Novel studies.

Sympathy Chart

As you read Chapters 8 and 9, plot how sorry you feel for Martha. Plot a mark between 0 (for being least sorry) and 10 (for being most sorry) for each of the stages quoted below the chart.

Exploring the Writer’s Techniques for Arousing Sympathy

How does the writer make you feel sorry for Martha? Look at the chart for the techniques he uses. Then find an example and explanation for each technique. The first one has been done for you.

Writer’s technique	Example	Explanation
Describing the character’s sadness	A lump comes to my throat. (page 21)	This shows how she doesn’t show her sadness openly but feels it deep inside.
Describing how the character moves	She look’s really funny, running. She’s got these very thin, long legs that splay out sort of sideways as she runs, and her arms are all over the place too. Pg.9	That she can’t run very well without it looking very funny. Her legs and long and must be arkward to run with if she hasn’t training or if she dosen’t run often.
Showing Martha’s relationships with others	They chased me home again today and the new boy scott joined in. I hoped he was going to be my friend, but he’s not. He was yelling Raggedy Ann just like everybody else as I ran up Taylors hill. Pg.5	The kids at school chase he home everyday and even the new boy that didn’t even know her joined in with them chasing after her screaming Raggedy-Ann.
Showing how Martha is grateful for simple things	Scott - ‘’ didn’t see me yesterday, did you? ‘’ Martha- ‘’ Yesterday, Where?’’ Scott-’’Wentworth road. Teatime. You were walking down. We drove past.’’ Martha-’’oh’’ she shook her head. ‘’ No, I didn’t see you’’ Scott-’’I waved.’’ Martha-’’Did you? Thanks, But I’m afrad I didn’t notice.’’ Scott-’’ You don’t have to thank me, It was just a wave’’	She was greatful that he still waved even tho she wasn’t looking. She was greatful that he noticed her.
Revealing Martha’s deepest desires and hopes	What I’d like most of all is someone to talk to. About my life. About how things are at home. See I know why the kids hate me. I know I seem weird to them, but it’s not me. It’s not. Inside I’m just like them. I like pop music and TV and clothes but I can’t have them. They’re for bidden. I’d like to have a party, Invite everybody on my table, but I can’t even bring a friend home. I mean, there are the kids at church. Righteous kids. They see one another, play together, but not me. I can’t bring anybody to the house in case they find out about Abomination. I can go to their homes - I used to - but I can never invite them back so they stopped bothering with me and you can’t blame them, but if there was just one person who understood, one person who knew, I think I could stand it… Pg.18-19	All she wants is a friend or someone that she can trust to talk about her horrible parents and having abomination in her home and having to feed it. She justs wants someone who understands her pain.
Showing Martha’s happiness being ruined	Martha’s father- ‘ You’re looking happy, Martha. Have you had a good day at school?’ Martha-’ Yes, Father.’ Its half past six. We’re eationg dinner. It’s liver but for once I don’t mind. Marthas mother- ‘Did you get a house point?’ Martha-’No’ Martha’s mother-’ Then what?’ Martha-’The new boy .Scott. He talked to me. Asked me things.’ Martha’s Father-’ What sort of things, Martha?’ His tone sharp. Martha-’ Oh-things about me. He saw us yesterday in westwoth road and waved. I didn’t see how.’ Martha’s father-’What did he ask you, child’ Martha-’I don’t remember exactly. If you were my folks. Where we were going. If I had brothers or sisters.’ Father-’ And how did you answer that?’ Martha- I said it was only me. Father- Good. Now listen to me, Martha. He sets his knife and fork down. He’s about to spoil it all. I know he is. Father-’To have friends is  pleasant thing. Mother and I want you to have lots of friends,  but you must understand that we of the righteous are different from other people - so different that they often find us strage. If yoy let yourself become to fond of this boy, you will be badly hurt when he finds he can’t relate to your way of life and drops you.’ A lump comes to my troat. Does father think I’m not badly hurt already? Can’t he see I just want to be like everybody else? I shake my head. Martha-’I’m not fond of him, Father. He talked to me, That’s all. Please say I can be his friemd if he’ll let me.’ He sighs, Shaking his head. Father-’I’m only trying to shield you from unhappiness, child. Be that boys friend if it pleases you, but be careful. Guard your tongue at all times. And don’t bring him home.’ Don’t bring him home. They don’t know how much I hate my home: that if I had my way I wouldn’t bring myself home, Never mind anyone else.	She had someone talk to her in a nice way that hadent been a teacher in years and he father ruined her happiness but bring up all the rules and that she can’t have friends. Then at the end she says how much she hates her home so she wouldn’t bring anyone else into it anyway.

Identifying Themes:

Themes are the basic ideas explored in a text. Find the missing letters to reveal the themes of Abomination.

Families                    friendship                  Bullying  

                 Growing - up                  Religion

Fortunately/Unfortunately

Pretend you are Martha. Your first sentence starts ‘Fortunately…’ The next sentence starts ‘Unfortunately’.  Write five fortunately/unfortunately sentences. A starting example has been given.

Fortunately it is Saturday tomorrow and I don’t have school.

Unfortunately I will have to wash the house from top to bottom.

Fortunately I made my first friend.

Unfortunately I made my first friend get beatn up for standing up for me.

Fortunately someone talked to me today.

Unfortunately Father ruined it by bringing up his rules.

Fortunately I can listen to radio one when my parents are gone.

Unfortunately If I don’t trun it off I get the rod.

Fortunately I have kept lots of Mary’s postcard so I can still see what she is upto.

Unfortunately Father has thrown away lots of them and I really miss her.

Sorting Chapter Endings

Sort these chapter endings into Martha’s and Scott’s words.

1. You can’t keep secrets from God.
2. I’d no way of knowing things were about to get far worse.
3. When you’ve only one friend, you want to keep him.
4. Amazing what it can lead to, borrowing someone’s ruler.
5. I reckon I’ll be fine at my new school.
6. Maybe she cast a spell on me by touching my ruler.

Martha:	Scott:
1. You can’t keep secrets from god. 4. Amazing what it can lead to, borrowing someones ruler.	2. I’d no way of knowing things were about to get far worse. 3. When you’ve only one friend, you want to keep him. 5. I reckon I’ll be fine at my new school. 6. Maybe she cast a spell on me by toching my ruler.

Foreshadowing Future Events

Think about the effect  the words at the end of each chapter has on the reader and what it hints about the rest of the story. Complete the chart. The first one has been done for you.

Quotation	The effect on the reader	What hints does it give about the story?
You can’t keep secrets from God. (pg 2)	This is a big secret – something serious, perhaps even scary.	This secret will be revealed or discovered later in the story.
I reckon I’ll be fine at my new school. (pg 10)	He thinks that he will be fine at his new school.	That maybe someone will happen later on and he will regret thinking that.
If I can’t have friends (pg 13)	She isn’t aloud to have any friends and she is sad about it.	That she might make friends.
When you’ve only one friend, you want to keep him (pg 16)	Doesn’t want to lose his only friend.	Will proably lose him at some point.
Maybe she cast a spell on me by touching my ruler (pg 23)	He is just making a joke about it.	That maybe he thinks she could be a witch.
I’d no way of knowing things were about to get far worse.     (pg 37)	He didn’t know what was coming until it hit him.	That it was about to get worse for him.

Comparing Two Conversations

Read through the two conversations and write a small comment in the grey box. The first two are done for you

1 What on earth’s happened to your face, Scott love?	Scott’s mum sounds concerned.
Martha’s dad sounds annoyed with Martha.	2 What time do you call this, Martha?
3 It’s nothing, Mum. We were having a game. Got a bit carried away, I guess.	Sounds chilled out about the situation.
She sounds nervous about answering.	4 It’s ten to five, Father.
5 You certainly did. And who’s the girl?	Scotts mum sound inerested about who Martha was.
Sounds annoyed with Martha	6 Ten to five. Your mother had dinner ready at four-fifteen as usual… What have you to say to us?
7 Just someone from school. We walked on together.	Just sounds casual, maybe a bit annoyed.
A worried or apologetic tone.	8 I’m sorry, Father. Sorry, Mother. Somebody needed my help.
9 Ah – so that’s why you’re late, is it?... Bit of courting, eh?	A joking tone.
He sounds annoyed.	10 Ah. I see. And this help – what form did it take?

In no more than 20 words, write a sentence that explains why chapter 13 is a significant chapter:

It was a mix between what happened in scotts home from being late vs Marthas home.

Read the story of the Good Samaritan, mentioned by Martha. What similarities can you find between Martha and the Good Samaritan.

Even tho the jews were mean to the Samaritan he still helped the jew just like how Scott was mean to martha but marth still helped him when he was getting beat up.

Why do you think the author has referenced the story of the Good Samaritan in his novel?

To show the simalartys in between Martha and Scott and the Jew and the good Samaritan.