Activity 4
Theme: Community
See Generic guidance for using the scaffold (based on sample extract pairing: Animal Farm by George Orwell and The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro)
An Inspector Calls by JB Priestley and The Audience by Peter Morgan
Compare how responsibilities to oneself, one’s family and the wider community are presented in the two extracts. You should consider:
- the situations and experiences faced by the characters
- how they react to these situations and experiences
- how the writers’ use of language and techniques creates effects.
Extract 1 from: An Inspector Calls by JB Priestley
In this extract, Arthur Birling gives his son Eric and his future son-in-law Gerald some advice.
Birling (solemnly): But this is the point. I don’t want to lecture you two young fellows again. But what so many of you don’t seem to understand now, when things are so much easier, is that a man has to make his own way – has to look after himself – and his family too, of course, when he has one – and so long as he does that he won’t come to much harm. But the way some of these cranks talk and write now, you’d think everybody has to look after everybody else, as if we were all mixed up together like bees in a hive – community and all that nonsense. But take my word for it, you youngsters – and I’ve learnt in the good hard school of experience – that a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own…
Extract 2 from: The Audience by Peter Morgan
John Major, Prime Minister of Britain 1990-1997, is having a discussion with the Queen, Elizabeth II, at Buckingham Palace. Considering ways the Royal Family could save money, he has suggested that the Royal Yacht Britannia[1] should be taken out of service.
Queen Elizabeth: Never!
John Major: I’m aware this is a sensitive matter…
Queen Elizabeth: That yacht means everything to me. She was launched the year I was crowned. She’s been the one constant in my life. Commissioned by my father. Forty thousand miles I travelled on one tour alone… in service to this country. Five American Presidents have stayed aboard her. She has taken us to the remotest corners, and helped hold together the Commonwealth[2]. That yacht is my refuge. The one place I feel at home.
John Major: But the costs…
Queen Elizabeth: What costs…?
John Major: Two hundred and sixty sailors, most of them permanent, two dozen bandsmen, red boxes[3] being helicoptered out every day from London at great expense…
Queen Elizabeth: Have you ever set foot on board?
John Major: No.
Queen Elizabeth: When you do, I suggest the one thing that will strike you will be her modesty. (Rising indignation.) Enough now. Enough. This family gives every minute of every day in service to the British people and do you hear me complain? Never.
John Major: It’s possible your subjects are now complaining, Ma’am…
Queen Elizabeth: Serving my country is my duty and my privilege… but every now and then I must be allowed to draw the line. I am the Crown, after all…
Version 11© OCR 2016
Using Unsee Modern Texts
Scaffold
Use the scaffold below to help construct an answer to the comparison question on An Inspector Calls and The Audience
Assessment objectives / An Inspector Calls / Quotation / What is Priestley saying about responsibilities to oneself, one’s family and the wider community? / The Audience / Quotation / What is Morgan saying about responsibilities to oneself, one’s family and the wider community? / Contrasts and ComparisonsThe situations /experiences faced by the characters (AO3)
The reactions of the characters (AO1)
How the writers’ use of language and techniques creates effects (AO2)
Version 11© OCR 2016
Using Unseen Modern Texts
Theme: Family
See Generic Guidance for pairing stand-alone unseen extract with set text extract (based on: The Empire of the Sun by JG Ballard)
Stand-alone extract from: One Man Two Guvnors by Richard Bean
The play is set in Brighton, in the 1960s. Charlie, a local gangster, is giving a speech at the engagement party of his 18-year-old daughter, Pauline. She is getting engaged to Alan Dangle, whose father, Harry, is Charlie’s solicitor. Lloyd and Dolly are friends of Charlie’s.
Dolly: Come on Charlie! Give us a speech!
Lloyd: Speech!
Charlie: I don’t like public speaking. I’d rather jump out of an aeroplane.
Lloyd: Go on then!
Charlie: I’ve only ever spoken three times, formally, in public, in my life, and each time I’ve been banged up by the judge straight afterwards! I done me best bringing up Pauline, on me own, after her muvver… (Chokes.) … sorry…
Lloyd: - doin’ well Charlie.
Charlie: - I’ve had to be her dad and her mum after her muvver… (Chokes.)
Pauline: - It’s alright dad.
Charlie: - …after her muvver left me and went to live in Spain. It’s a disappointment that Jean can’t be here in Brighton at her daughter’s engagement party, and a shame she can’t even afford a stamp for a card neither. But I’m not gonna go on about it. I’d like to thank Alan’s father, my solicitor, where is he?!
Harry: (Coming forward.) Ecce homo[4]
Version 11© OCR 2016
Using Unseen Modern Texts
Charlie: No Latin! Please! I have enough difficulty understanding you when you’re speaking English. But, seriously, wivout Harry, I wouldn’t be here today, I’d be behind bars, where, let’s face it, by rights, I oughta be. Over to you Alan.
Charlie steps back. Applause for Charlie. Alan kneels, with a flourish, before Pauline.
Dolly: Ooh!
(Aside.) He wants to be an actor.
Alan: Pauline, I give you my hand. (Alan holds out an upturned, closed, cupped hand towards Pauline.) Captive within my hand, is a bird. This bird is my heart.
Pauline: (To Dolly.) Is it a real bird?
Dolly: No, it’s a metaphor.
Pauline: (Excited.) Oh! Lovely!
Alan: I offer you the whole of my life, as your husband!
Dolly: (Aside.) Ooh! I could do with a bit of this myself. Knowwhatimean.
Pauline opens his hand and takes out the imaginary bird, and presses it to her heart.
Pauline: I accept your bird heart thing, and I promise to look after it properly.
Version 11© OCR 2016
Using Unseen Modern Texts
[1]Royal Yacht Britannia – a ship used by the Royal Family between 1954 and 1997 for official visits to other countries, meeting foreign leaders, and royal honeymoons
[2]Commonwealth – a voluntary association ofcountries, that used to belong to the British Empire, which still cooperate with one another
[3]red boxes – boxes filled with official documents that were sent to the Queen every day, no matter where she was in the world
1Ecce homo – ‘behold the man’ or ‘here is the man’