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Teaching English to Year 8 students
Here are some questions and model answers for a Year 8 English lesson, based around an extract from “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
Extract
Mary Lennox was a sour-faced little girl who was born in India and had always been ill in one way or another. Her father had held a position under the English Government and had always been busy and ill himself, and her mother had been a great beauty who cared only to go to parties and amuse herself with gay people. She had not wanted a little girl at all, and when Mary was born she handed her over to the care of an Ayah, who made her keep out of the way as much as possible. So when she was a sickly, fretful, ugly little baby she was kept out of the way, and when she became a sickly, fretful, toddling thing she was kept out of the way also. She never remembered seeing familiarly anything but the dark faces of her Ayah and the other native servants, and as they always obeyed her and gave her her own way in everything, because the Mem Sahib would be angry if she was disturbed by her crying, by the time she was six years old she was as tyrannical and selfish a little pig as ever lived. The young English governess who came to teach her to read and write disliked her so much that she gave up her place in three months, and when other governesses came to try to fill it they always went away in a shorter time than the first one. So if Mary had not been ill she would have been a dreadfully spoiled child. She was ill, however, and she was fretful and cross and as they always gave her her own way she was more and more spoiled and more and more disagreeable. She was very yellow and her hair was yellow and her face was yellow because she had been born in a hot country and had always been ill, and her face was pinched and thin and old because she did not seem to grow like other children. At this time she was six years old, and she was so unlike any child ever seen that no one knew quite what to do with her. When her father and mother died of cholera she was sent home to England to the care of an uncle who lived in Yorkshire, and she was taken to his house in a train. She had never been in a train before and had always been sick in one way or another, and she was so tired and cross that she did not care what happened to her. She was so tired and cross that she did not care what happened to her.
Questions
1. Describe Mary Lennox's personality and appearance as depicted in the extract.
2. How did Mary's upbringing contribute to her behaviour and personality?
3. What challenges did Mary face with her governesses, and why did they leave?
4. How does the author use language to convey Mary's character and situation?
5. What do you think will happen to Mary now that she is going to live with her uncle in Yorkshire?
Model Answers
1. Mary Lennox's Personality and Appearance: Mary is described as a sour-faced, fretful, and selfish little girl. She is ill-tempered, tyrannical, and disagreeable. Her appearance is also affected by her health; she is yellow, pinched, thin, and old-looking for her age.
2. Mary's Upbringing: Mary's upbringing contributed significantly to her behaviour and personality. She was neglected by her parents and left in the care of servants who always obeyed her to avoid disturbing her mother. This lack of proper parental care and discipline made her spoiled, selfish, and tyrannical.
3. Challenges with Governesses: Mary faced challenges with her governesses because of her difficult behaviour. The young English governess who came to teach her disliked her so much that she left after three months. Subsequent governesses also left quickly due to Mary's disagreeable nature.
4. Author's Use of Language: The author uses descriptive language to convey Mary's character and situation. Words like "sour-faced", "fretful", "tyrannical", and "selfish" paint a vivid picture of Mary's unpleasant personality. The description of her appearance as "yellow", "pinched", and "thin" emphasises her poor health and neglected upbringing.
5. Prediction for Mary: Now that Mary is going to live with her uncle in Yorkshire, it is likely that her life will change significantly. She may face new challenges and experiences that could help her grow and develop as a person. The change in environment and the presence of new people in her life might lead to positive changes in her behaviour and personality.
The use of descriptive language in "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Frances Hodgson Burnett uses descriptive language to create a vivid and detailed image of Mary’s character and situation in the reader’s mind, and to contribute to the overall tone and mood of the story. Here are some examples of descriptive language from the extract:
- “sour-faced little girl”: This phrase vividly describes Mary’s unpleasant expression and demeanour.
- “ill in one way or another”: This emphasises the constant state of poor health that Mary experienced.
- “great beauty who cared only to go to parties and amuse herself with gay people”: This description of Mary’s mother highlights her superficial and self-centred nature.
- “sickly, fretful, ugly little baby”: These adjectives paint a clear picture of Mary’s appearance and temperament as a baby.
- “tyrannical and selfish a little pig”: This metaphor strongly conveys Mary’s spoiled and domineering behaviour.
- “yellow and her hair was yellow and her face was yellow”: The repetition of “yellow” emphasises the unhealthy pallor of Mary’s skin and hair.
- “pinched and thin and old”: These words describe Mary’s gaunt and aged appearance, unusual for a child of her age.
- “tired and cross”: These adjectives effectively convey Mary’s exhaustion and irritability during her journey to England.
In fact, Frances Hodgson Burnett uses descriptive language throughout “The Secret Garden” to create vivid imagery and evoke emotions. She frequently uses lush sensory language to describe the natural world, including phrases like “bloomed and bloomed and every morning revealed new miracles”, which emphasises the garden’s beauty and the sense of wonder it inspires. Burnett convey personalities and appearances using delicate imagery, such as: “Her hair was like curly silk and she had a delicate little nose which seemed to be disdaining things”, which highlights Mary's mother in terms of her superficial and insubstantial nature.