The Simple Gift Aim: to evaluate Billy’s choices

The Simple Gift Aim: to evaluate Billy’s choices
Starter: what are simple gifts that we give each other? Hint: non materialistic

Task Read pages 2 – 16 (as a class)

Discussion Points (take notes)
Why does he take the beer and leave lemonade? Why does he leave a note? Describe his relationship with his Dad What does he think his Dad will be angry about? What is he afraid will happen if he stays?

Respond to the following
What do you think of Billy’s choice? Explain. What questions do you have for Billy? Complete one of these: Pretend you are Billy. Using the extra information, write a more revealing version of this event. Remember to choose your words carefully like Steven Herrick so that you can communicate a lot with very few words. OR Pretend you are Billy’s dad. Write his version of this event. You may find the information on pages 14,15-16, helpful in discovering what your relationship with Billy is like.

Homework Complete my essay

Reflection How would you describe Billy’s actions?

Aim: to analyse Billy’s relationship with his father
The Simple Gift Aim: to analyse Billy’s relationship with his father

Leaving… Starter Places/people special to Billy Places/people Billy didn’t like very much Read pages 1-6. List the places and people Billy says ‘goodbye’ to under the following headings: Why does he say goodbye to places and people he didn’t like very much? List 5 or more places/people you’d say goodbye to if you were leaving. Explain why these places/people are significant to you.

that this is the focus of the piece?
↗ Billy soon reveals more about his relationship with his dad…. Men Is Billy being honest by stating that this is the focus of the piece? There are men like Ernie, the train driver, in this world. Men who don’t boss you around What does the word ‘boss’ and don’t ask prying questions reveal about their relationship? and don’t get bitter at anyone different from them. Men who share a drink and food and a warm cabin when they don’t have to. Men who know the value of things like an old boat What does he want from his built for long weekends on a lake dad? Men who see something happening and know if it’s right or wrong and aren’t afraid to make that call. There are men like Ernie and there are other men, What does he want to be able to men like my dad feel about his father’s choices?

Aim: to analyse and interpret Herrick’s language use

Starter “Dad came thundering out” (15) Why do you think Herrick selected ‘thundering’? What does it imply? What effect does it have on you as a reader? Extension: Develop your response into an analytical paragraph. Throughout his novel The Simple Gift, Steven Herrick employs imagery to….One example of this effective use of language occurs on page 15 when he describes…The word ‘thundering’ affects the reader by….thus causing them to imagine….

Task Identify the metaphor on page 20. Extension: create your own to describe the same event Why does Billy decide to read? (integrate a quotation to support you response) How is Irene different to the librarian back in Billy’s home town? What ‘simple gift’ does Irene give to Billy? Extension: identify the simile on page 28. What does it reveal? (write a paragraph that examines and explains the language selection)

Reflection How does Herrick’s use of imagery enhance the narrative?

Reflection How would you describe Billy’s relationship with his father? How does he feel about Ernie?

To identify and analyse characters’ backgrounds, attitudes and values
Starter: select adjectives to describe Billy

Task What ‘simple gift’ does Caitlin give to Billy?
Why does Billy dream of himself as an ‘old man’ (pg 54)? Why is this significant? Analyse: “it’s like a little cave,/a warm, safe little cave / for children t hide in/ when/ they’re scared or lonely/ and need somewhere safe/ to go.” Why does Billy “need” a cave? What does this observation reveal of Caitlin? Re-read “Looking”. How does Billy change? Identify the metaphor on page 70. Extension: analyse and explain the effect that it has on the reader. (paragraph)

Task: Character Profiles
Rule three pages in half lengthwise. At the top of each page write a character’s name (Billy, Caitlin and Old Bill) Label each column (background, attitude and values) BILLY Background Attitudes and Values

Key pages Caitlin (34-37,40-45,60-63, 68-69, 87-91,94, , ) Old Bill (58-59,72-73,76-77, , 111, 125, Billy (2-32, 38,39, 48-57, 64-67, 70,74-75, 78-86, 92-93, , , ) Use quotations to support your interpretation.

Starter ‘…I’ve been falling ever since.’
Explain Old Bill’s statement. Use T.E.E.L Old Bill states that he has “been falling ever since” the death of his daughter, Jessie. The use of metaphor to describe………indicates………It is clear that Old Bill has changed from……to……Ultimately, it might be through his relationship with Billy that……. Fill in the dots. Extension: Write your own paragraph

Discussion Look over yesterday’s reflection:
How have the characters changed? How have they influenced each other?

Why does Caitlin run away when she sees Billy and old Bill together
Why does Caitlin run away when she sees Billy and old Bill together? Why does she later feel guilty (pg )?

Reflection How has Caitlin changed? continue your character profiles.

Starter: match the technique to the example
Metaphor Listing Exaggeration “No, I won’t burn the house down. No, I won’t drink all the wine. No, I won’t have a huge party.” “the saddest man in the world” “the diary entry of my days” Choose one technique an explain its effect.

Discussion Re-read pages 114-115.
Why does Herrick employ repetition? (shadows) What effect does this have? What do you think the shadows represent? Extension: write a T.E.E paragraph. Steven Herrick employs repetition in his novel, The Simple Gift. This is particularly evident when….This use of repetition is employed to highlight…It causes the reader to…

Symbolism “He was in the sunshine” What image does this contrast with?
Why?

Task Why is Caitlin’s house the ‘richest house in Benderat”? What is the simple gift that Caitlin and Billy give Old Bill? What effect does this have on him?

Reflection Why has Herrick used metaphor, repetition and symbolism in his writing? Is it effective?

Choice Add to your character profiles or work on your character profiles.

Starter “…I realised/ that Billy was sixteen years old/ and already a man/ and I was seventeen, /nearly eighteen, and still a schoolgirl” (120) In what ways, is Billy a ‘man’? Why does Caitlin view herself as a ‘girl’? Extension Write a T.E.E.L that explains this quotation.

Recap (accessing prior knowledge)
Why does Old Bill not think that there is “another side to the moon”? What does the “moon” symbolise? How has he changed?

Answer in complete sentences
What does tell the world reveal of Billy and Caitlin’s relationship? What decision does Old Bill make (137)? Re-read “To help people”. What do we learn of Jessie? What does the bird symbolise? Re-read 161. What does this reveal of Old Bill’s past? Explain “and let Billy start his new life/in a house that needs a new life/ happier than the old one” (164) Extension: Write a T.E.E.L paragraph that examines Herrick’s use of symbolism.

Choice Add to your character profiles or work on your character profiles.

Reflection Examine your earlier response explaining how Old Bill has changed. Develop this response by incorporating what we have learnt today. What do you think Herrick’s purpose/message is?

Aim: to make a connection between a key symbols and the theme of change to evaluate the ways characters have changed

Starter Examine the cover of your text. What does it show?
Using your knowledge of the text, what do you think the key symbolises? In what way, does each character require a “key”? Read pages

Why does Billy believe that he’d “never/never in my life/ feel sadder” (165)
What is Billy’s dilemma? What do you think? (165) In what way has Old Bill “saved” Billy’s life? Extension: explain why Billy describes his hands as “dirty”? (p. 166 inferred meaning) In “to help people” p. 150, Herrick refers to the swallows. Why does he refer to them again on pages 172 and 173? What do they symbolise? (consider their actions and what they are celebrating)

Mid-lesson Reflection
How do the symbols of the key and swallows relate to the theme of change? Making connections between texts and our own lives: Has there been a moment in your life where you have wished for a key? Explain why/not?

Identify the simile on page 177.
Why is Caitlin crying? What does this reveal about the type of person she is? Why were Old Bill’s words “ringing hollow in his head”? What has changed? Analysis task: Why did Herrick use the word “hollow”? What does it infer? (Hint: in what ways was Old Bill’s life hollow? Why would he not listen to his own advice?) Why is Caitlin now able to tell her parents about Billy? (190) Why does Billy vow to return to visit his carriage? (196) What are Billy’s plans for the future? What are the “ghosts” of Old Bill’s house?

Discussion and note taking
How have each of the characters changed over the course of the text? What is Herrick’s overall message?

Writing Task (silent conditions)
Write a detailed responses to each of the following questions. Use the work that you have completed in class to assist you with this. How has Billy changed over the course of the text? How has Old Bill changed over the course of the text? How has Caitlin changed over the course of the text? Hand in for marking.

Herrick’s purpose

To identify the message of The Simple Gift
Why do you think Herrick wrote The Simple Gift? What is its message? How did it affect you? What did you learn?

Discussion Read the interview

Why did you write "the simple gift"?
I wanted to explore the relationship between a young man and an old man. As adults, we seem to believe that the idea of being an influence works only one way - we adults can influence young people for the better. In the book, I wanted to show it working the other way - that is, young Billy really being the positive influence, in fact, the catalyst, for Old Bill rejoining the world. I know my two teenage sons are a wonderful positive influence on my own life. It seems to me that the world of young people is becoming increasingly marginalized by mainstream media. As adults, we need to accept, encourage, and indeed, embrace the world of young people. Let’s see the relationship as a priceless two-way street.

How did you start writing this book - did you have a definite plot outline, characters, etc?
No, not really. I've written all my verse-novels for YA in the same way. Firstly, I start with a location. In this case, I remembered staying in a disused railway carriage in Ballarat, Victoria when I was a young person hitching around the country. It was probably the best place I slept - warm and comfortable (and free!). I had a very relaxed teenage life. My parents had no great expectations for me, and they put no pressure whatsoever on me, apart from the occasional Why don't you get a job? barb. I spent time travelling around the country, working as a fruit picker, or in a cannery (like Billy and Old Bill), and I slept and stayed where I could. I felt incredibly lucky. Once I had this location, it was a relatively simple thing to put my character Billy in the carriage, and see what happened. This is important in my writing… I very rarely have a strong plot outline. I like to create location, then character, and see what happens.

So your characters develop as you write the story?
Once I have a character in my mind, I start to think about the way they would respond to events happening in their life. That is, I give them a set of moral parameters (for want of a better description) - so in "gift" * how will Billy respond to help from Ernie, the train-driver? * how will Billy react to his need for food and shelter now he’s left home? * how will Billy treat the old hobo next door in the train carriage? I enjoy this aspect of the writing process, because it really is a case of me finding out about the characters as I go. I don't have a particular point in the narrative I want to reach - I'm just happy to go along with Billy, Caitlin, and Old Bill for the ride! This works well for me as a writer, as it means I don't feel like I'm rushing the story - I'm just letting the characters interact, and wander… There are lots of examples of this throughout the book - one obvious example is the different ways Billy and Caitlin respond to first seeing Old Bill. Or how Old Bill slowly changes as his relationship with Billy grows.

Did you meet someone like Old Bill, or Caitlin when you were travelling? No, Old Bill and Caitlin are definitely fictional characters. But I did meet lots of people who helped me, and were friendly to me. Ernie, the train-driver, is actually based on a Train Guard in Queensland, who helped me out of the speedboat I was freezing in (just like "gift"), and let me stay in his warm cabin. This bloke even took me out for lunch when the train arrived in Gladstone. Most of the characters in my novels are fictional, but all the locations are based on places I know well.

What is the theme of "the simple gift" Authors hate this question
What is the theme of "the simple gift" Authors hate this question! So, I'm not going to answer it. Ask your teacher! But, okay, if I'm pushed… I'll give you two hints. At the time of writing this book, I was listening to a wonderful folk CD by Bruce Springsteen titled the ghost of Tom Joad. On this CD, there are a few songs about middle-aged men who are searching for something to give their life meaning. The word redemption kept rolling around my head when listening to the songs, and writing this book. That word certainly came into play in how I created the character of Old Bill. The other thing I kept thinking about while writing was the whole notion of gifts - what is valuable in our life? How do we measure what is valuable? You can work it out from there, okay?

Anything else you want to tell us about "gift"
Sure, it's just been published in the UK and USA, which is nice. But, I know that's not what you mean by your question. One reviewer called Billy an atypical hero, which I thought was interesting. That got me thinking about what is heroic, and how it relates to some of the characters in my other books. I reckon Billy from "gift", Tom from Tom Jones saves the world, Ron and Isabelle from Do-wrong Ron, and Jack and Annabel from A place like this all share a similar trait - within the story they do something of great value, that is a little thing - give friendship and hope to an old hobo; bring a father and grandfather together (in Tom Jones); help an old lady became part of the community (in Ron); encourage a pregnant girl to decide on her future (in A place like this).

These simple little things are what I think of as heroic
These simple little things are what I think of as heroic. They are done by ordinary people, in a quiet unobtrusive way, and to commit these acts it requires compassion and love and respect. And they are far more heroic and necessary than any world-record sporting achievement. And they cannot be measured in dollars and cents.

Changes Billy’s values Beginning Journey End

Old Bill Values Beginning Journey End

Caitlin Values Beginning Journey End

Essay Topics “The simple gift of friendship enables each of the characters to change.” Discuss “Herrick’s use of imagery develops the reader’s understanding of characters.” Discuss

Brainstorming the topic
“The simple gift of friendship enables each of the characters to change.” Discuss What are the gifts of friendship shown? Specific examples 2. Are they simple? Why? Why not? 3. How did certain characters change? What is the evidence? What were they like previously? Evidence? Why did they need to change?

Reflection What topic are you responding to?
What is your contention/main argument? Eg. Steven Herrick’s The Simple Gift highlights…………Each of the characters in Herrick’s novel, Billy, Old Bill and Caitlin are all transformed as a result of……..Ultimately, (message)

Forming our contention and identifying our “big” ideas.
A contention is your main argument/idea about the topic What is your contention for this essay? Form a strong statement about the essay topic (– like you learnt in the persuasive essay.) What main ideas will you use to support your contention? (Remember you will need a different idea to discuss in each paragraph.) Write down 3-4 reasons that will support your contention.

Sample Introduction: (Contention) Stephen Herrick’s The Simple Gift highlights the importance of friendship in people’s lives. Each of the characters in Herrick’s novel Billy, Old Bill and Caitlin is transformed as a result of the sense of belonging and trust that develops between them. (Supporting ideas)Billy finally gains a sense of belonging and responsibility as he helps Old Bill to face his past and look forward to the future. It is through Billy and with Caitlin’s relationship that both of them learn that love and friendship give meaning to their lives enabling them to truly enjoy the simple pleasures.

Selecting arguments

Developing arguments Form a clear statement or sentence. Old Bill changes as the result of the friendship that he receives from Billy and Caitlin. How can I prove this? Examine your responses for specific examples of when the gift was given and received. How has it changed him? Provide examples. Concluding Sentence: sum up your argument. Repeat the process for each of your points.

Planning your essay You know the basics now: Intro with contention, at least 3 body paragraphs (using TEEL), conclusion 2. The skill is making it sound good through complex and developed ideas and strong writing! Now you need to think about how you will plan your ideas

Body Paragraphs…Planning
The other slide demonstrates one way you can divide up your ideas and develop them. You could write a paragraph on each of the main characters and explore their journey of change and how it happened. (What they were like at the beginning, middle and end and the changes seen) OR You could divide your paragraphs into the ‘simple gifts’ you identified in the novel, and discuss these gifts individually in each paragraph, showing how they impacted each characters.

Remember… Topic sentence Explain and expand your key idea for the paragraph Evidence Try to really develop this part! You can include a number of examples

Sample Paragraph Topic sentence: Within ‘The Simple Gift’ Billy’s character gained confidence and respect due to the friendships he developed with people. Reasons for the changes/importance of friendship: Initially Billy was presented as being lonely and quite sad due to the way he was treated by his father and other adults in his life. His father giving him ‘backhanders’ and ‘thundering’ around him resulted in Billy losing trust in the adults in his life. He did not feel safe, loved or supported. Examples: Once Billy met Ernie he realised that are ‘men that don’t boss you around…and know the value of things’. Ernie offered him kindness and compassion, which was new to Billy, giving him ‘a heater that works’ and ‘ a cuppa’.

Ernie did not judge him, or ask him questions
Ernie did not judge him, or ask him questions. Billy’s trust in adults was further developed when he met Old Bill. He was similar to Ernie in that fact that he didn’t ask questions of Billy, but treated him as an equal………(what else could you say about how Old Bill’s friendship changed Billy?)

Reflection What have I learned today?
How am I going to develop my essay? Homework: Find examples to support your arguments (3 per paragraph).

The Simple Gift Aim: to evaluate Billy’s choices

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