National Learning Camp for Grade 9, English

It is a lesson for Grade 9 National Learning Camp.

1. Let’s continue our learning journey, campers!

2. Prose Character Description

3. In this lesson, we are going to look at how a novelist introduces a major character to create a vivid impression in the reader. The text is taken from a famous British novel, Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson. It tells the story of pirates and a search for buried treasure and was set in the 1700s.

4. Questions 1. The title of the novel from which today’s text is Treasure Island . What do you expect will happen in the story?

5. 2. The story is about pirates – what sort of characters do you expect them to be? The image below will help you.

6. 3. Imagine you were writing a paragraph about the character in the photo – what would be the first thing you would focus on?

7. Treasure Island It is one of the classics of British literature and was written by Robert Louis Stevenson. It was written in 1881 and is told through the eyes of a young boy, about your age, whose family owns an inn or a hotel. The section we are going to read occurs early in the book when the hotel receives a very unusual guest.

8. Robert Louis Stevenson   was a Scottish essayist, poet, and author of fiction and travel books, best known for his novels  Treasure Island  (1881),  Kidnapped  (1886),  Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde  (1886), and  The Master of Ballantrae  (1889) About the Author…

9. Vocabulary Building sea-chest l ivid a man who had sailed before the mast a first mate p arlor s eafaring man h e would call for glasses round companion

10. Reading of “The Captain”, adapted from Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson

11. “I remember him as if it were yesterday, as he came plodding to the inn door, his sea-chest following behind him in a wheelbarrow; a tall , strong , nut-brown man with a pig tail and a dirty blue coat, his hands ragged and scarred , with black, broken nails and a sword cut across one cheek, a dirty livid white . I remember him looking around the bay and whistling to himself as he did so and then break out into that old sea-song that he sang so often.”

12. Questions Look at the description of the captain’s hands and face in the first sentence of Paragraph 1. What does this tell you about? What sort of character is the captain? Look at Paragraph 1. The author says he can remember the Captain as if it were yesterday. How does he make the Captain seem like a character who would stay in his memory? Look at Paragraph 2. How does the author create the idea that the Captain has something to hide in his past.

13. Questions 4. Look at Paragraph 3. How does the author create the idea that the Captain was someone to be afraid of? 5. Describe the author’s attitude in the Captain. How is the reader meant to think about the Captain? Give evidence from the text.

14. 5 Tips for Novelists in Introducing Major Characters Begin with a significant action or event that captures attention and sets the character apart. Provide detailed descriptions of the character's appearance, especially on distinctive features. Introduce the character through dialogue or experiences, revealing aspects of their personality, background, and relationships.

15. 4. Show the character's thoughts or internal conflicts to establish a connection with the reader . 5. Use literary devices like symbolism, metaphor, or foreshadowing (telling what will happen in the future to the character) to hint at the character's significance and role in the story. Question: How many of these features are evident in the text? Give evidence from the text.

16. The focus of this lesson was on seeing how a writer can use description and storyline/events to shape the reader’s interpretation of the character. How has the lesson helped you to understand this?

17. Thank you and keep safe!