathing... By using the triple Swindells emphasises how scary and dangerous the streets can be at night. Having three threats shows the danger more clearly than a single idea. It can t be only one o clock, surely? Pronouns You won t find it comfy, I can tell you
PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUE EVIDENCE HOW AND WHY DOES THIS MAKE US FEEL SYMPATHY FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE? Emotive language Flattery Not your fault of course- if you ve never tried it you ve no way of knowing what it s like... Link is kind and reassuring. This makes the reader feel grateful that he has assumed that we are in a better situation. However, it also makes us feel guilty that we have no idea what it s like yet have formed opinions of homeless people. Pronouns When you have completed the table answer the following question by writing a P.e.E.E.E.E.E.E.L paragraph: How does Robert Swindells persuade the reader to feel sympathy for homeless people?
THE PANEL Q&A Forum on Homelessness Father Chris Riley: Founder and CEO of Youth Off The Streets, has worked with disadvantaged youth for more than 30 years. Gina Rinehart: Heiress to a mining fortune. Recently Rinehart criticised welfare recipients for dragging the country into debt and attacked the political left for spending the bottomless pit of revenue generated from mining taxes and royalties. A young mother with children: Rachael has three young children and recently lost her job. She is currently living out of her car. Rev Dr Keith V Garner: Superintendent/ CEO of Wesley Mission, an inspiring and gifted preacher who believes in combining 'an enthusiasm for the Gospel with a compassion for those who are hurting, endure poverty and suffer injustice.' Tony Abbott: Current Liberal Prime Minister of Australia. Mr Abbott has the power to determine how much money gets goes into funding a social safety net for the homeless in Australia. State governments and peak body Homelessness Australia have recently urged the government to provide certainty around funding for homelessness initiatives. THE FORUM As a class group we will be holding a forum on the issue of homelessness in Sydney, with a particular focus on the varying attitudes people hold towards homelessness. The class will be divided into 6 groups and each group will be assigned a character from those listed on the left (or as an audience). Each group will nominate a speaker to represent their perspective in the forum discussion. You will have a lesson to research your perspective and consider the perspectives of your fellow participants in the panel discussion. The speaker may use prepared notes to assist them in responding to the questions posed to them by audience members about the issue of homelessness in Australia. (If you are assigned the role of audience you must consider your own personal perspective on the issue of homelessness and pose questions tailored to the panel participants). THE NUMBERS The number of people who are currently homeless in Australia 105 237 On any given night in Australia 1 in 200 people are homeless 44% of homeless people are women