Chapter One: A Hole in the Noise - Ms Austin's English - Home



The Knife of Never Letting Go Patrick NessChapter One: A Hole in the Noise A: Introducing the Characters Who are the following characters? Write a sentence description of your first impressions. ToddMancheeAaron Todd is one month away from turning 13 years old, but in his world, years are 13 months long. How many years old would Todd be by our calculations? B: Introducing the Plot We learn some key points that will have relevance to the narrative: In the past, there was a war with the indigenous people of the planet, called the es’Paqili (The People) – colloquially known as Spackles (or Spacks). The Spackles used germ-warfare to release a disease that killed off all the women in the village. The lasting impact of the disease, called the Sickness, was that everyone left can hear the thoughts of everyone else, and they hear the noise of the animals as words. This phenomenon is collectively known as the Noise. Young men come-of-age on their 13 birthday, and then they are men. Todd is nearing his 13th birthday and he is the last boy left in the community. C: Introducing the themeComing of Age and Rites of PassageComing of Age: Reaching?maturity,?respectability,?or?prominence. Rite of Passage: A ritual?or?ceremony?signifying?an?event?in?a?person's?life?indicative of?a?transition?from?one?stage?to?another,?as?from?adolescence?to adulthood. How does Todd feel about being treated like a boy? What does it mean to “come of age” in Prentisstown? What are some of the “rites of passage” into adult-hood that we still have in today’s society?Quotables:“The first thing you learn when yer dog starts to talk is that dogs don’t got nothing much to say.”How does this opening line help introduce you to the main character? “Men are Noisy creachers.” What does Todd mean by this? What other words could you substitute for the adjective “noisy”? “The town knows all about you already and... wants to beat you with what it knows till how can you have any of yerself left at all?” What kind of place is Prentisstown (based on the quotation above)? How does Todd feel about the other people in the town? “There’s a hole in the Noise.” Why is this unusual? Chapter Two: Prentisstown A: Introducing the Setting The purpose of this chapter is to introduce us to Prentisstown. This setting is important in the novel as it helps us understand our protagonist and the theme of coming of age. In one sentence, summarise your first impression of Mayor Prentiss, based on what you read in Chapter 2. Draw a diagram that shows Todd’s passage through Prentisstown on his way home. Your diagram should include: Each of the businesses he passes along the way, together with the names of the people who run them.A symbol or a colour-code that represents the Noise associated with each of the places he passes (i.e. red for anger)B: The Noise Ness uses a number of techniques to show us what the Noise is like to live with. Two important techniques are similes, emotive language and font.Match the similes that describe this Noise to the characteristic of the person who has this Noise:Noise is described as...The person who has this Noise is...“...seeps at you like pus from a cut.”Prayerful and desperate “It’s ugly Noise.”Full of the despair “A special purply sick feel, like men are bleeding it out.” Dangerous“It feels like a threat. It feels like the world changing and leaving you behind.” Angry Highlight the quotation listed in number one that is NOT a simile. Emotive language is words or phrases that have an emotional impact on the reader. Below is a list of words found in people’s Noise. What emotions do they help produce? Sacrifice, scripture, blessings, sainthoodEnding, shut up, fist over hand. Help us, save us, forgive us. The font also helps us understand the Noise. Why are different fonts used to show the Noise on page 21? What does the layout of the words on the page suggest about the Noise? Why are the words “I am the circle and the circle is me.” (page 28) printed in a different font to other people’s Noise? C: Quotables“The Noise washes down the hill like a flood.” Explain what this simile helps you to understand about how Todd feels about the Noise. “Men lie, and they lie to theirselves worst of all.” Do you think Todd’s belief that people lie to themselves is true in real life? Explain.“Noise ain’t truth. Noise is what men want to be true.” Explain how men are able to lie through their Noise. “If one of us falls, we all fall.” Is there any truth in Aaron’s saying?Chapter Three: Ben and Cillian A: Describing CharacterBen and Cillian are important people in Todd’s life, so it pays to know a bit about them. Write a bullet point description for each of them. Make sure you cover the following things:How Todd feels about them Their Noise Their attitude towards Todd Chapter Four: Don’t Think It A: Turning Point This chapter marks the first turning point experienced by Todd. Turning Point is a feature of Narrative Structure, and it helps organise the story. This turning point helps introduce the main conflict of the novel and sends Todd’s life spiralling out of control. Describe the main conflict as you understand it from reading Chapter Four. Describe Davy Prentiss in one sentence. B: Quotables: “The Noise is just a man unfiltered, and without a filter, man is just chaos walking.” Chapter Five: The Things You KnowA: Revelations This chapter has Todd begin his journey. It is revealed to him what he would have done to become a man, and he is shocked. PredictionWhat do you think Todd would do on his 13th birthday to become a man? Why do you think all the men in his village change so much after they become men? Escape and Survival What items does Todd have in his pack to help him with his journey? Which of these items do you think will have the most significance later on in the novel? Chapter Six: The Knife in Front of Me A: SymbolsSymbolism is when and object represents an idea or concept. Common symbols that represent ideas are hearts (love/emotions), smiley faces, or road signs. The knife becomes a symbol throughout the novel. What idea does the knife stand for: When Ben gives it to Todd as a birthday present? In the title of this chapter? B: Building Tension Ness uses a number of techniques to build tension or suspense. Re-read the following paragraph, found on page 63: “And the quiet moves too...and Manchee’s barking and-”Comment on how the following techniques help build suspense. Compound sentences Repetition Chapter Seven: If There Was a Girl A: Introducing Character Here we are first introduced to another important character in the novel. What are your first impressions of the girl? Jot a sentence down that records your immediate response. Prediction: based on your reading of this chapter, try and guess your answer to the following questions Where did the girl come from? Are there more females elsewhere?Can the girl hear Todd’s Noise? B: Quotables “They didn’t say nothing about why the quiet makes me ache so much I can barely keep from ruddy weeping.” Why do you think the quiet has this effect on Todd? “How can they be a person if they ain’t got no Noise?” Why is Todd wondering this? What has Noise got to do with being a person?Chapter Eight: The Chokes of a Knife A: Aaron Aaron is the antagonist in this novel (i.e. he’s the bad guy). Below are some things we know about him. For each personality trait, record something he says, or something in his Noise, that shows this aspect of his personality to the reader. He is Manipulative He is Strong He is highly Religious B: Quotables “But the knife ain’t just a thing is it? It’s a choice. Use this quotation as a starting point to write 1 – 2 paragraph(s) about the choices Todd has made so far (such as the choice to save the girl, or the choice not to kill Aaron), and the effect his choices have had on him. Do you think he is correct to feel like a coward at this point in the novel? Chapter Nine: When Luck Ain’t With YouA: The Girl “They died, she lived, and she was here all alone.” Summarise the new information we get about where the girl came from.What does this new information also tell us about the setting (the world that the novel is set in).Chapter Ten: Food and Fire -29908599695A: Survival and Revelation What is the relevance of the chapter title to the events of this chapter? SEQ Figure \* ARABIC 1 Cassowary - Inspiration for the CassorHow do food and fire help create a bond between Todd and the girl? What new information does Todd realise about the girl that worries both of them? B: Revisiting Coming-of-Age Coming-of-Age is relevant to this novel because it concerns Todd becoming a man. At the start of the novel he shows signs of still being child-like in the way the thinks and acts. Explain how each of the following quotations help show the reader that Todd is still just a bit child-like:“I want a campfire box.” “I wanna say something to her, something more, but whaddya say?”In a way, the girl also has to go through her own coming-of-age with the death of her parents. This is the way Todd sees her at this point:“Don’t she feel nothing? Is she just nothing at all on the inside?” What is another explanation for why the girl appears so blank to Todd at this point? C: Quotables – Style “I look up at the girl suddenly.Before.Oh no. I’m such a fool.I’m such a stupid goddam fool.” What is the effect of starting each sentence on a new line like this? Why do you think Ness does this? Chapter 11: The Book of No Answers What does the Book of No Answers in the chapter title refer to? What do you think Todd is trying to sound out when he reads from Ben’s map on page 108? Do you think Todd is being reasonable when he starts yelling at the girl? Why/why not?Chapter 12: The Bridge Aaron Identify and record a phrase or a sentence that sums up Todd’s relationship with Aaron at this point in the novel. Explain why you chose this phrase/sentence. Recap Page 120 – 123 Return to the questions you answered at the beginning of the unit (before you read the novel) How correct were you in your predictions? What new information can you add to the answers you gave at the start? How is the style of writing in this passage typical of Patrick Ness’ style throughout the novel (give examples from this passage)? Note: Style refers to writers techniques such as syntax (sentence structure), vocabulary, spelling, colloquial language, imagery etc. Foreshadowing Foreshadowing is a technique used when events occur early in the novel to give a clue to events that will play out later on. Foreshadowing creates a sense of cohesion and makes the novel rewarding to people re-reading the novel.Todd’s anger at the girl foreshadows the information we find out later on. It is important to take note of it here. Why is Todd angry at the girl? Do you think his anger is understandable? Quotables:“You fool. You worthless, effing fool.” Do you agree with Todd’s opinion of himself at this point? “I see the knife in the dust. Shame comes right quick, like a new pain all on its own.” Why does the knife bring his feelings of shame? What is Todd ashamed of?Chapter 13: Viola Introducing ViolaIn this chapter, the girl – Viola – begins to talk. Her name is significant. Viola is the name of the protagonist in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. In Shakespeare’s play, Viola is the sole survivor of a shipwreck, who disguises herself as a man because it would be unsafe for her to travel in a strange land as a woman.Explain how this information about Shakespeare’s Viola helps us understand Viola’s character in The Knife of Never Letting Go? Why do you think Viola chose to stay silent for so long? Explain why Todd finds it difficult to ask her questions at first. What do you already know about Viola from reading the short story The New World?Comment on whether reading the short story ahead of the novel helps or hinders your understanding of Viola. Chapter 14: The Wrong End of the GunDescribe your first impression of Mathilde. Give quotations to support your ideas. Why does Viola find it easier than Todd to understand Mathilde. Quotables: “They fell together right quick. Like they’re long lost family or something.” What does Todd reveal about his attitude towards Viola and Hildy in this quotation? “I wish it would just be over already.” AND “It just ain’t fair.” Are these the words of a boy or a man? Do you think Todd has changed much since the beginning of the novel? Chapter 15: Brothers in Suffering This chapter is crucial for revealing two pieces of new information. What new information do we receive about the virus that has Viola relieved? Why does Todd feel that there is more to the story of the virus than he is being told? Viola seems to know something that is being kept from Todd. How do you think this will impact his relationship with her? What is revealed about the purpose of Viola’s trip to their planet? What, then is the meaning of the words written in the letter to Todd (referred to Chapter 11) Quotables:“It’s always nice when two people who don’t got no one else find each other as friends” p. 169 What does this quotation tell us about Todd and Viola’s relationship?“It’s all so… calm” p. 171 What is Todd referring to? Why is he surprised? Chapter 16 The Night of No Apologies Describe why people decided to leave the Old World. Where do you think the Old World is?On Page 166, Todd says that “history ain’t so important when yer just trying to survive.” Viola disagrees. Who do you agree with? Why? How is Fairbranch’s Noise different from Prentisstown’s Noise?Describe people’s reaction to Prentisstown.Quotables“Just because my thoughts and feelings don’t spill out into the world in a shout that never stops doesn’t mean I don’t have them.” Why does Todd have such a hard time understanding Viola? How is this relevant to relationships between men and women in real life? Chapter 17 – Encounter in an Orchard Describe the reaction to Todd. Do you think this reaction is fair? Why/why not? What is Hildy’s role in Farbranch? Chapter 18 – FarbranchThis chapter provides a pause in the action – nothing much happens, but we see what Todd’s life could have been like – Farbranch is the same as Prentisstown, except that it is peaceful, and there are women (in fact, the women seem to be in charge). Rule a grid up like the one below. Use it to compare Farbranch with Prentisstown FarbranchPrentisstownWords that describe the town: Words that describe the town: Quotes that support this description:Quotes that support this description”Chapter 19 Further Choices of a Knife This chapter moves the action forward. Matthew Lyle tries to take revenge on Todd because of something that happened to his mother at Prentisstown. What is the first choice Todd makes when he is confronted by Matthew Lyle? At the bottom of page 201, we read that Todd feels that he has no choice about his next steps. Why does he feel this way?Patrick Ness personifies the Knife when he says, “My knife’s gonna have to do it.” What does this tell you about the relationship between Todd and the knife?Todd finds out from Matthew’s Noise what happened to his mother. Why do you think Patrick Ness keeps this information from the reader at this point? Part IV Chapter 20: Army of Men Why does Todd try and check all the faces in the army? Is the fact that Aaron isn’t among the army hopeful, or ominous? Why?Which road did Todd and Viola choose to take at the fork in the road? Do you think they took the right path?Quotables“There ain’t nothing good that don’t got real bad waiting to follow it.”Explain what Todd means by this. Do you think he is correct? Chapter 21: The Wider World In this chapter, Viola reads Todd the letter Ben left for him with his mother’s diary. It provides some insight into the army that follows them. Describe in one – two sentences what the letter from Ben says. Why does Todd blame himself? Todd and Viola come across a settlement. They have a choice to make – do they warn the people in the settlement or do they move on. What was Todd thinking? Complete the chart below to show his decision making process. Would you have made the same choice?Option One: Warn the settlementOption Two: Carry on without stoppingPossible Consequences1.2.3.Possible Consequences1.2.3.The Best Decision: Chapter 22: Wilf and the Sea of Things “It’s like the song of a family where everything’s always all right, it’s a song of belonging that makes you belong just by hearing it, it’s a song that’ll always take care of you and never leave you. If you have a heart, it breaks, if you have a heart that’s broken, it fixes.” How does this excerpt help tell us about the importance of feeling like you belong somewhere? Chapter 23 – Chapter 25Explain what theme or lesson Ness is trying to get you to think about with the chapter title, “the knife is only as good as the one who wields it”? Why does Todd hesitate before striking Mr Prentiss Jr? How does your opinion of Todd change by the end of Chapter 25? Do you think Ness is justified (correct) in making his main character commit such a violent act? Quotables:Explain how the following quotations can be used to show how Viola and Todd’s relationship is becoming stronger.“You’re not a killer, Todd”“How can you keep saying he’s a man and you’re not?” On page 275, Todd says, “they bleed red”. Explain why the emphasis is on the word ‘red’. When Todd tells Viola on page 275, “everything that’s happened, is their fault!” do you think he means what he says, or that he is trying to justify his actions. Explain. Todd repeats the words, “I’m a killer”. Earlier, Viola told him he wasn’t a killer. Who is more correct? Is it possible to kill but not be a killer? Explain.Chapter 26 - 29Chapter 26 starts off with stream-of-consciousness narration. This is a form of narration that shows what’s going on in Todd’s mind, unedited. What does this reveal about Todd’s mental state at this point in the novel? Describe the relationship between Todd and Manchee in chapter 26. How has it changed since Chapter 1? Why has this change occurred? Wilf is a father figure to Todd. Why does Todd need this moment of safety on his journey? Do you think the reader also benefits from this segment of low-stress? Explain. Quotables:“People can keep secrets in Noise” p 313“No one listens to Wilf…but when they do, they believe him.” “good old Manchee, the friend who’s proved truest..” p 325Chapter 30: A Boy Called ToddIn many ways this chapter represents Todd leaving his childhood, behind and becoming a man. Explain how the following quotes show that Todd is really coming-of-age: “ ‘this won’t work’ the boy says” “ ‘ you can’t never leave me behind’ the boy says... ‘Watch me’” “Towards Aaron. Towards Viola. Towards whatever waits for me down the river.” Chapter 31This chapter concerns Todd making some difficult choices, and taking responsibility for the consequences. This marks him becoming a man – but whether he always makes the right choices is questionable.How does the passage found on page 431 show that Todd is becoming a man by taking responsibility for his actions? “The knife lives… I’m the one who allows it, and I’m the one responsible” Do you agree with Todd when he says there “ain’t no choice” but to leave Manchee behind? Argue the case for or against the statement: Leaving Manchee behind was Todd’s ultimate act of betrayal. ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download