2. heroes chapter_2_hdo

Chapter 2 – after the war/flashback
Starter:
Have you ever
glanced at someone
and felt an immediate
connection? Describe
how it felt.
Can I critically respond to the text, ‘Heroes’? (AO1)
I must generally refer to relevant aspects of Heroes
I should discuss thoroughly and increasingly thoughtfully characters/relationships
I could consider and suggest experimental ideas and judgements;

Lesson Objectives
I should discuss thoroughly and increasingly
thoughtfully characters/relationships
I could consider and suggest experimental ideas
and judgements;

What do we already know? True or false
• That Francis has been to
war
• That Francis’ brother went
with him
• That he is horribly injured
• That he has returned to his
home town
• That Francis’ Dad is
devastated by his injuries
• That church is important to
him
• That his landlady was glad
to see him alive
• That he loved Nicole and
still does
• That Francis moved to
Frenchtown as no one knew
him there.
• That Larry LaSalle is an
enemy
• That he wants to be
anonymous
• That his wife has left him as
he is so deformed
• That he has a sinister plan.

Grade Booster
You will often need to write about characters in the exam and the way they
interact. Begin a character file for each of the characters and add to your
notes as you read the novel.
• Francis Cassavant
• Nicole Renard
• Larry LaSalle
• Mrs Belander
• Joey
• Arthur
• Mr Laurier
• Other characters

You should have the following about
Francis Cassavant:
ex-soldier
18 Lives....
Parents
injuries mission

What does respond to mean?
‘Respond to’ means you have to say what you think about the features of the novel –
about the characters in the book, for instance, or the ideas that you think the writer has in
mind.
You could be asked about your response to a character, for example ‘Do you consider
Francis to be a hero?’ To answer this question, you would need to think about what
Francis says and does, his feelings and attitudes towards other characters, and his
relationships with them. You might also be asked about Larry or Nicole, or about the
relationships between characters.
In the same way, you could be asked about your response to the ideas in the novel. ‘What
do you think the novel has to say about heroes?’ would fit into this category. This time,
you would need to think about the characters who are referred to as heroes at different
times, and what they do and say which might be heroic – and about Francis’s thoughts
about heroism. It’s also important to think about where these ideas come, and how they
develop – what are you left with at the end of the novel?

Heroes – Reading chapter 2
As we read make notes on:
Language e.g first/third person narrative? Short or long sentences?
Characters will Nicole be an important character in the novel?
Structure e.g past or present tense? Linear or non-linear?
Setting
Themes e.g. love?

Look back at your title for today
Circle the correct label for the
structure –
after the war or flashback?

Chapter Two Summary
1. A flashback to Francis’ days at schools tells of his first
meeting with Nicole Renard.
2. Nicole is portrayed as beautiful and pure; Francis reveals his
love and devotion to her right from the start.
3. They exchange a glance in a maths lesson which means
much more to Francis than it does to her.
4. They meet occasionally when Nicole visits her friend Marie
who lives in the same apartment block.
5. Francis does not know how to deal with his emotions and
is overshadowed by his more confident friend, Joey
LeBlanc.
Copy this in to your books – 1 and 5 are in the correct order. Rearrange 2, 3 and 4

What are your first impressions of Nicole? What
words and phrases are used to describe her?

How is the young Francis different to Francis
the war veteran?
Francis the veteran Young Francis
Filled with hate Full of love and romantic ideas

Chapter 2
1 At the beginning of this chapter, how does the writer show that this is
the beginning of the action of the book, in terms of time?
2 How does the first description of Nicole establish her character? Look
carefully at the words used about her in the paragraph beginning ‘Nicole
Renard was small and slender’ (page 9).
3 In the five paragraphs that follow the sentence ‘I knelt there like a knight
at her feet’ (page 10), how does the writer describe Francis’s words and
actions to show that he is very young here?
4 Look at the paragraph beginning ‘I was so startled by her voice’ (page
13). How does the author show that Francis is very young here?

Why is this chapter important?
A The chapter is devoted to flashbacks from scenes of
Francis’ childhood and focuses on the attraction Francis feels
for Nicole from their first meeting.
B The central importance of Nicole in the novel is
established.
C We learn about the childhood character of Francis and
are aware of how much his wartime experiences have
changed him. His love of reading is displayed: the choice of
The Sun Also Rises is especially significant.
D This is Frenchtown before the arrival of Larry LaSalle.
We are introduced to other members of Francis and Nicole’s
social circle.

Learning check – how are you getting on?
I should discuss thoroughly and increasingly
thoughtfully characters/relationships
I could consider and suggest experimental ideas
and judgements;

FRANCIS BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF
LARRY LASALLE
The young Francis is revealed in this chapter a shy
boy lacking in confidence. When Nicole looks at him
he is unable to speak and merely blushes. Francis is
only too well aware of his shortcomings and
appears to wish that he could behave differently,
“I’d plunge into an agony of regret” (p.11) – the
word “agony” suggesting the pain and torture he
suffered as a result of his shyness. He doesn’t see
Nicole as a real person, but as an idealised vision of
perfection.

LARRY LASALLE
From the moment he first sees Nicole in the maths
lesson at school, Francis believes there was the
suggestion of the relationship that will develop
between them. He refers to the expression in her
eyes: “a hint of mischief as if she were telling me
we were going to have good times together ”
(p.10). He tells us that he fell in love with her
almost immediately. There is a naivety and
innocence in the way in which he views her.

LARRY LASALLE
Francis, before the arrival of Larry, is presented
as a sensitive boy without the easy confidence
of someone like Joey LeBlanc. As he will tell us
later, his ambition was to read all the books in
the public library. Cormier wants the reader to
ask how this Francis became the damaged and
vengeful war veteran presented in the first
chapter.

Key Quote
Francis: ‘I wanted to
shout from the rooftops:
“I love her with all my
heart”’ (p.12).

The Idea of Purity
Nicole is presented as an almost virginal figure: “The pale purity of
her face reminded me of the statue of St Therese in the niche
next to Father Balthazar’s confessional in St Jude’s Church” (p.
10). The fact that Francis imagines her as a saint emphasises her
goodness and suggests that he reveres her and looks up to her;
Francis imagines himself as a knight in armour kneeling at her feet.
The line “I silently pledged her my love and loyalty for ever” (p.
10) will become significant later on in the novel when Francis is not
able to live up to this pledge.
The reference to himself as a knight reinforces the theme of
heroism which runs throughout the novel. It is useful for us to
remember that one of the roles of a knight was to rescue maidens
in distress.
Checkpoint 2
Make a list of the words and
phrases used to describe Nicole on
p. 9. What do you learn about her
character from these examples?

The Social Circle
Francis is part of a group of a young people who
enjoy each other’s company. They attend school
and spend their free time together. We see
normal lives and normal relationships, with
young people learning about their feelings for
each other. This group of friends will fall under
the influence of Larry LaSalle. Their lives will be
changed forever by the effects of war.

The Social Circle
At the end of the chapter we are introduced to Joey
LeBlanc. He was a much more confident boy than Francis
who was able to shout cheeky remarks to Nicole as she
crossed the street. This serves to contrast with Francis’
tongue-tied behaviour whenever he met Nicole.
Francis’ lack of confidence is reinforced in that final line
of the chapter: “I wonder whether she’d been waving at
Joey LeBlanc or me” (p. 14). Think about Francis’ place in
his social circle and how this changes during the novel.

Innocence and purity
How many examples of innocence and
purity can you find in Chapter 2?

Reflecting on my learning: copy out ONE skill you
need to work on the MOST at the moment.
Part 2: When studying the novel ‘Heroes’, I need more
practise...
1. Describing and explaining characters personalities
2. Understanding the links between the themes and
characters
3. Using a quotation that matches my point
4. Identifying and exploring language techniques
5. Explaining and commenting on narrative
techniques
6. Interpreting the messages within the story

2. heroes chapter_2_hdo

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2. heroes chapter_2_hdo