IGCSE 2011 Revision Guide – EWM Touching The Void IGCSE 2011 Revision Guide – EWM

Where Does Touching The Void Go? Touching The Void is a piece in Section A of the Anthology, which means it is on Paper 1 of the exam which EVERY student will have to take. If it comes up on the day then you will be asked to read the piece first and then complete a writing task based on it.

What kind of task? Reading Students are expected to read with Insight Interpret the text Distinguish between fact and fiction Understand the devices writers use. Writing Students are expected to be able to write Clearly and imaginatively Using proper sentences and paragraphs Use accurate punctuation/spelling

That is a lot to remember! True! – So we will focus in this lecture on number 4 the devices that are used in the text.

Some Sample Questions This is a sample questions to give you an idea about the sort of tasks you might get (taken from IGCSE handbook): Imagine that you had witnessed Joe’s accident – write a short account of the accident for a newspaper.

Taken from a description in The Independent: Who is Joe Simpson? Taken from a description in The Independent: Simpson is still best known as the climber-turned-author whose remarkable book Touching the Void knocked readers off their feet in 1988 and repeated the favour for cinema audiences 15 years later. The story describes a botched attempt in 1985 to climb Siula Grande, the 20,814ft peak in the Peruvian Andes, by Simpson and his 21-year-old climbing partner Simon Yates. The trip famously ended with Simpson having to crawl alone for three agonising days with a shattered leg before reaching safety – and the incident was to define his subsequent life.

A picture of Joe Simpson.

Context – Where can I find out more? A full profile of the author can be read on the Independent Newspaper website: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/joe-simpson-high-flyer-395867.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/features/3634463/Joe-Simpson-My-journey-back-into-the-void.html

Where else could I go for more info? http://www.touchingthevoid.co.uk – This website has information about Joe and his career. There is also a 2003 movie about the incident described in the story. The English department has some copies so please feel free to ask to watch one. Youtube has some interviews with Joe Simpson.

What are the key features of the text? Joe’s account Uses short sentences Emphasises the physical pain in his choice of words Includes detail of loneliness Uses range of punctuation for effect Uses emotive language Includes dramatic adjectives Many active verbs

Short sentences For example line 11: “My leg!... My leg!” line 19: “The pain eased.” Line 23: “I’ve broken my leg, that’s it. I’m dead” These lines sound like the narrator is in a panic and is scared – they don’t feel organised and considered.

Pain Vocabulary A group of words on the same subject is called A Semantic Field Look for pain words in the text: Gasps, pain, burnt, pain, Count how many times pain is repeated…

What else can we say about text? Use of ellipsis An Ellipsis is the gap where leave things out…. What was he thinking in those moments? Why doesn’t he tell us?

Other unusual punctuation Exclamation marks – many in the text to emphasise fright and pain. They also make the text dramatic to read.

Modal Verbs Lots of these are used in the text Look for ‘must, could, would’ etc. Contrast these with the active verbs in the text.

Key Features 2 Simon’s account Careful and considered Realistic showing understanding of the situation Uses unsympathetic language Uses punctuation to achieve effects Cold and dispassionate Short direct sentences towards the end

Unsympathetic Language Line 66 – ‘You’re dead…no two ways about it.’ Line 77 – ‘If I tried to get down I might die with him.’ Find other examples in the text if you can…

Ellipsis Simon’s account also uses Ellipsis. Earlier we asked what Joe was thinking when he was using Ellipsis. Perhaps Joe thinks about death but Simon thinks about his killing of Joe by leaving him.

Short (Brutal) Sentences At the end of the text Simon also uses short sentences. E.G ‘It would be pointless. I kept staring at him, expecting him to fall…’ Why? Because he has decided to let Joe die.

What is unusual about the text? It is essential to remember that the text has a dual narrative voice. This means that the story is told by two people, and each account is different from the other.

So What? What does having a dual voice offer the reader? Two alternate perspectives makes it more interesting. More details – we get a more rounded view of the story. It might feel like two different stories. More reliable – we can depend on the account and it is less subjective and more objective.

Rhetorical Questions These are used in the text to reflect the harsh realities of the situation and the brutal uncertainties of it.