a) Describing a character from literature
• Ask Ss: How do writers create characters in
literature? What information do they give us?
(Information about what they do - their
actions, such as how they walk, speak and act
and details about their physical appearance.)
• Ask Ss to find relevant information in the text
and make their notes.
• In pairs Ss tell each other about the convict
using their notes.
• Follow up with a whole-class discussion about
how the convict is presented and why Dickens
chooses to describe him in this way.
Answer Key
walked: lamed, limped
looked: glared, eyes looked most powerfully
into mine
spoke: a terrible voice, growled, muttered
acted: shivered, teeth chattered, ate
ravenously, licking his lips, with a threatening
shake of the head, tilted me back as far as he
could hold me, he tilted me again
Suggested Answer Key
The convict had difficulty walking - he was
lamed and he limped. He didn’t just look at you -
he glared and looked powerfully into your eyes.
He didn’t speak softly - he growled in a terrible
voice and sometimes he muttered. He shivered
and his teeth chattered. He must have been cold.
He was hungry because he licked his lips and ate
ravenously. He was quite threatening towards
Pip. He tilted him back several times.
b) Imagining a scene
• Read the rubric to Ss. Ss silently imagine
what they experience using their senses.
• Invite individual Ss to share their experiences
with the class.
Suggested Answer Key
I can see a frightening man among the graves.
He is in chains and is wearing rags. He is very
dirty and he looks very dangerous. I can smell
his dirty clothes and his foul breath. I can hear
his teeth chattering and his voice growling. I
can touch the cold tombstone I am sitting on. I
feel frightened and wish I had stayed at home.
