Thursday, 15 October 2015

The History Boys Notes

Posner
-Quiet, Jewish boy who loves singing show tunes/hymns
-Avid reader-in love with Dakin

Dakin
-Attractive, cocky boy
-Posner and Irwin interested in him- only has eyes for Fiona

Scripps
-Predisposed with exploring Christianity
-Budding writer and often records events
-Posner confides in him

Rudge
-Star rugby player
-Straight forward nature-authentic

Akhtar
-A Muslim, which he is often referred to
-Happy to get involved in the boys' testing of Irwin

Crowther
-A keen actor-friends with Lockwood

Timms
-Joker of the pack-often subjected to a whack from Hector
-Enjoys teasing Irwin

Lockwood
-Film buff-interested in politics

Headmaster
-Concerned with league tables and students getting into oxbridge
-Understanding of the arts is limited
-Is a utilitarian-only likes something if it has a use

Mrs Lintott
-Traditional History teacher
-Get's excellent results and does not allow emotions to interfere
-Frustrated by being overlooked as she is the only woman
-Sets people straight-knows boundaries

Irwin
-Young history teacher
-Believes that education is for now and teaches the boys originality
-Interested in Dakin
-Training them to be inauthentic

Hector
-Eccentric English teacher-close to retirement
-Teaches his students to learn by heart, driven by a blief in the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake
-Allows his emotions to affect his teaching
-"All knowledge is precious whether it serves the use or not."
-Has a liberal attitude to education

Commentary-Bake Off

How does the article inform and entertain its reader?
We are immediately intrigued when we see the idiomatic headline used to draw attention and start off with a sense of positivity. It talks of how Bake Off champ Nadiya Hussain ‘made her cake and ate it too’ suggesting she defeated the impossible and made it possible. The use of a paragraph set out in bold usually advises the reader that this information is important or useful. As we read along the humour intended to entertain us starts to become clear and adds to the already playful tone. For example the pause in the sentence introducing Nadiya says how she is now famed as much for her ‘facial expressions as her delicious bakes’.  The mention of the Prime Minister, David Cameron, expressing his support for Nadiya reminds the British readers just how popular this series as a whole has been.

The article takes on a slightly more serious tone and writes about Nadiya’s struggles throughout life and the series, giving us an insight as to how the whole experience has been for her. Although emotive language is not necessarily used, we can still feel for her and appreciate her dedication and commitment despite her self-confessed ‘lack of confidence’ in her abilities. A quote from Nadiya herself gave us an actual idea of how her time in the tent left her feeling and it is nothing but great. She told the interviewer she’d gone into the tent the ‘smallest baker’ but walked out ‘feeling a giant’. During a specific bake, the change in her mannerisms from quiet to outspoken shows her distaste towards the challenge and how even though she’d progressed throughout the weeks, there was a downfall that she’d believed could affect her deeply. However, after adding one of the many facial expressions Nadiya made, into the article, the text is now joyful again.