New Horizons in Reading
Divided City
By Theresa Breslin
S2 Unit
CONTENTS ‘Divided City’
| |Activity |Approach |
|1. |Brainstorming the title and cover |Pair |
| |Chapters 1-5: Setting the scene | |
|2. |True or False Activity |Group |
|3. |Completing a Character Grid | Pair |
|4. |Plot Sequence |Pair |
|5. |Creative Writing |Individual |
|6. |Safety Poster |Group |
| |Chapters 6-14: Character relationships | |
|7. |Completing a Character Grid on the development of character |Pair |
|8. |Evidence charts |Group |
|9. |True or False |Pair |
|10. |Mini Essays on character and/or plot and sub-plot |Individual |
| |Chapters 15-40: Plot development | |
|11. |Spider diagrams |Group |
|12. |Questions |Pair |
| |Chapters 41-60: Resolution | |
|13. |Writing |Individual |
|14. |Comparison |Group |
|15. |Critical Evaluation | |
|16. |Reading Frame on Character | |
We will break down the novel into 4 reading sections in order to study
how the writer introduces and develops the plot and sub-plot
how he makes the reader feel towards the main characters
|Chapters |Structure |What the writer does in ‘Divided City’ |
|Chapters 1-5 |INTRODUCTION |The writer introduces: |
| | |the main plot, the sub plot, introduces the |
| | |main characters Joe and Graham and their |
| | |similarities and differences. |
|Chapters 6-14 |CHARACTER RELATIONSHIPS |The writer develops the main characters, Joe|
| | |and Graham grow closer and take on a |
| | |mission. It compares the family life of the |
| | |boys. |
|Chapters 15-40 |Plot Development |The friendship between the boys strengthens |
| | |even though they have some rocky moments. |
| | |The boys fall out because of the way they |
| | |handle their beliefs. The writer creates |
| | |emotion and interest throughout this |
| | |section. |
|Chapters 41 - 60 |RESOLUTION |The plot and sub-plot come to a conclusion. |
| | |The boys issues are resolved and the reader |
| | |is left with a cliffhanger. |
What is the Novel about?
1 The novel you are going to read is called
Divided City
1 Writers always try to choose a title which will
‘hook’ the reader
give the reader an idea of what the novel is about
PAIR ACTIVITY
Look at the picture on the book cover
Think of the title of the story. What does the word ‘Divided’ make you think of.
What kind of story do you think it is likely to be?
With your partner write down any ideas you have on what the story might be about.
| | |
|Our Ideas on what the story might be about |Why we think this |
| | |
| | |
| | |
The Big Picture
While working on the novel ‘Divided City’ you will be doing the following:
Reading the novel
Focusing on the main characters Joe and Graham
Exploring how these characters are introduced and developed by the writer
Examining the storylines and how they merge
Writing some Mini Essays on plot development and character leading up to an extended essay
1 CRITICAL EVALUATION - ESSAYS
You will answer the following question at the end of the unit of work.
How do Joe and Graham change and develop in the novel “Divided City” by Theresa Breslin?
By examining the way the characters of Joe and Graham are introduced and developed in Theresa Breslin’s novel ‘Divided City’, show how Joe and GrahamMartha altered and what events show how they changed?
See Powerpoint detailing the structure and requirements for the essay at the end of this unit.
Introducing the Main Storyline and the Sub-Plot
The writer introduces the reader to both the main story line and the subplot in the opening chapters. Two boys leave football training on Friday night and head off back to their family. These boys are very similar but have different religious belifs. On the way home Graham takes a shortcut and witnesses a boy called Kyoul get stabbed. After this the two boys get pulled together to overcome prejudice.
The main plot is centred around Joe and Graham’s new found friendship. But the presence of Kyoul and the prejudice the boys witness provide the sub-plot.
GROUP ACTIVITY
With your group decide if the information given below about the main storyline is True or False and find evidence from the chapters to support your decision on those which you decide are true.
|The main characters |True/False |Evidence from the novel |
|Graham doesn’t always obey his parents |True |Graham takes the shortcut instead of going straight home the night Kyoul |
| | |is stabbed. |
|Joe has a good imagination. | | |
|Kyoul is in the country illegally. | | |
|Graham won’t help Kyoul and puts the phone in the bin.| | |
|Joe beats Graham up when he sees him near his school. | | |
|Joe and Graham support the same football team. | | |
|Graham and Joe agree to go to the hospital to find out| | |
|how Kyoul is. | | |
|Graham is excited to go on an Orange walk with his | | |
|granda. | | |
|Joe and Graham are not very accepting of each other’s | | |
|beliefs | | |
|Graham and Joe are friends. | | |
Introduction to the Characters of Graham and Joe
In the opening chapters of the novel we learn quite a bit about the two main characters, Graham and Joe. We learn about their character:
From what they do (their ACTIONS)
From what they say (their SPEECH)
And from what they think about each other (their THOUGHTS, their BELIEFS)
2 PAIR ACTIVITY
With your partner look at the qualities mentioned in the grid below and add as many examples as you can of actions and speech which reveal the aspects of character given.
The first one has been done for you.
|What we learn about the character |Evidence from the Chapters | Our response to this character |
|Is mature and intelligent |Joe is like the parent in his family. He |We feel in awe of Joe and his ability to act so |
| |organises everything and comes up with plans.|mature and think of solutions to problems quickly.|
|Is helpful | | |
|Does not do as he is told | | |
|Is not allowed to do anything on | | |
|his own | | |
|Is accepting of others | | |
Introduction to the Characters of Graham and Joe
What do the following quotation tell us about Graham? Look at the quotations below and decide what this tell us about the character. Add lots of detail and description.
Pair Activity
|Quotation |Explanation |
|“When Rangers played at home, being in the crowd fired him up, all | |
|singing together; he enjoyed that sense of belonging” | |
|“Graham’s granda looked at him with eyes that shone with love. Graham| |
|smiled back at his granda. He knew that his granda would do anything | |
|for him.” | |
|Graham hesitated. “I guess I do want to know myself if he is ok” | |
|“Graham looked at Joe helplessly. How could he refuse?” | |
|Look at the following quotations about Joe and explain what they tell us about his character? |
|“And now they were with their own. The streets vibrant with green and| |
|white team colours, scarves, new strips, memorial tops…” | |
|“But I know where to find out. We’ll go to the Mungo Museum…and find | |
|out exactly where we are going.” | |
|“I can’t do this,” Graham said finally. “Of course you can,” said Joe.| |
|He moved nearer to Graham and said quietly, “It’ll be dead easy” | |
|“I’ll come with you,” Joe offered. Then, as Graham continued to | |
|hesitated, he added, “I’ve just remembered I know someone who works in| |
|the City Hospital. | |
Health and Wellbeing in 'Divided City'
In your groups create five rules for keeping safe, particularly in the city of Glasgow. Think about the experiences of Graham and Joe so far in the book. Is there anything that could have helped to keep them safer?
Create 5 safety rules.
Display these rules on an eye catching poster that will encourage others to follow these guidelines.
Use the skills of all members of the group to ensure that everyone contributes to this task.
Group Task
Rules for group work:
Listen to each other.
Make sure everyone is involved in the task.
Give everyone a role to play (leader, writer, artist, contributor, reader, timer etc.)
Stick to the time constraints.
Ensure you focus on the task you must complete.
Use the first 5-10 minutes to come up with your 'Safety Rules' and write them in the spaces below.
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The Sub Plot of the novel
As well as the main storyline about the two boys lives and friendship, the writer includes another story line which involves prejudice, sectarianism and the character Kyoul.
This storyline makes the novel MORE than just a story about a the friendship of two boys.
The writer draws in the subplot from the very beginning.
PAIR ACTIVITY
Read the events below
Unfortunately they are in the wrong order or sequence except for the final one
With your partner put the events into the correct sequence
|Events |Correct Sequence |
|Graham and Joe leave football practise |1 |
|Graham | |
|Abomination is the family secret. | |
|Martha has to clean Abomination’s mess | |
|Martha tells the reader how looking after Abomination is worse than bullying | |
|Abomination lives in the cellar. | |
|God knows about Abomination | |
| Abomination remains a mystery |8 |
1
2 MINI ESSAY 1 and REVIEW
Now that you have finished reading and taking notes on the first part of the novel, you are going to write a short mini essay on the character of Martha, as she is introduced by the writer. And also write about the two separate strands of the plot.
In your mini essay you should write about the following:
1 The Character of Martha
What you discover about Martha from her actions
What you discover about Martha from what she says
What your response is to Martha (Sympathy? Understanding? Like?)
1 The Plot and Sub Plot
That there are two storylines in the novel
What the main storyline is about?
What the sub-plot is about?
How the two storylines add to your interest in the novel?
Chapters 6 – 14 Development of the main characters
In this section of the novel, we find out a lot more about Martha.
We find out more about her life. She becomes friends with Scott when he decides to stand up for her. Through this friendship, we see her character develop and become more of a confident individual. We learn more about her emotions and secrets. And we also learn more about the Righteous.
She comes across as a really likeable and sympathetic person. Yet, she is always vulnerable and defensive about her life.
Re-read the relevant passages where the Righteous are mentioned and make notes on:
The rules of the Righteous..
How the Righteous effect Martha.
Pair Activity
Write a description of Martha’s parents: What they look like? How they treat Martha?
Write a word explaining Martha’s personality and life. Use a quote to back this up. Use the frame below to help structure your ideas. All number 1s look at chapters 1-12 and number 2s look at chapters 13-21.
Write a word explaining Scott’s personality and life. Use the same frame as the one for Martha. Again 1s look at chapters 1-12 and 2s look at chapters 13-21.
Write a paragraph about the bullying of Scott and Martha: describe what happens and how they react to it. What do they do? Who do they tell? How do they react?
This can be as creative as you want. It can take the form of a paragraph stating the facts as they appear in the text or you can write it as a diary account of one of the characters. Or as an email from one Martha to Scott (or the other way round) discussing the situation.
Martha: Looking at her beginning to change
Martha is starting to change. The first change we see is when she decides not to be chased home after school. She decides to stay in the school until the other children go home.
Group Activity
Look at the following quotes in your groups.
Decide what they tell you about Martha and how she is changing.
|What Happened? |Quotes |What this tells you/Changes in Martha |
|Martha stays behind after school and sees Scott |I didn’t know what to do. If I was brave, I’d have | |
|being attacked by the other kids for speaking out |charged at them, punching and kicking to rescue my | |
|for her when she got kicked under the table |friend, but I am not. So I turned and ran back | |
| |heading to the staffroom. P.23 | |
|The teacher tells Martha to walk Scott home because |Because it’s my fault they set on you | |
|she tells him that they live in the same direction. | | |
|She explains to Scott why. |“I want to walk you home” | |
| |“Won’t your folks wonder why you’re late?” | |
| |“No” They would but I didn’t care. Not at that | |
| |moment. P. 24-25 | |
|When Martha gets home her mother and father are |I’m sorry, Father. Sorry, Mother. Somebody needed | |
|furious that she is late. |my help. At school. I had to give it. | |
| |P. 27 | |
|Martha is ‘corrected’ by her father for walking |It helps to look at them when I’ve been corrected, | |
|Scott home and to console herself looks at postcards|because they’re from other places. Places father’s | |
|from her sister, Mary |never seen and never will. Places I’ll go as soon | |
| |as I’m old enough, like Mary. P.29 | |
|Then Scott offers to walk Martha home, but she |It’s our church you see. The Righteous. It makes | |
|cannot let him walk her right home as her father and|us different. I can’t explain. | |
|mother will see. That would cause her a lot of | | |
|trouble. | | |
|Scott walks away from Martha. But she talks to him |“It’s just…well I’m scared of my father, Scott. He | |
|the next day about why it is impossible for him to |beats me.” | |
|walk her home | | |
| |“You can’t set the police on your own father, for | |
| |goodness sake.” | |
Do you like who Martha is changing into?
Would you have the strength to change in this way?
Would advice would you offer to Martha? (Childline, School anti-bullying policy etc)
Individual Activity
Now you have decided what advice you would give to Martha. Write a postcard from Mary to Martha giving her advice on how to be strong and safe in her family life.
[pic]
Martha’s Parents
We hardly ever encounter them directly, but we hear from Martha how they act and how they treat her.
Individual Activity
Look at the following list of things they say or do and write in the opposite column what this tells you about them.
|What they say/do |What this tells you about them |
|‘Mother makes my clothes and I now she sews them because she |Her Mother is very old fashioned and doesn’t care that these |
|loves me, but they’re different…but they don’t look right. You |clothes make Martha feel unhappy. |
|can see they’re homemade’. | |
| |This means that we are too concerned about how we look and how |
|Martha tells her mother this but she replies ‘All is vanity’ |this is a sin. But it is also a sin to ignore your child’s |
|which is from the Bible. |feelings and the fact that she is bullied at school. |
|Father says plain food is best. Good plain food, he calls it. | |
|We never have pizza or curry or fish and chips. We have cake or | |
|biscuits sometimes but they’re homemade like my clothes. | |
|‘The Righteous believe the devil reaches young people through pop| |
|music…’ Martha listens to Radio 1 at night, but once she forgot | |
|to switch it back ‘and when Father switched it on for the morning| |
|news he got Madonna and I got the rod. It’s a can really, but | |
|Father calls it the rod.’ | |
|Father’s favourite text is ‘Train up a child in the way that he | |
|should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.’ | |
|They’re administered really carefully by the way, my beatings. | |
|Oh, yes. Wouldn’t do for some busybody to spot the marks on me. | |
|They’re always on my bum, so they’re covered in PE and even when | |
|I swim. | |
|‘Mother says we are special because we’re the Righteous, but that| |
|doesn’t make me feel better. I’d rather not be special if it | |
|means having to hide things. If I can’t have friends round. If | |
|I can’t have friends.’ | |
|Martha’s mother and father won’t let her have any friends who are| |
|boys. P.17 | |
2 The Development of the Sub-Plot
PAIR ACTIVITY
As Scott and Martha’s friendship develops she begins to tell him things about her family. We learn more about Mary. This is an important development as she starts airing the family secrets. Scott decides to help her get in contact with Mary and begins a new section of the plot.
With your partner read the information below and decide if each item is ACCURATE or not.
|Item of Information |True or False |Evidence from the chapters if True |
|Martha knows where Mary is. | | |
|Mary left because she wanted to. | | |
|We know why Mary was sent away. | | |
|Scott has an idea how to find Mary. | | |
|Scott knows what Abomination is. | | |
|Martha’s parents still speak to Mary. | | |
|Martha wants to escape like Mary and travel the world. | | |
|Martha is afraid to tell Scott the truth about Abomination | | |
3
4
5
6
7
8 The Crisis Chapters: The character of Martha
Summary of Plot So Far:
Martha and Scott have become friends and she is gradually breaking away from the strict rules of the Righteous. The family have a secret and don’t want Martha to have friends in case she ever tells anyone about Abomination. She is treated cruelly, but tells Scott everything. Is it only a matter of time before she tells him about Abomination too?
In this part of the novel we see how Martha is becoming more
Brave
Rebellious
Determined
Confident
GROUP ACTIVITY
Using the key words provided above mind-map each word and make notes on how she is achieving these qualities.
How they link to the plot development.
And how they link to her interaction with other characters.
Once you have these notes. Create a spider diagram. Place this in the middle of your desk and move around the room clockwise to look at the other diagrams.
If you feel you can add anything useful to someone else’s diagram then do so.
Also take any notes that you find interesting.
Whole class discussion on what you think of Martha now and how this relationship with Scott has changed her? Is it just the relationship with Scott? Has she changed for the better or the worse?
THINKING POINT
What is your response to Martha now?
Does it differ from the way you felt about her at the beginning of the novel?
Plot and Sub-Plot
Martha dominates the main storyline for most of the novel, but as her friendship becomes stronger she lets the secrets out. In this section, Scott hears a terrifying noise coming from Martha’s house and confronts her about it. She has no choice but to tell him the truth about Abomination. Once we learn the truth, the plot begins to accelerate. This creates fireworks throughout the remainder of the novel as it races towards a conclusion.
1 PAIR ACTIVITY
What does Mary have to do with Abomination?
What problems does Martha face? (what are her parents planning?, How does she get in touch with Scott?, Her reaction to Mary?)
Should the police have been involved?
Individual Activity
Choose one of the following:
Write a letter to an agony aunt from either Scott or Martha to talk about the upsetting nature of their separation.
Write a postcard from Martha to Scott to tell him everything is ok.
Write a letter from Scott to Martha to tell her about what he is doing now she is gone.
Do a wanted poster for Martha’s parents
Role play the conversation in the car between Mary and Martha. (focus on sisterly relationships and what they might want to say to each other, questions)
Final Chapters How Martha has Changed
So Martha has CHANGED quite a lot as a result of her experience.
GROUP ACTIVITY
You are going to look at the many changes in Martha. The left hand column gives us points about Martha at the beginning/middle of the novel and you are going to fill in the right hand column showing the changes in Martha’s life.
|Martha is unhappy because |Martha is happy because |
|She has no friends and is bullied at school. |Scott lends her his ruler and sticks up for her against the |
| |other kids at school. |
|She has to look after Abomination | |
|She misses her sister. | |
|Her parents beat her. | |
|She is lonely. | |
|She isn’t allowed to bring anyone home. | |
|She has to keep secrets to protect her parents. | |
|She isn’t allowed to do the things to other kids do because the | |
|Righteous forbid it. | |
Your Final Task
CRITICAL EVALUATION
You will now answer the following question on the novel.
How does Martha change and develop in the novel “Abomination” by Robert Swindells?
By examining the way the character of Martha is introduced and developed in ‘Abomination’, show what you found interesting about her?
(You will need to check through the previous activities on character)
Use the reading frame to help you structure your essay correctly and make the writing easier for you!
Use your notes and the mini essay to help you on your way!
Reading Frame for Critical Evaluation
Paragraph 1 Introduction
Give title and author of text
Say in general what the themes of the novel (family life and friends) and how this links to Martha.
Mention in 1 sentence what the novel is about.
Mention how she starts to change and what she is like by the end.
Put in your response to the novel (Did you like it? Was it exciting/interesting?)
Did you like Martha?
Paragraph 2
Show how the writer introduces Martha to the reader (what she is like at the beginning of the novel)
Use a topic sentence to start off your paragraph.
E.g. Martha is introduced to us at the start of the novel as running away from her classmates who are having their usual game of chasing her home.
Examine what we learn about her/ her qualities/and your response
*You will use your notes and Mini Essay 1 to help you write this paragraph
Paragraph 3
Show how Martha’s character is developed in the middle sections of the novel.
Her Friendship with Scott. How is starts? Why it starts?
How does having a friend help Martha?
Mention how her parents do not like this. Why? Is this fair?
Paragraph 4:Martha and Scott
Show how Scott stands up for Martha and the effect of this on her.
How Martha changes as a result of this experience and stands up for Scott. What changes do you see?
Martha tells Scott things about her life. What does she tell him? How does this action different to her previous behaviour? Were you surprised?
Paragraph 5 Secrets and lies
Martha’s terrible secret about Abomination. How are we given clues about what Abomination is? Why is this?
What does Martha do now that she would never have done before? How is this important?
Mention the power of friendship.
Bullying. Worse? Why does Martha still not report it?
Paragraph 6 Martha standing up for herself
Where do we see this? (school trip, chest of drawers behind her door, contact Mary, Abomination secret, Martha speaks out about boy in the cellar to her parents)
Why is she able to speak her mind now?
Tracy Stamper incident. How does she break her power over her? Were you glad this happened?
Your response to this defiance
Paragraph 7 The Rescue of Jim and Martha
Mention how Martha’s parents try to move away and how Scott gets in touch with Mary.
How is Martha heroic when Mary returns to collect Jim?
Do you agree with what she did?
Give reasons for your answer.
Paragraph 8 Conclusion
Highlight the themes the novel dealt with:
Pick two or three and state what you learnt from them. What did Martha learn from them? Did she learn anything from them?
What did you think of Martha?
Why did you enjoy reading the novel?
Why was it called Abomination? Was this the right title for the book?
-----------------------
|Qualities we see in |Evidence from the chapters |Quotation |Your response to the character |
|Martha | | | |
| |Martha is totally on her own in class and|“Kids borrow one another’s stuff |Sympathy. I feel very sorry for |
|Isolated |no one speaks to her or listens to her. |all the time, but not me. No one|Martha as she has done nothing |
| |She is an outsider which is why she is so|ever lent me anything till today,|wrong. It is just because of her|
| |shocked when Scott lends her his ruler. |or borrowed anything of mine. |appearance and life that she is |
| |She has no friends inside school and is | |disliked. |
| |lonely. | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
|Qualities we see in |Evidence from the chapters |Quotation |Your response to the character |
|Scott | | | |
| |Scott is friendly to Martha and asks |“Have you any brother’s |He seems nice and genuinely interested in|
|Friendly |her about herself. He is a kind |Martha? Or Sisters?” |martha and her life. He is deliberately |
| |person and he feels sorry for her as |“No there’s only me,” she |trying to include her and make her feel |
| |she has no friends at school and is |frowned. “Why are you asking|involved. He is kind and caring and is |
| |badly bullied by her classmates |me all these questions |determined to befriend her. |
| | |Scott?” | |
| | |“Oh, I was wondering, that’s | |
| | |all. I’ll see you later, | |
| | |Ok?” | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
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Reflect: Do you think Martha looks like the children in these photos? Do you think she ever will? Or Will the Righteous keep her chained in misery?
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