Worksheets Marking Guideline
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WORKSHEETS MARKING GUIDELINE Chapter 1: The Monster 1. Mention three details that establish a futuristic world as the setting of the novel. (The date is 264 PC. The Machine. Room 33, Section D, Slum City. Locusts. The Posh. Polluted environment. Numbers on Ettie’s spine. Money has been replaced with credits.) 2. Instead of running away from ‘the monster’, the girls stay on the beach. Why? (They will rifle through the bags left on the beach and steal any valuables.) 3. Ettie’s first reaction when Kitty gets called out by the Locusts reveals something about her character. Briefly describe what kind of person you think she is, by this incident alone. (She cares deeply for Kitty. She is afraid that Kitty will be caught by the Locust.) 4. Explain how the Locusts came about their name/title. (They wear black and green/yellow uniforms and head pieces. They wear large sunglasses. They look like the insect. Locusts also swarm and cause damage to property.) 5. What is a Handler? (A person in charge of an animal, responsible for their training. Also used in spy novels – a person in charge on agents in ‘the field’. Handler Xavier is Ettie’s handler – he is in charge of her.) 6. What evidence is there that Handler Xavier is skilled at playing his part in the Game? (He can change roles quickly and persuade people of his sincerity. He is, at first, a swimmer on the beach. Then he warns everyone about the monster. Then he plays the part of the protective father. He ‘becomes’ a jogger on the beach. He manages to convince the Locusts of these roles.) 7. Describe the outward appearance of Kitty and contrast her with how Ettie thinks of herself. (Kitty is beautiful, curved and has darker-toned skin. Ettie thinks herself to be scrawny, too fair and ugly.) 8. Kitty and Ettie covet different things. Compare the girls based on the things about which they seem to be passionate. (Kitty covets ‘girly’ things – lip-gloss, ribbons, shoes, etc. She seems materialistic, vain and frivolous. Ettie covets books. She seems more ‘grounded’ and realistic.) 9. Why does Ettie try to convince Handler Xavier to take Kitty out of the Game? (To protect her – Ettie thinks that Kitty cannot take care of herself. Removing her from the Game will keep her safe.) 10. We see Slum City for the first time in chapter 1. Discuss in detail the lifestyle and lives the girls must lead because of their circumstances. (Poor, decrepit, cramped, dirty, unhygienic, without many of the basic needs like heating and running water.) 11. How do the references to masks and deceit establish a major theme of the novel? (The novel explores the idea that people are not what they appear to be. The references to masks makes the reader aware of the layers of pretence that people put on to deceive and trick others. Appearance vs reality.) Chapter 2: Cowboy 1. Describe what Cowboy does for a living. Why does he change location every day? (He buys and sells stolen goods in the Market. He is a fence. He changes location every day to avoid capture by the Locusts.) 2. Why does Ettie call Cowboy the ‘worst kind of crook’? (He steals from crooks! No honour amongst thieves.) 3. What purpose do the descriptions of the flies and hadedas serve? (It supports the Science fiction genre – they are huge! It also creates a repulsive image. The talking birds are scary and vicious. Adds to the sickening dystopian future.) 4. What is Savage City? (Prison. People do not escape.) 5. Ettie says that the kids in Section O are “packed in like lice eggs”. What does this mean and imply? (Cramped, dirty, repulsive, no-one cares for them.) 6. Why do the kids take part in the Game? Explain. (They do not have a choice. They are barely fed and therefore need to participate to get a few extra credits in order to buy food and water. If they do not cooperate, Handler Xavier will punish them. They might end up on the rubbish dumps.) 7. Describe the products available to the residents of Slum City and explain why everything is made from plastic. (Food from The Laboratory, sunblockers, black market goods, etc. Everything is produced in The Laboratory – made from plastic. Nothing is fresh or organic. No natural resources left after the fire and floods.) 8. Witch and Nelson are playing a game. Name this game. (Extinct Species) 9. What happened to all the animals after the conflagration? (Animals which survived were sent to the zoo. When food ran out, people broke into the zoo and ate the surviving animals.) 10. What ability does Ettie reveal to Nelson and the Witch? Why is this dangerous? (She can read. People from Savage City are not supposed to be literate. She might be caught and sent to Savage City.) 11. Explain the irony in Witch calling Nelson a cheat. 12. Discuss the significance of the allusion in the question, “Could she be the one?”. (This is an allusion to Neo in “The Matrix”, a science fiction action film made in 1999. “The One” refers to the hero/saviour of all. This allusion alerts the reader that Ettie will play a similar role to Neo’s. The tellers keep referring to The One.) 13. Draw a character analysis of the Orphan Warden using only the medicine as a reference. (She does not care about the orphans. She drugs them so that they do not disturb her at night. She is abusive.) 14. We see a softer side of Ettie’s character. Explain it and discuss how you feel about her at this point of the novel. (She walks through the room where the little kids sleep. She tucks them in and takes away a toy so that a child does not choke. This shows a compassionate, caring side. She does not like anyone to see this side of her. She shows empathy but pretends not to care.) 15. Why does Ettie apply cream to her spine? (She is trying to erase the numbers. She believes that the acidic cream will ‘eat away’ the numbers. She knows that The Machine tracks her every move. Without the mark, The Machine cannot track her – she will be free.) 16. Towards the end of the chapter, Ettie is reading “Peter Pan”. Explain some of the ways in which her life is not like this fairy tale. (Ettie does not have a loving family. She does not have a ‘gang’, friends on whom to rely. There is no magic in her life. There is no happily ever after. No pixie dust to make it all better.) Chapter 3: Drudge School 1. Why is Ettie angry that Kitty smells of bug juice? (It means that Kitty spent the night in the pleasure clubs, entertaining the Posh.) 2. What does a curfew imply about the rights of citizens in Slum City? (Very limited, if at all.) 3. How do people reach Mangeria City after curfew? (They go down to the river where they find a Scavvie willing to take them across in one of their crafts. They pay the Scavvies one credit.) 4. What is the purpose of the numbers on everyone’s spines? (The numbers ensure that all citizens can be tracked by The Machine. The Locusts use their hand-held devices to locate anyone. The numbers show the trade the person will be assigned at the age of fifteen.) 5. Why does Ettie hate the colour of her skin? (She looks like a Posh, the people whom she abhors.) 6. Name the novel Ettie refers to by naming Moonface, Saucepan, Jo, Fanny and Bessie. (“The Magic Faraway Tree” by Enid Blyton) 7. What is a ‘floater’? (Massive oil slicks that float on the ocean. Remnants from the catastrophic fire. They float closer to land once in a while and create a smoky, smelly, uncomfortable atmosphere.) 8. Ettie shows herself to be (albeit unwillingly) a good student. Identify the moment where this is highlighted. (She know the answers to the questions posed by the Drudge teacher.) 9. Discuss the techniques used to condition the children into accepting their role in society. (Propagandist techniques: Repetition and assertion – the kids repeat their lessons until they are instilled in them. They accept their subservience. Chants – the children chant an oath every morning. This repetitive ritual indoctrinates them. Punishment – those who do not comply are beaten and tortured. Kids will repeat their lessons word-perfect in order to avoid being beaten. Example – the drudge teacher was a drudge and speaks/teaches from experience. The children serve as examples to each other – they cheer each other on when they hear their assigned trade. This instils a sense of belonging and group behaviour. 10. Early in the chapter, Ettie thinks about trees and her fascination with them. In your own words, explain what happened to all the trees, and explain the only way Ettie can see them if she wants to. (All destroyed in the fire or chopped down to be used as firewood. Only the trees in The Tree Museum survived. She can pay a credit and look at them there.) 11. Describe the school Ettie attends, and the curriculum that young people must study. (Drudge School – taught how to be a servant/drudge in the homes of the Posh. Domestic tasks, child- minding, cleaning etc.) 12. Explain what The Machine is. Discuss how it works and what feature it plays in the lives of everyone in the new world.