The historical present tense LO: Can I use the historical present tense for analytical writing?

 On a wild and stormy night Molly runs away from her grandparents’ house. Her dad has sent her to live there until he Sorts Things Out at home. In the howling darkness, Molly sees a desperate figure running for his life from a terrifying midnight hunt. He has come to help her. But why? And who is he? Season of Secrets by Sally Nicholls Q: Why are book blurbs written in the historical present tense?

The historical present tense makes the past more real. Where does Charles Dickens use it here? What’s clever about it? If the funeral had been yesterday, I could not recollect it better. The very air of the best parlour, when I went in at the door, the bright condition of the fire, the shining of the wine in the decanters, the patterns of the glasses and plates, the faint sweet smell of cake, the odour of Miss Murdstone’s dress, and our black clothes. Mr. Chillip is in the room, and comes to speak to me. 'And how is Master David?' he says, kindly. I cannot tell him very well. I give him my hand, which he holds in his. If the funeral had been yesterday, I could not recollect it better. The very air of the best parlour, when I went in at the door, the bright condition of the fire, the shining of the wine in the decanters, the patterns of the glasses and plates, the faint sweet smell of cake, the odour of Miss Murdstone’s dress, and our black clothes. Mr. Chillip is in the room, and comes to speak to me. 'And how is Master David?' he says, kindly. I cannot tell him very well. I give him my hand, which he holds in his.

We use the historical present tense when writing about a text. Why do you think this is?  When you write about a text, you write about it in the present:  “In this scene, Juliet is a calm and level-headed girl.”  At this moment, you also know what has happened in the past:  “In this scene Juliet is a calm and level-headed girl. Paris has shown an interest in marrying her, but she will not be rushed.”  You also know what happens in the future! “Compared to how she is portrayed just hours later, in this scene Juliet is a calm and level-headed girl. Paris has shown an interest in marrying her, but she will not be rushed.”  When you write about a text, you write about it in the present:  “In this scene, Juliet is a calm and level-headed girl.”  At this moment, you also know what has happened in the past:  “In this scene Juliet is a calm and level-headed girl. Paris has shown an interest in marrying her, but she will not be rushed.”  You also know what happens in the future! “Compared to how she is portrayed just hours later, in this scene Juliet is a calm and level-headed girl. Paris has shown an interest in marrying her, but she will not be rushed.”

“He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish. In the first forty days a boy had been with him. But after forty days without a fish the boy’s parents had told him that the old man was now definitely and finally salao, which is the worst form of unlucky.” “Up the road, in his shack, the old man was sleeping again. He was still sleeping on his face and the boy was sitting by him watching him. The old man was dreaming about the lions.” Here’s the beginning and the ending of a story by Ernest Hemingway called ‘The Old Man and the Sea’.

“Up the road, in his shack, the old man was sleeping again. He was still sleeping on his face and the boy was sitting by him watching him. The old man was dreaming about the lions.” Answer these questions using your knowledge of the opening of the story. Use full sentences and the present tense to discuss the text above. When might you need to use the past tense? 1.The boy is with the old man at the end of the story. Why do you think this is important? 2.How do you think the old man is feeling? Why? 3.Has the old man’s luck changed since the beginning of the novel? If so, why do you think this is?