1. What are the
effects of the
verbs
‘ripped’ and
‘embraced’?
What are the
effects of the
verbs
‘ripped’ and
‘embraced’?
Would you feel at home
in this environment?
Why? Why not?
Would you feel at home
in this environment?
Why? Why not?
What is
Matilda’s
home like?
Draw a
picture, or
make a
collage of it
based on
this
description.
What is
Matilda’s
home like?
Draw a
picture, or
make a
collage of it
based on
this
description.
What
technique
is this?
Why is it
effective?
What
technique
is this?
Why is it
effective?
‘By now I understood the importance of the forge in the book.
The forge was home: it embraced all those things that give a life
its shape. For me, it meant the bush tracks, the mountains that
stood over us, the sea that sometimes ran away from us, it was
the ripe smell of blood I could not get out of my nostrils since I
saw Black with its belly ripped open. It was the hot sun. It was
the fruits we ate, the fish, the nuts. The noises we heard at night.
It was the earthy smell of the makeshift latrines. And the tall
trees, which like the sea, sometimes looked eager to get away
from us. It was the jungle and its constant reminder of how small
you were, and how unimportant, compared to the giant trees and
their canopy’s greed for sunlight. It was the laughter of the
women in the streams with their washing. It was their joking,
teasing delight in discovering a girl secretly washing her rags. It
was fear, and it was loss.’
What is home?
Initial thoughts
Close your eyes for one minute and think about what ‘home’ means to you. Then answer
the questions below:
• When you close your eyes and think of home, what do you see?
• What smells remind you of home? Food? Someone’s perfume?
• What does home sound like?
• Who is there?
• Any other thoughts?
Matilda’s home
Read the extract below and answer the questions in the boxes. On p.46 of Mister Pip,
Matilda says:
Why do
you think ‘It
was’ is
repeated?
What tone
does this
suggest?
Why do
you think ‘It
was’ is
repeated?
What tone
does this
suggest?
What do we learn about the
community Matilda lives in?
What do we learn about the
community Matilda lives in?
Underline or highlight the adjectives in the
extract. Which do you think are most
effective? Why?
Underline or highlight the adjectives in the
extract. Which do you think are most
effective? Why?
Which senses are used in this
description? How do they add to your
impression of Matilda’s home?
Which senses are used in this
description? How do they add to your
impression of Matilda’s home?
2. What is home?
Matilda’s home
Creative Task
Task one:
You are now going to write creatively about a place you know well and feel very
comfortable in, using the title ‘What is home?’. This does not have to be a description of
your house, but a place where you feel most at home. It could be an imaginary place.
Start by creating a mindmap of words and phrases to describe this place. Again, you
might like to close your eyes and bring the place to life in your mind. How does it look?
sound? feel? smell? Is there a taste associated with it? Is anyone else present? What
objects and items are around you?
Now do some freewriting and write for five minutes without stopping. Don’t worry about
using full sentences and don’t worry for now about spelling. Just write everything that
comes to mind when you think of home. You do not need to share this with anyone – it’s
just a good way of getting your ideas on paper!
Task two:
Use both your mindmap and your freewriting to put together a polished piece of descriptive
writing. Aim to include the following techniques:
• appeal to the senses
• similes
• personification
• alliteration
• repetition
• sentence structures for effect
• vivid adjectives
• specific verbs
When you have finished, share your description with a partner and invite them to identify
the techniques you have used. Discuss the effects of your writing, and offer each other
advice on how to improve.
