Hello and welcome to the lesson.

I'm Mrs. Butterworth and I'm really excited to be guiding you through the learning today because we're going to read the second part of act one, scene one of "Small Island." Now this is a really dramatic scene with a truly dramatic climax.

So I'm really looking forward to reading through that with you today.

So let's get started.

So by the end of the lesson you'll be able to explain the events of act one, scene one in "Small Island." Now, before we dive in to the lesson today, there are some key words that we need to be aware of that will pop up throughout the lesson.

So these are mischievous, blasphemy, mother-country, and stage directions.

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

You should pause the 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 looks like this.

We're going to start by reading the second part of scene one and this learning cycle is called reactions because we know that there is this hurricane, so we're thinking about the character's reactions to the hurricane, but also the really dramatic events later on in the scene.

Then we're going to move on to tracking characters and events.

So looking at those key plot points and character moments.

So let's start that lesson with our reactions reading the second part of scene one.

Let's just remind ourselves of the start of act one, scene one.

So we know there's this imminent hurricane introduced and that Hortense and Mrs. Ryder react very differently to this.

So in a moment I'm going to ask you to discuss some quotes and what this reveals about them, about the characters.

But let's just read those quotes together first.

So the first one is Mrs. Ryder.

"Oh, look how the trees are starting to sway! Why, it's as if they're dancing!" And Hortense, "This fool-fool American woman who believe a hurricane on the island of Jamaica is something to look forward to." Okay, so over to you.

Pause the video so you can discuss or quietly think about your response to what these quotes reveal about the characters.

Off you go.

Okay, great.

It's excellent to hear some of you really starting to understand how these quotes are showing the differences between the characters, because they are very different in how they are responding, aren't they? So let's share some of these answers.

So this first quote, we've got Miss Ryder talking about the trees dancing.

And it's really showing how she views this storm as something romantic and exciting.

And it shows her complete unawareness of the dangers.

And if we think about Mrs. Ryder, she's not from Jamaica, she's not from the island, she is an American.

So for her, this is this completely exotic new experience.

And it perhaps, you know, suggests that she sees herself as invincible.

And then we get Hortense.

And the difference with Hortense is this quote reveals her experiences on the island and her awareness.

We know that she was born in Jamaica, she grew up there.

So this probably isn't her first hurricane.

And she knows what she needs to do in order to get through it.

And also if we think about Stella or Mrs Ryder's attitude, it really shows her ignorance of life on the island, doesn't it? You know, this idea that she views it as an exotic experience and neglecting the danger just shows her a lack awareness of where she is and what she is encountering.

And then Hortense, what's interesting about Hortense's reaction is she's not afraid, but she is getting prepared.

So she's very sensible.

And what I love about this interpretation is that it could suggest that Hortense has been shaped by strong forces, which I think is a really lovely interpretation of how Hortense's experiences of the island, the natural world or even her experiences growing up have shaped her into the person that she is, this strong, prepared character.

Okay, quick question for you.

Let's see how much you remember.

Mrs. Ryder describes the tree "as if they're?" Well done everyone that said C, dancing.

Bit of a trick question there because she does also refer to them as swaying.

But in this quote she refers to dancing.

So in a moment we're going to read the second part of act one, scene one.

Now in this part, Hortense and Michael are no longer little, so they've grown up.

And Michael has returned from boarding school.

So let's read the stage directions, very important stage directions that tell us a lot about how Michael seems now and who he is.

Let's read them together.

"Enter Michael, 18 years old.

A well-cut suit, a white shirt, a tie held in place by a pin.

A hat tipped at an angle, a thin moustache, a mischievous smile." So I'd like you to pause the video and discuss your own answers to this question.

The stage directions describe a grownup Michael.

What do they tell us about him? So pause the video, give yourself time to discuss or just think about your ideas in answer to this question.

Off you go.

Well done everyone.

I really enjoyed how some of you are really zooming in on specific words and thinking about those connotations of the words and what they tell us about this character and how he has developed.

That was a really nice thing to do.

So let's just share some of those great ideas.

So this first one, we get this reference to Michael being 18 years old.

And you know, this is the legal age to be considered a man.

We have this, you know, conception that when someone reaches 18, they're a man.

So it really emphasised that Michael has grown up.

And we get this description of what he's wearing.

The know, the well-cut suit, the white shirt, the pin, a thin moustache.

And again, this also emphasises his age and the fact he has grown up.

You know, he's dressed really smartly.

He's not this little boy running around the house with Hortense now.

He has this air of, you know, being a man, being grown up.

And then finally we get this detail and this is why I think the stage directions are really interesting because they give us these tiny details that give us lots of information.

So we get this hat tipped at an angle and this adjective here, a mischievous smile.

So both the adjective tipped and mischievous give a sense that he has a kind of troublesome or roguish quality.

So they've been included to give us a sense of Michael's personality, which is really clever on Edmundson's part.

Okay, true or false time.

The way Michael is dressed emphasises how young he looks.

Well done to everyone that said false.

Yeah, absolutely.

It's actually the opposite, isn't it? The way he's dressed emphasises how grown up he is.

Now let's justify those answers.

Excellent, well done to everyone that said A.

So this just adds a bit more to that description.

So Michael's tipped hat and smile reveal he has a roguish quality about him.

Well done everyone.

Let's keep going.

So we have reached our first task and this is going to require you to do some reading.

So it's important you have a copy of the "Small Island" text to refer to and read.

So you are going to read the second part of act one, scene one from the line, "He came home only three times," to the end of the scene.

As you read, I want you to answer the following questions.

Number one, what do the stage directions, those all important stage directions tell us about how Mr. Philip feels about Michael's appearance? Number two, what causes the disagreement between Michael and Mr. Philip? So look for the part where they're all sat around the table and what happens there.

Hortense describes Mr. Ryder as going places he should not go.

What does this suggest about him and the relationship with his wife? Question four, how does Miss Ma describe the embrace between Michael and Mrs. Ryder? What does this tell us about people's attitudes to the affair? Where does Michael say he is going? And finally, what advice does Michael give Hortense when he leaves the house? Okay, so you'll now need to pause the video to give yourself time to read through the second part of act one, scene one.

Off you go.

How dramatic is that scene? Wow, it really has so much going on.

Not only do we have these dramatic events between the characters, there's conflict, there's affairs, but also we've got this backdrop of the hurricane.

It really is an impactful way to open a play.

I hope you think the same.

So let's just read through the answers to these questions.

So number one, what do the stage directions tell us about how Mr. Philip feels about Michael's appearance? So the stage directions actually use quite a big word.

so this disturbed, you know.

He's not just a bit uneasy, he is disturbed.

This has really made him feel uncomfortable the way that Michael looks.

And this suggests that Michael is not conforming to Mr. Philip's high standards.

And then what causes the disagreement between Michael and Mr. Philip? Well Michael starts to try and discuss scientific ideas.

So he refers to the shape of the world.

He refers to Darwin and evolution.

And Mr. Philip views this as blasphemy and it shows how Michael has changed both not just physically but in his worldviews.

So after going to boarding school, he's come back with his newfound knowledge that is completely at odds with his father's beliefs.

And then Hortense describes Mr. Ryder as going places he should not go.

What does this suggest about him and his relationship with his wife? So it sort of suggests that Mr. Ryder is a bit of a suspicious person.

And it also suggests later on when Hortense is describing Mr. Ryder that he leaves his wife unescorted.

And this not only suggests that there is trouble between Mr. Ryder and Mrs Ryder, but it also presents Mrs. Ryder as this vulnerable and abandoned woman that needs saving.

How does Mrs. Ma describe the embrace between Michael and Mrs Ryder? And what does this tell us about people's attitudes to the affair? So Mrs. Ma actually describes it as unholy.

So this fair is just seen as morally wrong and it is incredibly scandalous.

You know, the police and reporters are involved and it shows how much of a big deal this affair is.

You know, and Mr. Philip is beside himself.

You know, he cannot believe the absolute shame that Michael has bought on himself, the household, the name.

And what happens is, is Michael is ostracised as a result.

He's asked to leave the house because it is just too much for Mr. Philip to bear.

And Michael actually says he's going somewhere.

Where does he say he is going? So he says he's off to join the RAF, which becomes quite significant the more we get into the play.

And Michael refers to the mother country, meaning that he's going to Great Britain.

He's going to join the RAF.

And we know from the start of act one, scene one with those stage directions, that we are on the cusp of the start of World War II.

So Michael knows that he needs to go and sign up because something is about to happen.

And what advice does Michael give Hortense when he leaves the house? So he actually says, "Get away from this house, from this small, small town." And this is really significant because it not only refers to the place but also the attitudes to the people who live there.

And Michael is aware that Hortense is becoming, you know, highly moral and righteous and isn't aware of anything outside of her own view really.

Well done everyone.

Excellent work so far.

So, that's the first part of the lesson done.

So we are now quickly moving on to tracking characters and events.

So we're going to introduce you to something called Freytag's pyramid.

And this is a really interesting way to look at narrative structures because what it does is it breaks stories down into five distinct sections.

So it looks like this.

So here's our Freytag's pyramid.

And what this suggests is that all stories follow this pattern.

So we've got, or most stories.

So we've got the start, which is called the exposition.

Now the exposition is where characters are introduced, the background or setting is introduced.

The second part, and we can see this replicated in that hill in the pyramid, we're going up the hill and we're going towards the rising action.

And in this part of the story, the tension grows as it leads to conflict.

You can really see that visually, can't you? That rising action, the tension.

And then at the top of the pyramid we get this climax and this is like the turning point where tension is highest and there is a conflict.

Something is addressed here, there is a dramatic event.

And then the tension starts to be relieved as we go down the side of the pyramid.

And this is called the falling action.

So again, it really reflects the shape of the pyramid.

And the falling action is the story that happens as a result, is what happens in the story as a result of the climax.

So after we've had a big dramatic event or a dramatic bit of tension, what happens after that? What's the aftermath? And then finally we get the denouement, which is where the conflict is resolved and loose ends are tied up.

Now it's important to note that the end, this denouement isn't always a nice neatly tied up conclusion.

But as long as there is a sense of conclusion, we get this idea of a denouement.

And this is what it looks like together.

So, many stories can be plotted on Freytag's pyramid and this includes "Small Island." Let's just have a look at this pyramid.

Which section is missing from the Freytag's pyramid below? Well done to everyone that noticed.

It's that rising action, that tension growing along that side of the pyramid.

Our rising action.

Well done everyone.

Now we can also use Freytag's pyramid to plot individual character storylines and even specific scenes, so we can use it to track smaller stories or characters.

So I've chosen to look at Michael's journey in scene one because there is so much tension and drama there.

So let's look at Michael's journey in reference to Freytag's pyramid.

So in terms of exposition, we know that he is established or is Hortense's privileged cousin.

We know that he has a slightly different lifestyle to Hortense.

He doesn't have to do chores, he goes to boarding school.

So we get this idea who he is, who he is established as a character in this exposition part of his journey.

Now that rising action is definitely when he returns from boarding school with a mischievous smile.

And the rising action comes in that tension with his interaction with Mr. Philip and later on with his interaction with Mrs Ryder.

We get this strong sense that something is going on.

They're very flirty, very giggly, and that is creating tension, that rising action.

And then obviously our climax, that big dramatic moment is where Hortense witnesses Michael and Stella kissing passionately.

And we see the hurricane also rise at this point, is at the most dramatic point it can be.

And then we get this falling action.

So what happens as a result of the climax? What is going on? So we know that in this falling action everyone reacts in horror and Mr. Philip accuses him of bringing shame on the household.

And you'll notice in this scene it almost cuts directly to the day after, the morning after everything that's happened.

And that's our falling action there.

And then we get this denouement.

So Michael leaves to join the RAF in the mother country after being ostracised by his community.

So this is kind of the final part of Michael's journey in act one, scene one.

So we know obviously the play goes on after this, but we are just focused on Michael in act one, scene one.

Okay, so let's look at this question.

When Hortense witnesses the kiss between Stella and Michael, this is arguably the, of the scene.

Choose the answer that best fits that blank.

Absolutely.

It's definitely the climax, isn't it? It's such a dramatic part of the scene.

You can feel the tension rising and then we see this event through Hortense's eyes.

It's so dramatic.

Okay, so we've actually reached the second practise task in our lesson.

So what I'm going to ask you to do in a moment is to actually draw your own Freytag's pyramid.

So there are five key plot points for the character of Hortense.

So you are going to be focusing on Hortense.

So you can think about what we looked at in terms of Michael to help you do a pyramid on Hortense.

So you'll need to draw a Freytag's pyramid and position the events accordingly in terms of Hortense's plot points.

So you'll need to decide whether it's an example of exposition, rising action, climax, falling action of denouement.

And the plot points are as follows.

Hortense runs into the hurricane and tells the police and crowds about the affair.

Where does that belong on the pyramid? Hortense's heart breaks as she hears Michael leave the house.

Hortense is sent to live with Mr. Philip.

Hortense discloses that she's in love with Michael as she waits for him to rescue her in the hurricane.

And Hortense witnesses the kiss between Michael and Stella.

So pause the video so you have time to plot those key points on your pyramid in the right order.

Off you go.

Well done everyone.

Let's see if you have got this right.

So use this to check your own pyramid.

If you need to swap some around, that's absolutely fine.

So we start obviously with our exposition where Hortense is sent to live with Mr. Philip.

So this is that exposition.

We start to learn what Hortense is like as a character.

And then we get this rising action.

So Hortense discloses that she is in love with Michael as she waits for him to rescue her in the hurricane.

And this rising action, this tension is created as well because we start to understand that Mrs. Ryder is also waiting for Michael.

So we get that rising action in that disclosure of love.

And then the climax, absolutely lots of you got this one right, is that kiss.

So Hortense witnesses the kiss between Michael and Stella.

I don't think there's any doubt that that is definitely the climax of the scene.

And then the falling action.

So what happens as a result of this? So Hortense runs into the hurricane and tells the police and crowds about the affair.

So that fallout from that climax, that falling action is that moment when she blurts out what she has seen.

And then finally our denouement, Hortense's heart breaks and you can't help but feel sorry for her as Michael leaves the house and they don't particularly leave on good terms. They are at opposing ends of ideas.

So it's quite sad when she says that she feels her heart breaking.

Well done everyone.

We have made it to the end of the lesson and what a hurricane of a lesson that was.

Very dramatic reading.

So let's just remind ourselves of everything we have been over this lesson.

So we know that Stella's attitude to the hurricane shows her ignorance.

She views it as an exotic experience neglecting the danger.

The hurricane is a powerful natural force that exposes truths about the human relations between characters.

The stage direction show Hortense preparing the schoolhouse, whereas the naive Mrs. Ryder looks out from the open door.

Hortense's calmness in the storm suggests she has been shaped by strong forces.

That lovely interpretation there.

And then finally, Freytag's pyramid can be used to track events and characters.

So again, a very well done everyone and I look forward to seeing you in another lesson in the future.

So see you then.

Bye.