Hello, and thank you for joining me for this lesson.

I'm Mrs. Butterworth and I'll be guiding you through the learning.

Now this lesson is called Arthur's Death.

So it is a very, very sad part of the play.

However, the section that we are focusing on is also one of the most dramatic.

So there are a lot of emotions to explore.

So should we get started? So by the end of this lesson, you'll be able to explore the importance of the incident in the cinema.

So there are some key words that we need to be aware of that will come up throughout the lesson.

These are pathos, futility, Jim Crow laws, and veteran.

In a moment, I'll pop the definitions on the screen.

So you need to make sure you pause the video to give yourself plenty of time to read these.

So the outline of a lesson looks like this.

So we're going to start by exploring the second part of act one, scene three and reading this.

And then we're going to look at the significance of Arthur's death.

So let's get started with the second part of act one, scene three.

We know that Arthur is a World War I veteran and how this has impacted him.

What I would like us to think about is Gilbert's experience of war so far, and how might his experience link to Gilbert's? Pause the video so you've got time to discuss these ideas, or you may want to think about it on your own or even jot down a few ideas.

Off you go.

Some great thoughts happening there.

It's interesting, isn't it, that even though Gilbert and Arthur are from completely different generations and different countries that perhaps they share some of these experiences of war.

Now, some of you talked about this idea of enlisting and how it relied on this sense of patriotism and a sense of duty.

And Gilbert definitely has experienced this.

And perhaps Arthur as a World War I veteran experienced this too.

And I know that some of you will have seen those World War I recruitment posters that really rely on this sense of patriotism and duty towards the country.

And we can definitely assume that both will have experienced a difference between expectations and reality.

So very often the expectation of war is completely different to what actually happens.

And perhaps for Arthur, we know this in Gilbert State, they're presented with idealistic views of warfare.

So this idea that going to war is a glorious and wonderful thing.

And their situations are potentially a result of effective propaganda.

So the connections and shared narratives between characters is a way for both Levy and Edmundson to weave together personal histories and present alternative narratives.

As we go along in Small Island, I'm sure you have started to notice how these different stories and different experience start to collide and connect.

So Arthur is a veteran from which conflict? Yeah, excellent.

He's a veteran from World War I.

Small Island is currently in World War II.

So we know that Arthur's already fought in World War I.

You are now going to do some reading, so you'll need to grab your copies of Small Island in order to do this.

Now I'd like you to read the second part of Act one, scene three.

So find the part that is, two weeks ago I came into the village alone, so Gilbert speaks this, right to the end of that scene.

And as you do that, I'd like you to answer these questions to really help deepen your understanding.

So the first question is, what do the initial reactions between Gilbert and Arthur suggest about their experiences of the world? Question two: Despite being set in the middle of a war, this is the first time we see violence.

Why is that significant? Question three, this scene includes racist language.

Why do you think Levy and Edmundson made the choice to include this? And why do you think Levy chose Arthur as the character to be killed? So now's the time to pause the video so you can read the end of this scene and we can share our answers in a moment.

Okay, off you go.

Wow, what a really powerful scene.

It's so shocking, isn't it? And dramatic and so sad when Arthur is shot at the end and Gilbert taken away.

There are so many emotions in that scene and it speaks to so many of the themes and ideas that both Levy and Edmundson are trying to portray.

So let's just go through these questions.

So what do the initial reactions between Gilbert and Arthur suggest about their experiences of the world? I really love this interaction between Arthur and Gilbert because despite it being really subtle, it says so much about their day-to-day experiences.

So Arthur is described as approaching cautiously, and Gilbert is described as aware of Arthur's gaze.

You know, there's both have this apprehension.

You know, and Gilbert assumes quite rightly that Arthur is fixated on the colour of his skin.

Gilbert has already described his constant interactions with villagers and how they just stare at him.

So he's really really aware of people's gaze, of this kind of gaze that he has to be under constantly.

And this experience that Gilbert has as a Jamaican in England.

And it is revealed that Arthur thinks Gilbert is Michael and it shows that racism isn't simply a generational issue.

So despite being set in the middle of the war, this is the first time we see violence.

And why is that significant? So this really emphasises the constant underlying threat of racism.

So it is present not only in the war being fought, but in day to day experiences.

And I think what this really emphasises that racism isn't just those big extreme events that have like in the cinema, but actually the violence of racism occurs in everyday lived experiences.

And like the threat of war, the violence of racism is a continual presence.

And I think this scene is really important at portraying this important idea.

Now, this scene includes some truly despicable language.

Now, why do you think Levy and Edmundson made the choice to include this? Well, I guess in some sense both writers want to portray the lived experiences of the characters authentically and truthfully, and also they want an emotional response from the audience.

And this is really important in ensuring that all are aware of how truly atrocious this is.

So I guess the language is left in there in order to, you know, make everyone aware of the seriousness of this situation and present it in a truthful way.

So why do you think Levy chose Arthur as the character to be killed? Now Arthur is actually completely innocent in this situation, and his death really marks the futility of any kind of conflict.

And in this case, we are talking about both wars and racism.

And it is significant, isn't it, that Arthur is a World War I veteran.

He doesn't die on the battlefield.

He dies as a bystander in this incident in the not enjoying the freedom and safety he fought for.

So there is a sense of irony there in the fact that it is Arthur that dies in this conflict.

So we are on the second part of the lesson and we're going to explore the significance of Arthur's death.

Now, we could say that this scene is full of pathos.

Now pathos refers to the way in which a writer appeals to an audience's emotions of pity and sympathy in order to convince them of something.

So there is definitely a sense of pity, sympathy, sadness occurring in this scene.

And what I would like you to do is I'd like you to discuss the ways in which both Levy and Edmundson create pathos in this scene.

So pause the video so you've got time to discuss your ideas or think about this question quietly to yourself.

Pause the now.

Okay, great.

Let's just share some of those ideas.

So obviously Arthur shooting creates a lot of pathos because he is a completely innocent victim and we just feel complete sympathy for him.

And also Queenie who is impacted by this as well.

Arthur fought for the freedom and safety of the country.

And here the opposite is being carried out.

So again, we feel this pity, this sympathy, this deep pathos.

Arthur's death shows that racism is deeply damaging to society as a whole.

And this sympathy comes where we think about the fact that Arthur has survived violent conflict in World War I and yet it is a senseless, racist incident that kills him.

And this really creates a sense of tragedy and in turn, pity from the audience.

So there is a lot of pathos and tragedy in Arthur's death.

True or false time.

Pathos is created when the G.

I.

s start to confront Gilbert.

Correct.

That's false.

It's a different type of feeling, isn't it, when that confrontation starts happening.

Now I'd like you to justify your answer.

Well done.

Yes, B Pathos is created when Arthur is shot.

So as an innocent victim and World War I veteran, the audience being a deep sense of pity at the tragedy.

So there are lots of emotions in this scene, but that feeling of sympathy, of pity, of sadness really links to this idea of pathos.

Okay, I want us to take a moment to see if we can remember all the people who appear in the scene.

So on your own, just think and see if you can remember everyone who appears in this scene.

Let's think together.

Okay, so let's run through them.

There is the military policeman, locals, Usherette, Arthur, Black G.

I.

s, Manager, Queenie, White G.

I.

s, woman, Gilbert.

How many did you get? There are a lot.

This scene is incredibly chaotic and full of people.

So now I would like you to discuss why is this significant? Pause the video to give yourself time to discuss all of your great ideas.

Off you go.

Great.

Some really interesting perceptive ideas coming through there.

So I think one of the main key things here is that what it really shows is how racism is damaging to all of society.

And there is is an irony in the fact that despite all fighting in the same war, which is what's happening in this cinema, you know, the American G.

I.

s, some still continue to perpetuate violent and hostility for the sake of a racist agenda, which is just seems so futile in the face of everything that is happening.

So thinking about that, which one of these characters is not involved in the cinema incident? Yeah, it's Bernard.

That's right.

He doesn't actually appear in this scene at all.

Well done everyone.

Okay, we are onto the second practise task and I want us to look at Sam's comment.

So Sam said, "wow, what a dramatic scene.

It evokes so many emotions.

This is one of the most important scenes so far." What I would like you to do is annotate this statement with both evidence and key quotes.

So grab your pens to get ready to annotate, pause the video so you've got plenty of time to do this and we'll share our answers in a moment.

Off you go.

Well done everyone.

Thank you for your work.

I can hear lot of you agreeing with Sam's statement.

It really is a dramatic emotional scene, isn't it? So first I'm going to give you some examples of some evidence, some key points in the scene that you could have included.

So you may wish to add some of these to your own annotations.

So here's an example.

The shooting of Arthur creates pathos, so that real deep emotion, and the fact that he is a veteran makes his death a sad tragedy.

It is significant that this is the first time we witnessed violence, it really is.

And like the threat of war, the violence of racism is a continual presence.

And this is such a shocking reminder of that, its violence, its drama, all of those things.

You cannot help but realise these things.

And this scene includes many characters and also its chaos that shows how racism impacts society.

So everyone is impacted by this conflict.

And it also emphasises the futility of conflict, like no one benefited from this conflict and poor Arthur is dead as a result of it.

And there's this awful attempted segregate enforcement of segregation in the cinema.

And this reveals the perpetuation of hostility and violence by some.

And if we're thinking about those emotions in this scene, as an audience member, it makes you so angry and frustrated watching this scene.

So it really is full of different emotions, this scene.

Okay, so now let's look at some key quotes that you could have included in your annotations.

So, "no segregation in the British forces." So quite rightly, Gilbert starts to stand up for himself.

"What did you do that for? It's only Arthur!" So Queenie's exclamation at what has happened.

"My mother always say that violence solve nothing.

And I always say she's right.

But man, I got to confess to you, right now, this feels good." So it's Gilbert's discussion about the fighting in the cinema.

And then someone shouts, "leave them alone, you big bullies." Well done everyone.

We have reached the end of the lesson.

And there was a lot to take in there, so well done.

So let's just remind ourself of everything we have looked at.

So pathos is created when Arthur is shot.

He is an innocent victim of this incident.

As a World War I veteran, Arthur dies in a violent incident at home rather than enjoying the freedom and safety he fought for.

Arthur is characterised as a more open-minded than his son, showing that racism is not just a generational issue.

And Arthur's death shows that racism is deeply damaging to society as a whole.

Again, thank you so much and your engagement in this lesson, and I look forward to seeing you all again soon.

Goodbye.