T!P All the extracts in this unit have been given line numbers, to make them easy foryou to referto. storyth,atis shorter thari anpve(.Ashort 8.1 Respondingtowhatcharacferssayanddo: from <The Hitch-Hiker' Roald Dahl (1916-1990) books including been made is about by Roa!d Dahl is probably into films. The extract a policeman there 'like guilty most famous Charlie and the Chocolate who stops smatt"riumberof as a writer of short Factory, Matilda which follows, a car for alleged m'ain characters, There stories and Fantastic from a short speeding. story The driver and of children's Mr Fox, which called have betmeerr+shortsto,ry' antnovi :texts.such 'The Hitch-Hiker', and the hitch-hiker as The.,Stiange C;asebf DrJe,kyH.qv,dMrH-yde" sit schoolboys'. ImS)byRobert.Louis This extract features a driver three characters: - the character a hitch-hiker 'Stevqhson'.andOf' who is telling - the character the story who speaks with a non-standard English btyJohnSteini:ietlkare often referred to.aS novellas. accent a policeman. :X'[] - Noveliai ilona:shor storyorastiort novel. € --ili a! i li J&""m*ThM'm"'b"- ' =%=%aaJalJ:':qa-'.S >J-- auwW&arMhni I --;"'""f 4) - 'X'a' g From 'The Hitch-Hiker' The policeman got off his motorcycle sideways on to its prop placed carefully them stand. Then he took off his gloves and on the seat. He was in no hurry had us where he wanted 'This is real trouble,' 'Don't talk to 'im understand,' came strolling with us and he knew slowly any more than showing thighs. it. is necessary, said. 'Just sit tight approaching towards red face with We sat there like guilty muml.a the policeman were skintight His goggles were pulled a smouldering you and keep his victim, 5 us. He was a big meaty man a belly, and his blue breeclies2 enormous now. He I said. 'I don't like it one bit.' my companion Like an executioner and leaned the machine schoolboys, around 1 his keep mum keep quiet 10 up on to the helmet, wide cheeks. waiting for him 2 breeches to arrive. trousers 'Watch mean out for this man, my passenger whispered. 'Ee 100kS as the devil.' 15 The policeman one meaty 'No hand hurry, there rushing officer. 'Or perhaps to my open window s a woman your the family the hurry?' and placed he said. I answered. in the back her to hospital? 'No, rescue round on the sill. 'What's officer,' 'Perhaps youre came house from Is that is on fire upstairs?' having a baby and it?' 20 and youre His voice dashing home was dangerously to soft and mocking. 'My house 'In that haven't isn't on fire, officer.' case,' he said, 'you've you? Do you know what 25 got yourself into the speed limit a nasty mess, is in this country?' 'Seventy,' a 'And doing I said. do you mind just telling me exactly what speed you were 30 now?' I shrugged When and didn't say anything. he spoke next, he raised his voice so loud that I jumped. 'Onehwtdred and twentymilesper hour!' he barked.'That'sfifty miles an hour over He turned on the wing beautiful his head bhie paint. 'And more you re a witness. he snapped, holding I gave him again and stared are you?' he asked giving he said. 'I asked wrong?' my hard sharply. him a lift.' 40 him.' my passenger asked. His voice as haircream. than I'll over who somethin' was as soft and oily down back Tm It landed sliding he turned I said. ask you,' 'Ave I done 'That's and spat out a big gob of spit. Then a hitch-hiker,' 'I didn't 35 of my car and started at my passenger. 'He's the limit!' likely,' deal with the policeman you in a minute. out his hand. my driving licence. answered. 'Anyway, Driving licence,' 45 He unbuttoned brought the left-hand out the dreaded book name and address from He strolled from round the date, the time and wrote and tlie details pocket 'Now produced 3 tunicjacket the Then he gave it back to me. that down as well. He filled Then he tore But before handing it to me, he he replaced 50 clearly in 55 on tlie boolc in his tunic the button. you,' he said to my passenger, to the other he copied had come through copy. Finally, and fastened Carefully, and of my offence. that all the information his own carbon of his tunic3 of the car and read the number out the top copy of the ticket. checked of tickets. my licence. to the front the numberplate breast-pocket side of the car. From a small blaclc notebook. and he walked around the other breast-pocket 'Name?' he he snapped. 60 Read carefully the extract from 'The Hitch-Hiker', ofthe policeman says and does. paying particular attention Look at lines 1-4. What are your firstimp'ressions ofthe from these lines? to what the character Write a concise answerof to support Look atlines I umi lffl $ i % l(r: rho more than three sentences. Provide evidence from Dahl's writing your points. 8-12. Comment table li'ke the one belowto f policeman on the effects ofthe words used to describe tlie iM Like an executionerapproaching his victim @l a big meaty man with C)belly his blue breeches were skintight smouldering around his thighs red face wrth wide cheeks suggests how a Figure the policeman to the other characters strolling slowly towards us ' The simile like an executioner' frightening enormous polieeman. Use a record your answers. appeared who felt like 'victims'. s Look at lines 19-35: Considerthe way in which the policeman might say the following 'Perhaps there's a woman in the back having (7 baby lines: and you're rushing her to hospital?' '/s thatit?' 'Orperhaps yourhouse is on fire and you're dashing home to rescue the family from upstairs?' 'In thatcase you've got yourself into a nastymess, And do you mind telling me exactly whatspeed 'One hundred and twenty miles perhour! In small groups, practise activity charag'h.rs, in prose or That's fiftymiles in turn readingthe thecharacterofthepoliceman b thewordsDahlusestopresentthecharacter. Prose writers generally Look at lines 34-46. policeman. mingle description, to life. The amount ofeach an hourover the limit!' lines out loud as if you were the policeman. a clear understanding a convincingly a you were doing justnow?' will help you to match the words to an appropriate This in turn will help you develop .Dialogue:.the words haven't you?' This tone of voice for the policem,an. of: story-telling and dialogue of these ingredients to bring their stories will depend on the story. Explore the ways in which Dahl conveys the unpleasant nature of:the Think about the following: a the way he speaks. b what he does. Write a paragraph about each, making brief quotations from the extract to support your answers. You could start: Dahl creates the impression of a man who is terrifying. When he shouts, he makes the drive2ump. The verb 'barked' makeshimsound like an angry and frightening In what ways does Dahl convey You should consi.derthe the policeman as a menacing whole extract when answering figure this question. dog. in this extract? Use evidence from the extract to support the points 9ou make.Youshould draw on answersfrom the earl.ier aetivities. 8.2 Respondingtohowawriterportraysamarriedrelationship:from 'Samphire' The second wrote extract by Patrick comes a series of novels, read, however, O'Brian from 'Samphire', twenty in total, has a more everyday a short setin context. near the edge of a clifftop. As you read the extract, These two characters A prose fiction writer memorably to life. such as O'Brian by Patrick O'Brian (1914-2000). the Royal Navy. The extractyou It is about their marriage. might story a husband will exploit precisely are aboutto and wife who are walking you will discover share the traits He of people such traits unsettling you know details about in real life. to bring his characters