Lesson video

Hello and welcome.

Thank you for joining me today.

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

So we'll be focusing on Scenes 4 to 6 of Small Island.

Now the war has finished, so it's after the war.

So we'll be looking at the atmosphere and also thinking about what happens to our characters once the war has finished.

So shall we get started?

So by the end of this lesson you'll be able to explain the events of Act 1, Scenes 4 to 6, and you'll also be able to use fronted adverbials to develop your comments.

So before we start the lesson, there are a few key words that we need to make sure we will understand as they'll be popping up throughout the lesson.

So let's read through the words together first, they are aspirational, quintessential, interconnected, ominous, and assimilate.

In a moment, the definitions will appear on the screen.

You'll need to pause a video to give yourself plenty of time to read these and make sure you understand them.

Here come the definitions.

So the outline of our lesson, the end of the war looks like this.

We're going to start by reading Act 1, Scenes 4 to 6, and then we're going to move on to using fronted adverbials to discuss characters.

Now this is something that sounds really complicated, but actually it's a very simple way to develop your comments and elevate your writing.

So let's start by reading Scenes 4 to 6.

Here are the stage directions at the start of Scene 4.

Let's read them through together.

Winter 1946, the war is over.

Pathé-style footage of celebrations in Kingston.

On the stage, a festival atmosphere in Kingston.

Music playing in the distance, the occasional cheer, laughter.

Groups of people passing to and fro in joyous mood.

So in a moment I'm going to ask you to discuss what has changed and how does the atmosphere compare to other scenes.

So pause the video so you've got time to discuss or quietly think about your answers on your own.

Pause the video now.

Thank you.

There were some really lively discussions there.

And I like how some of you have started to really focus in on key words and evidence from those stage directions.

So let's share some of those ideas now.

So obviously here the date is specified.

It's 1946 and we have this declarative sentence, the war is over.

Now we know that the play began in 1939 on the cusp of war, but by Scene 4 the war is over.

And because of this, the atmosphere is celebratory and it's much more joyous compared to other scenes.

So the ones I'm thinking of in particular is Scene 1, where we had that really foreboding sense, really foreboding atmosphere with the coming of the storm and the drama involved in that scene.

And then also the violent beginning of Scene 3, where we have the incident in the cinema.

So this is a very, very different atmosphere to those previous scenes.

And Edmundson is really good at giving the audience moments of lightness compared to a lot of the dark emotional scenes.

And we get this cacophony of sound.

Many noises are described which really emphasizes the happy chaos of the scene.

And obviously we know it as post World War II and at the time there was a real feeling of hope and new beginnings.

And this is really reflected in these stage directions.

Okay, question for you.

Which answer best summarizes the atmosphere at the start of Scene 4 A, B, or C?

Excellent, I heard a lot of people saying, C, yes, absolutely.

There's this atmosphere of joyous celebration and there's this real sense of hope and a new beginning with the ending of the war.

Later on in Scene 4, Hortense mistakes Gilbert for Michael.

Let's read that part together.

So Hortense sees Gilbert and stares.

She can only see his back, but she is sure that it is.

.

.

To herself, Michael.

Now this isn't the first time Gilbert has been mistaken for Michael.

When was the last time this happened and why is this significant?

So pause the video so you can discuss your answers or you may just want to think to yourself, okay, off you go.

Yes, well done.

Absolutely.

Lots of you remembered that in Act 1, Scene 3, it's Arthur who thinks that Gilbert is Michael and actually Queenie is then reminded of him through this interaction.

And it's interesting because this shows how the characters are interconnected and Edmundson reveals the crossover between their narratives.

You may have already started to notice how these connections are forming between all of the different characters across different countries and across different time periods.

So they're all really interconnected in this way.

True or false time, like Hortense in Scene 4, Queenie mistakes Gilbert for Michael in Scene 3.

That's false.

Why is it false?

Yeah, well done to everyone that said, A, it's not Queenie that mistakes Gilbert for Michael, it's Arthur.

So Arthur Mistakes Gilbert for Michael, which shows how the character's lives are interconnected.

Okay, so now you are going to do some reading.

So you'll need to grab those copies of Small Island in order to do this.

So you're going to read the beginning of Scene 4 to the end of Scene 6.

As you read, answer the following questions.

These will just help your understanding.

So Scene 4, how would you describe the interaction between Hortense and Gilbert?

Scene 5, what does Soames suggest may have happened to Bernard?

How does Queenie feel about this?

And then for Scene 6, what is the atmosphere at the start of Scene 6?

What do the stage directions tell us about Hortense's reaction to Celia going to England?

And then what does Hortense then do?

And what happens at the end of the scene?

Do you think Hortense deserves this?

Okay, so pause the video so that you've got time to complete your reading and we will share our answers to the questions in a moment.

Pause the video now.

Well done everyone.

Excellent reading this really is a play of highs and lows, isn't it?

Just as you think that everything is going to be okay, something else happens.

(laughs) So let's just share the answer to the question.

So how would you describe the interaction between Hortense and Gilbert?

So it's very frivolous, isn't it?

Gilbert teases Hortense and he calls her a "Spitfire" and he seems quite flirtatious.

It's all very lighthearted.

You know, Hortense finds Gilbert annoying and she calls him a "big clumsy oaf".

So there's a very much a sense of playfulness, silliness, and light-heartedness.

Now by Scene 5, we get some other news.

So what does Soames suggest may have happened to Bernard?

So he states that Bernard may have actually chosen to be sent to India and not come home after the war.

And it is revealed that he spent some time in prison.

Now how does Queenie feel about this?

Well, she's angry, she's embarrassed because you know, she's discovered that actually her husband is alive.

But the fact he's chosen not to come home is a very difficult thing to comprehend for Queenie.

She feels totally abandoned and it's difficult for her to know how to continue 'cause she asks, am I a widow or what?

So technically Queenie is still married to Bernard, but she has no idea whether Bernard's coming home where he is and she's been left to support herself financially too.

So it's a very difficult, complicated situation for Queenie.

And then Scene 6, what is the atmosphere at the start of Scene 6?

Now, despite that initial celebratory atmosphere of Scene 4, by Scene 6 we get this feeling of unrest.

There's mention of a political rally, there's mention of people running around, and it's described as there's this key word here.

It's described as a volatile situation.

So it really creates a foreboding atmosphere and suggests unrest in the country.

Now what do the stage directions tell us about Hortense's reaction to Celia going to England and what does Hortense then do?

Now there's this description here that Hortense looks at the audience and gives an ominous look.

And this is almost quite menacing.

This is threatening.

She knows she's going to do something quite significant.

And what she does is she goes on to mention Celia's mother.

It's very manipulative.

It's very purposeful because she wants to undermine Celia and threaten her chances of going to England.

And what this comes from is, you know, Hortense is jealous.

She doesn't want to left behind, but it also really emphasizes Hortense's desperation.

She doesn't want to be left in Jamaica, she wants the opportunity to go to England.

And then finally, what happens at the end of the scene?

And do you think Hortense deserves this?

Well, Celia hits Hortense in the face.

Now arguably Hortense purposely ruined Celia's chances to go to England, and she acts selfishly.

So it really emphasizes how important going to England is and the opportunities it presents.

Hortense does not want to be left behind.

So I guess on the one hand we understand why Celia has hit Hortense in this violent way, but we also kind of understand why Hortense has done what she has done.

You know, there's a real desire need to be the one that gets to go to England, and it really emphasizes both Celia and Hortense actually, it emphasizes this deep need.

Okay, so we have reached the second part of the lesson.

So we are going to look at those fronted adverbials and how we could use them to discuss characters.

So let's keep going.

So as we explore some key moments in these scenes, we are going to use fronted adverbials to add evidence and develop your comments.

Now, a fronted adverbial is a word or phrase that provides more information about the action in a sentence.

In essay writing, they are useful for developing comments or introducing evidence.

Now, let's look at some examples because I'm sure you've seen these words before.

So things like for example, specifically, additionally, yet, historically are all very useful fronted adverbials for adding evidence or developing your comments.

So let's consider Celia first, how does Celia describe living in England?

What does this suggest about her aspirations and how England is viewed?

Pause the video so you can discuss your answers to these questions, off you go.

Well done, I loved seeing how some of you rushed to your copies of Small Island to start reminding yourself about Celia and all of her aspirations and her ideas.

So let's just share some of those now.

So we have our pupils here.

Let's see what they have come up with.

So Andeep has said that Celia sees herself as having more opportunities and wealth in England.

And this is quite a common view that a lot of the characters have.

Then we have Sophia, Celia's aspirations reveal how Britain was viewed and what it promised.

Great comment.

Thank you Sophia.

And then Jacob has said, Celia assimilates.

So she has really taken on board British culture, which shows her deep connection to the mother country.

Excellent comment, Jacob.

Thank you.

So now let's explore how we can develop comments further by using a fronted adverbial.

So let's explore this together.

Let's look at what our pupils have come up with.

So Andeep chooses to use, for example, so to develop his comment, he has said, for example she states she will have a big house which represents status and success.

So this fronted adverbial has encouraged Andeep to add in a quote.

So we've got "big house" and then explain what this means.

So that's a really good use of a fronted adverbial to develop a comment further.

Now, what has Sophia used?

Sophia has picked yet historically, and she goes on to say.

Yet historically, Windrush migrants struggled to obtain well paid high-status jobs and the reality did not live up to expectations.

So here Sophia has used that fronted adverbial yet historically, which has actually encouraged her to link to historical context.

So it's a really great way to develop those comments, not just in writing, but in your discussion too.

And also Sophia has linked to that theme there where she says about the reality and expectations.

So this is such a good developed comment.

And finally, Jacob uses specifically and he says specifically she mentions "a lace tablecloth" and "bone-china teacups", which not only have connotations of wealth but are seen as quintessentially British.

So again, using that fronted adverbial has encouraged Jacob to add in some quotes to give us some evidence about his initial comment.

And also he's offered some lovely inference there with his connotations and the idea that these things are quintessentially British.

So we can see how effective using these fronted adverbial phrases are at developing your comments and adding evidence.

Okay, quick question for you.

Which one of these sentences does not use a fronted adverbial?

Excellent, well done.

Everyone that knows it's B.

B does not use a fronted adverbial.

So we can see that in A, we've got the fronted adverbial, specifically, and in C we've got that fronted adverbial additionally.

So well done everyone that got that right.

So let's continue to look at some examples of fronted adverbials together.

So in the moment I'm going to show you some quotes and I want you to look at the comments that have been made and how fronted adverbials have been used to develop those comments even further.

So these are the quotes.

Elwood says, "He prefer to go licky-licky to the British.

" and Gilbert says, "There's no licky-licky about it.

There's way more opportunities in England.

" So what does this tell us?

So we know that we've heard this colloquial language before in Scene 3, and it's being repeated again in Scene 6.

And it really shows Elwood's cynical attitude.

And again, Gilbert reflects the aspirations that many had and how they speak to the promises of the mother country.

So here you can see the fronted adverbial more specifically, they reveal the differences in attitude towards Britain.

So you can see how here that fronted adverbial has just developed that comment even further.

To give a little bit more context, a bit more information to do with those bigger ideas.

Let's look at another set of quotes.

So we have Elwood, again, "You've got to have a likkle faith.

When we in charge of Jamaica.

" And Gilbert says, "You will work for a Black man instead of a white man!

You a dreamer, Elwood.

" And again, what Edmundson shows is that it's difficult for aspirations to become a reality.

And here we can see that fronted adverbial for example, is now going to add some evidence to that statement.

So for example, Gilbert states that Elwood is a "dreamer" and that his hopes for Jamaican independence will not present a better life.

Instead, he will just continue to "work for a Black man.

" Edmundson perhaps suggests that they are both dreamers.

So that, for example, has really developed this comment by using evidence.

Okay, look at these two comments.

Which one of these students has successfully used a fronted adverbial to develop their comment?

Should we read them together first?

So Aisha says, Gilbert is still optimistic about the opportunities that the "mother country" offers, despite Elwood's cynical attitude.

Additionally, Gilbert was the victim of extreme racism in Scene 3, which could suggest that his aspirations are misplaced.

And then Sam says, Gilbert has aspirations for a better life that speak to the opportunities and promises of the "mother land.

" This is similar to Celia who also believes that a wealthier and more successful life awaits in England.

So which one of these pupils uses a fronted adverbial?

Yes, absolutely.

It's Aisha's answer here.

She used that word additionally.

So additionally, Gilbert was the victim of extreme racism in Scene 3.

So again, we can see how that fronted adverbial has developed the comment even further.

So we have reached the second and final task of our lesson.

And what I would like you to do is I would like you to select four ideas or pieces of evidence from the text to support the following topic sentence.

So the topic sentence is, in this scene, in these scenes, Edmundson explores the aspirations of the characters and how they are linked to the promises of migration.

And we have our fronted adverbials here, for example, specifically, additionally, and yet.

And then our final sentence, thus Edmundson's exploration of character's dreams reveal that the reality of migration is very different to their expectations and the promises that were made.

So you'll need to select those four pieces of evidence or ideas from the text to support and complete this piece of writing.

Off you go.

Well done everyone.

So hopefully you can see what I mean about fronted adverbials sound really complicated, but actually those phrases are really simple to use and are a great way to develop your comments.

So I look forward to seeing lots of these being used in your writing.

So I'm gonna go through a few examples of how you could have approached this task.

Now you may have something completely different, that's fine.

Just use these to check your work.

Or if there was a specific fronted adverbial you were struggling with, this might give you some ideas at how you can construct the statement around this.

So let's have a look.

So the first example looks like this.

So it's for example.

So in these scenes, Edmundson explores the aspirations of the characters and how they are linked to the promise of migration.

For example, Celia mentions living in "a big house" with a "lace tablecloth" and "bone-china teacups" which have connotations of wealth and are quintessentially British.

Historically, we know that for the majority of Windrush migrants this was not achievable.

So we can see how that fronted adverbial has really opened up the comment to add in lots of evidence.

And there's some really fantastic use of quotes there, and I like this idea about those connotations as well and what they represent.

So a really good example.

And then the next one is this specifically.

So specifically the character of Gilbert, who despite facing racism and a missold experience of World War II, still maintains optimism for the "opportunity" that Britain offers.

So again, this fronted adverbial.

What this has done is it's developed the comment further and it's allowed the comment to go even more specific to really focus in on a character and some specific evidence.

So that word specifically is a really good way to focus and drill down into your comment.

So a really good example there.

And then we've got, additionally, Edmundson reveals the experiences of many Windrush migrants and the realities of cultural assimilation.

So you can see that this fronted adverbial has allowed this comment to now connect to the writer's purpose.

So that's a good one to use when we're thinking about developing a comment and linking to the writer's purpose.

And then finally, yet historically we know that for many soldiers from overseas territories, the promises made were not realized.

Gilbert's experience in the RAF is an excellent example of this, where the expectations of a collective identity and high status jobs were simply not there.

So you can see here how that comment yet historically has developed this comment to use some context to reference that contextual point about the soldiers from overseas territories.

So again, we can really see how these fronted adverbials help you to develop those comments further.

So a really well done everyone, some excellent work today.

And as I said, I hope to see lots of those fronted adverbial being used to develop your comments in your writing and your discussions.

So let's just remind ourselves of everything we have looked at this lesson.

So we know that Scene 4 marks the end of the war and the hopeful celebratory atmosphere post World War II.

Edmundson explores the aftermath of World War II and its impacts on women like Queenie and Hortense.

Britain represents opportunities and an aspirational life.

Gilbert and Elwood represent oppositional attitudes towards migration.

And then finally, fronted adverbials can be used to develop comments and introduce evidence.

So again, a very well done and thank you so much for joining me in this lesson.

Cannot wait to see you all again soon for another fantastic lesson.

Okay.

Goodbye.

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