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.
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-
Noveliai ilona:shor
storyorastiort
novel.
€
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a! i li J&""m*ThM'm"'b"-
' =%=%aaJalJ:':qa-'.S >J-- auwW&arMhni
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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