Hello, everyone, and welcome to your lesson on writing a comparison between two texts.

Today, we'll be comparing "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" and "The Boscombe Valley Mystery." My name is Miss Sutherland, and I look forward to our lesson together.

By the end of today's lesson, you will be able to write a response comparing two texts, "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" and "The Boscombe Valley Mystery." Here are our keywords for today.

Archetypal.

Something that is archetypal is very typical of a certain type of thing.

Subvert.

To subvert means to go against what is expected.

A villain that subverts the archetype may be gentle.

Now, the reason we say that is because typically we think a villain is sinister or cunning or evil.

So if a villain subverts the archetype, they're going against what is expected, so that villain may be gentle.

Our next keyword is adhere.

To adhere means to stick to or follow what is expected.

So for example, a villain that adheres to the archetype would be indeed what we expect.

They would be sinister or cunning.

And lastly, simultaneously.

Simultaneously means that two things occur at the same time.

So for example, we could say that in "The Boscombe Valley Mystery." John Turner is simultaneously presented as villain and victim.

And that's because we see him as wanting to get revenge upon Charles McCarthy, but also we see how frail he is and we see that he was manipulated his whole life.

Great.

So in today's lesson, we'll be writing a comparison of two Sherlock Holmes texts.

They are "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" and "The Boscombe Valley Mystery." In the first learning cycle, we are going to learn how to write an introduction, and that is a paragraph that's going to introduce all of our amazing ideas about the similarity and differences between the two texts.

And in our second learning cycle, we will be writing our comparative response.

So let's begin with writing our introduction.

We are going to write up a response later in the lesson comparing "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" and "The Boscombe Valley Mystery." Let's look at how to introduce our ideas.

There are three sections that you should aim to include in an introduction.

Let's go through them.

The introduction starts off with general ideas and moves to more specific ideas.

So let's take a look at what this means.

You're going to start off talking about both texts as a whole.

So both texts overall, that's a general idea.

You're then going to include a sentence summarising the differences.

And then we move to the specific, which is a thesis statement that might talk about these two texts individually.

More specifically, what is different about them.

So can you identify the sections of the three-part structure for an introduction? Pause the video and have a go at that.

The first part of an introduction will be a sentence about both texts as a whole.

The second part of the introduction will be a sentence summarising the differences.

And finally, the last part will be a thesis statement.

Here is an example of a three-part introduction that follows that structure.

"The Boscombe Valley Mystery" and "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" are both typical detective stories.

The main way they differ is through the presentation of key characters.

And whilst Conan Doyle adheres to the archetypal villain and victim roles in "The Adventure of the Speckled Band," he subverts these archetypes in "The Boscombe Valley Mystery." So as you can see, I've started with a general idea about both texts, and I've moved throughout my introduction to a very specific idea about the two texts individually and how they're different.

Now, I've given you a sample introduction.

You need to highlight the three sections of this introduction to show that you understand the different components.

Let's read it together.

Both "The Boscombe Valley Mystery" and "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" contain victims in mysterious murder cases.

However, the two different victims evoke varying levels of sympathy from the reader.

Whilst Julia Stoner from "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" evokes great sympathy from the reader, Charles McCarthy from "The Boscombe Valley Mystery" is met with suspicion and aversion from the reader.

That introduction contains those three sections that we've just discussed.

Your job is to label or highlight each of the sections on it.

So pause the video and highlight that introduction.

Great, I hope you're confident with the three sections of an introduction now.

Let's go through how they apply to this introduction.

The first sentence is a sentence about both texts as a whole.

It says that both texts contain victims in mysterious murder cases.

The next sentence summarises the differences.

It says that the victims evoke varying levels of sympathy.

And lastly, we have a thesis statement which states a very specific difference between Julia Stoner and Charles McCarthy.

Well done if you got that right.

It's now time for you to write your own introduction comparing "The Boscombe Valley Mystery" and "The Adventure of the Speckled Band." Remember, you need to start with a sentence about both texts as a whole.

There are sentence starters provided for you there.

For example, you could say, "Both 'The Boscombe Valley Mystery' and 'the Adventure of the Speckled Band' are.

Or, "Both 'The Boscombe Valley Mystery' and 'The Adventure of the Speckled Band' involve.

Next, you need a sentence summarising the differences.

Again, there are sentence starters for you.

For example, you could say, "The main way in which the text differ is.

." Or, "The key differences between the texts are.

." And lastly, a thesis statement which talks about both of those texts individually.

How exactly are they different? So write your introduction comparing "The Boscombe Valley Mystery" and "The Adventure of the Speckled Band." Pause the video and off you go.

Great job, everyone.

You may have written something like this.

Both "The Boscombe Valley Mystery" and "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" feature brutal murders being committed.

The main way in which the texts differ is the presentation of key characters and the way the reader is led to react to them.

Whilst in "The Adventure of the Speckled Band," we are led to give all our sympathy to Julia, the victim, and none to Dr.

Roylott, the villain.

In "The Boscombe Valley Mystery," we are encouraged to be much more sympathetic towards the villain and unsympathetic towards the victim.

Let me show you the different components of this introduction.

The first sentence is a sentence about both texts as a whole, that they both feature brutal murders being committed.

The second sentence is a general summary of the difference, and that is the readers respond differently to the villains.

And finally, the third section of my introduction is a sentence about how exactly the villains differ.

Great job on that task.

Let's move on to our second learning cycle where we'll be writing our comparative response, so all our brilliant ideas about the similarities and differences between these two texts will now be used.

So here are some of those brilliant ideas for a response comparing "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" and "The Boscombe Valley Mystery." We have three ideas here.

First idea is that the victims are presented differently.

We have text A presenting Julia Stoner as vulnerable and helpless, with those quotes on the screen to support that.

And we have text B supporting this idea that Charles McCarthy is somewhat of a ambiguous victim because he's not presented as vulnerable and helpless as we'd expect.

He's presented as hostile and aggressive, and that's proven with those quotes there, cold, forbidding, and grip has been upon me these 20 years.

Our second idea for this response is the perpetrators in both the stories are presented differently.

So in text A, we get the idea that Dr.

Roylott is a sinister, malevolent presence.

And we have those quotes there to support it, such as marked with every evil passion and fierce old bird of prey.

And in text B, we have this idea that John Turner is not entirely presented as malevolent.

Actually, he's presented as somewhat sympathetic, and that's shown through the quote limping step and bowed shoulders.

Lastly, we have a similarity.

We have the idea that both texts have red herrings.

For example, in text A, it might be the exotic pets that we're told Dr.

Roylott keeps.

And in text B, it could be the fact that we are told that James McCarthy is the supposed perpetrator because he followed his father carrying a gun.

Now, let's take a row from the planning grid and see how it converts into a paragraph 'cause remember, we'll have to write up our response today.

So we're gonna take the idea of the victims in both stories are presented differently.

So let's start writing.

In "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" and "The Boscombe Valley Mystery," the victims are presented differently.

Julia Stoner is presented as an archetypal victim, so a very typical victim.

She's what we'd expect from a victim because she's helpless, she's vulnerable, she suffers, and she is innocent.

She is presented as a helpless woman during her death.

Her face was blanched with terror, and she shrieked and writhed.

This enables the reader to feel sympathy for her as she's clearly in agony.

Furthermore, her death is mourned by her sister Helen, who has been lonelier than ever since Julia's passing.

Helen's reaction to Julia's death makes it seem more tragic.

Notice there how I didn't just talk about Julia Stoner being helpless herself.

I talked about how different characters respond to her because we know that victims will receive a lot of sympathy from other characters, and Julia Stoner does that.

Her sister Helen talks so sincerely and sensitively about her.

On the other hand, so this is the part where I start talking about the victim of the other story, Charles McCarthy.

So on the other hand, Charles McCarthy, despite being the murder victim, is not presented sympathetically.

His son describes him as cold and forbidding, clearly not grieving over his father's death like Helen Stoner for Julia.

Also, John Turner says McCarthy had a grip on him these past 20 years.

This makes the reader suspicious of Charles McCarthy as he seems manipulative and hostile.

As a result, the reader is led to question whether McCarthy could be a villain and victim simultaneously.

So whereas we know Julia Stoner is firmly a victim, with Charles McCarthy, it's ambiguous because he could be a villain and victim at the same time by the way that Conan Doyle presents him.

Now let me show you how this section of the paragraph meets the success criteria for a comparative paragraph.

I wonder if you can find any or spot any before I walk you through it.

Pause the video and see if you can spot any in the answer now.

Now, we start off with a topic sentence and the topic sentence outlines what we'll be comparing in this paragraph.

We will be comparing the victims. The next part of a comparative paragraph is a key idea about the first text.

So I'm going to talk about the victim of text A, Julia Stoner.

The next part of our comparative paragraph are my quotes, and that's where I support my idea about the victim in text A.

So all my quotes support the idea that Julia Stoner is an archetypal victim, a helpless, vulnerable woman.

And then I have my analysis, so I need to dig deeper into those quotes as well.

I need to do some single word analysis for those quotes.

And also I need a reader response, so how the reader may react to that character.

So there we have five elements of a comparative response, but of course in this section, we've only discussed one text.

So we have to do that cycle of those five points again for the second text.

So now this is the second section of the paragraph.

Show that you understand the success criteria on the right by highlighting it on this section of the response.

So this is the section that talks about text B.

You need to highlight those five bullet points on the side to show you understand how this response has been successful.

Let's read it before you highlight the response.

On the other hand, Charles McCarthy, despite being the murder victim, is not presented sympathetically.

His son describes him as cold and forbidding, clearly not grieving over his father's death like Helen Stoner for Julia.

Also, John Turner says McCarthy had a grip on him these past 20 years.

This makes the reader suspicious of Charles McCarthy as he seems manipulative and hostile.

As a result, the reader is led to question whether McCarthy could be a villain and victim simultaneously.

Pause the video and highlight the response.

Great, job everyone.

Let's go through what you may have said.

So firstly, we need a comparative connective, and I've used "on the other hand." You could also use however or contrastingly or similarly if you are talking about a similarity.

The next thing we need is a key idea about text B.

So that will be the point where I say what Charles McCarthy is like as a victim because he's the victim of text B.

I then need my quotes, so I need to justify why he is not presented sympathetically, and I've got all my quotes there to prove it.

I then need my analysis, and my analysis digs deeper into those quotes.

So I've said that cold and forbidding, to have his son describe him like that suggests his son doesn't feel the same way as Julia's sister did for her.

His son, despite experiencing his father's death, does not present him sympathetically.

I also have my reader response, so how the reader might react to Charles McCarthy.

We may be suspicious of him and we may see him as a villain and victim at the same time.

Well done on that task.

It's now time for you to take over.

You need to write two more paragraphs comparing different aspects of the two stories.

Use the planning grid below or use your own ideas.

So you could talk about how the perpetrators are presented differently in both stories using some of those quotes on there.

Or you could talk about a similarity, you could talk about how both texts have red herrings.

Now's the time to pause the video and write two more paragraphs comparing different aspects of the two stories.

Don't forget to include the success criteria in your response.

Pause the video and off you go.

Great writing, everyone.

It's now time to self-assess.

We need to reread our work.

That's a really important stage of the writing process.

In fact, it's one of the most important stages to revise our writing.

We need to check if we're happy with our work, and if we've included everything from the success criteria in each of our paragraphs.

It's quite a long success criteria because we're talking about not just one text, but two in every paragraph.

Let's just go through that long list again and take your time checking your work.

So you need a topic sentence for both texts, a key idea about text A, quotes to support that analysis for text A, a reader response for text A.

And then you need a comparative connective such as however, on the other hand, similarly, a key idea about text B, quotes to support that analysis for text B, and a reader response for text B.

So as I said, take your time with the self-assessment here.

Pause the video and self-assess your work.

Well done, everyone.

You've worked really hard and done a lot of writing today.

Great job.

Let's go through what we've learned.

You should begin an essay with an introduction that summarises your main ideas.

An introduction should include three sections that move from general ideas to more specific ones.

A comparative paragraph must include a topic sentence, and comparative connectives.

And quotations should be selected and analysed from both texts to create a balanced comparison.

I really hope you've enjoyed today's lesson, and I hope you feel proud of yourself today.

Thanks for joining.