The Prime of Miss
Jean Brodie
Higher
As with ‘The Crucible’ your critical
response to novels must show
understanding of:
• Character
• Relationships
• Setting
• Theme
• Structure
* PLOT (key incidents)
You MUST be aware of what
happens in the novel
• Breaking it down:
• In groups minimum of 2, maximum of 4
• Bullet point the key narrative points for Chapter 1
• Include character name/structure (eg. Flashforward/flashback)
• You may use your answers from yesterday’s worksheet to
support you
• MAXIMUM of 6 bullet points for the summary
Chapter 2 summary focus
Opens – What feature?
What happens in this opening? What did it highlight about the experiences of the
girls when they were young?
Sandy and Jenny are discussing important matters of life – what is their focus?
Why do they link this back to Miss Brodie?
In what ways does Sandy lead a “double life”? (p23)
What does Miss Brodie’s reaction to Miss Lockhart show about her character?
Structure feature p26-27 – Why was this included?
Walk around Edinburgh – key incident. Girl guides – view? Old/new town –
feelings?
End of chapter – Sandy turned down offer to go to Miss Brodie’s for tea and then
regretted it – why?
Chapter 2
• 6 bullet point summary
• FOCUS – character names/relationships
• Setting – importance?
• Key incident (eg. Walk in Edinburgh)
• Structure
• BASICALLY – what IMPORTANT POINTS happen? Can you use
your critical language to explain what happens?
Now you know WHAT happens –
let’s think about our central
character
• As with John Proctor we learn a lot about their personality
through their relationships AND their actions
You will be split into two
sections
• Section1 : FOCUS – Miss Brodie’s view of herself/her views of
others in chapters 1 and 2
• You should aim to create basic PEE chains
• Eg. POINT – Miss Brodie believes that she is a devoted teacher who
has given her ‘all’ to her “vocation” – it is not a job it is a way of life.
• EVIDENCE – find a quote that supports this
• EXPLAIN – explain what this quote shows about her – remember
don’t MICRO-ANALYSE!!
• Aim to create at least 4 PEE chains from chapters 1 and 2 – ONLY
focusing on HOW MISS BRODIE VIEWS HERSELF/HER OPINIONS OF
OTHERS
Possibilities
• P8
• “I am putting old heads on your young shoulders…all my
pupils are the crème de la crème.”
• Brodie believes that she is preparing her girls for the world
with information about art and her understanding of politics,
romance and history. While she understands the necessity of
the curriculum she is not prepared to follow it to the letter as
she does not think it benefits her pupils in their growth. With
her teaching her pupils should be the best in the school – the
main reason for this being that her methods are better than
any curriculum.
p9
• “Give me a girl at an impressionable age and she is mine for
life.”
• Brodie is aware of the influence she has on the girls in her
care. She believes that if she can teach the pupils when they
are young then she can mould them into the image that she
believes is ‘right’. The loyalty her girls offer is expected as
Brodie is aware of their awed feelings towards her as their
leader.
Find appropriate evidence and
create basic PEE chains for
how Brodie views:
• Miss Mackay (best ones in Ch1 and p38/39 of Ch2)
• Marcia Blane school
• Her ‘set’
• Art and Beauty/ the curriculum
Miss Mackay
• Miss Mackay is younger than Miss Brodie. The older woman has no
respect for her ‘superior’ as she blames it on outside factors:
• Miss Mackay is younger than I am and higher salaried. That is by
accident. The best qualifications available at the University in my
time were inferior to those open to Miss Mackay. That is why she
holds the senior position. But her reasoning power is deficient”
(p39)
• [Obviously this is far too long to use in a critical essay but you may
wish to choose a certain section to analyse]
• Miss Brodie has confidence that her teaching skills and influence
within the school far exceed Miss Mackay but due to fate she does
not have the senior position. It does not occur to Brodie that she is
at fault and has hindered her career progress through her
‘unorthodox’ methods.
• When Rose, one of ‘the set’, makes a personal remark about
Miss Mackay (p39) Miss Brodie responds in a negative manner
cutting her off:
• “I can’t permit that type of remark to pass in my presence…it
would be disloyal” (p39)
• Brodie has a contradictory nature as although she feels
comfortable enough to portray Miss Mackay as intellectually
inferior to herself she does not wish her “girls” to get involved.
She is aware of the expectations of a teacher as she does not
want pupils to make personal comments about teachers
however does not see anything wrong with passing judgement
herself.
• The trust Brodie has in her set is evident here as she is being
extremely open about her intentions for Monday morning
(p38) and her feelings about her superior.
Brodie’s “set”
• Brodie has confidence in her girls to keep her secrets/keep her out
of trouble…
• When Miss Mackay comes into the classroom and Miss Brodie had
been entertaining the girls with stories of her dead fiance Hugh –
“You did well…not to answer the question put to you.” (p13)
• When discussing Miss Mackay Brodie is confident that she cannot be
dismissed from her job and the only way she could be in danger
would be “a gross distortion on the part of a traitor. I do not think
ever to be betrayed.”(p39)
• Brodie has confidence in her girls to support her and does not
question their loyalty. The irony at this point is that on p26-27 the
reader is aware in a flash-forward that Brodie had been forced into
retirement due to a betrayal by “one of her own girls, we were called
the Brodie set.”
Miss Brodie was as solitary
character in the school
• “Miss Brodie never discussed her affairs with the other
members of the staff, but only with those former pupils whom
she had trained up in her confidence.”
School
• “It has been suggested again that I should apply for a post at
one of the progressive schools, where my methods would be
more suited to the system than they are at Blaine. But I shall
not apply for a post at a crank school.” (p9)
• Although Miss Brodie is unhappy that Miss Mackay does not
approve of her teaching style she is aware that she teaches in
a prestigious place. She looks down on the “progressive”
schools and feels that she does not belong in a place that she
could be categorised. Brodie feels she is an individual and at
Marcia Blane there is no one else quite like her – she seems to
relish this role.
SECTION 2
• FOCUS: creating at least 4 PEE chains for chapters 1 and 2
• Your content is going to be about how others view Miss
Brodie.
• What do they think of her? How do you know this? Think
about ‘the set’, the headmistress, other staff….?
Miss Mackay
• “Miss Mackay has accused me of putting ideas into my girls’
heads, but in fact that is her practice and mine is quite the
opposite.” (p37)
• Although this is from Miss Brodie’s point of view and she has
no problems disagreeing with this due to her usual confidence
in her own methods it is clear that Miss Mackay does not trust
Miss Brodie with the girls. She feels that Miss Brodie has
over-stepped the teacher’s line and is now influencing their
opinions in unhealthy ways.
• Eg. Crying at history in Chapter 1
• Eg.2 p36 – Miss Mackay’s wish for Brodie to stick to the
curriculum
The set
• Miss Brodie is the girls’ role model and has a big influence on
them. When Jenny and Sandy were discussing their
understanding of love and whether Miss Brodie had actually
“committed sex” with Hugh it is said:
• “Miss Brodie said they clung to each other with passionate
abandon on his last leave.” (p20)
• She is the girls’ romantic heroine and the only person they
really look up to. As she so often shares her stories with the
class they have used them as a basis for their discussions,
even writing a story based on her experiences literally casting
her in the role of romantic heroine.
• “I know…Miss Brodie’s above all that”
• “She would never resign. If the authorities wanted to get rid
of her she would have to be assassinated.”
• The girls had confidence in Miss Brodie in that she would
never leave them. They saw those trying to remove her as a
negative force that Brodie could easily be victorious over.
• Jenny said, ‘My mummy says Miss Brodie gives us too much
freedom.’
• ‘She’s not supposed to give us freedom, she’s supposed to
give us lessons,’ said Sandy (p25)
• This is the first indication that Sandy is slightly different from
the rest of the set and although she loves Brodie she is aware
of some of her faults.
Chapter 3
•
•
•
•
•
•
1. Focusing on p42-43
In what ways is Miss Brodie a) similar
b) different
to other Edinburgh spinsters of the time?
2. What effect does the change in timings have on the
reader? From chapter 1 -3 we have changed from 1936 to
1939 to 1931…
• Your answer should include a note on the type of narrator and
the impact of the changing times – don’t just tell me it is
complicated, try to explain the benefits of this structural
technique.
• 3. How does Miss Brodie feel about Italy? As an extension
•
how does she appear to feel about the Pope?
• 4. On p44 – comment on the details of dress Miss Brodie
•
gives her class…what does this suggest about her
•
personality?
• 5. Focusing on p45/46 what does the reader learn about Miss
Brodie’s in terms of
• a) Mussolini?
•
• b) The way she treats the girls in her class (if you can provide
at least one piece of evidence to support your point)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Read over p48 – 53
6. What do we know of Teddy Lloyd and Gordon Lowther?
Who are they? What do they have in common?
7. Why did Sandy look at Miss Brodie differently on p53?
8. What indication do we have that Miss Brodie cared for Mr
Lowther? p55
• 9. What contradiction in Miss Brodie’s nature is clarified on
•
p60 when discussing her love life?
• 10. In the flash-forward on p60 Sandy’s reaction to Miss
•
Brodie’s “whine” clarifies Sandy’s changing feelings
towards her old ‘idol’. What does this point show about
Brodie’s characterisation? What prompted this change?
• 11. p63 – When discussing Sandy entering the convent in later
years Miss Brodie manages to link it back to herself: “Do you
think she has done this to annoy me?”
• Is there any truth in this statement? In what way? (You may
wish to consider Brodie’s feelings about Catholicism and the
influence she had over Sandy)
Focus: end of p71 start of p72
• Look at the description of Brodie’s late fiance Hugh
• What light has been shed on Brodie’s stories in Sandy’s eyes?
• What can be learned about Brodie from this anecdote?
Chapter 4 and 5
• Working in small groups:
• Can you find any evidence (with page references) that would
contribute to our focus of:
•
•
•
•
Brodie’s characterisation
Sandy’s relationship with Brodie
Betrayal
The divided personality
• Group 1 and 2 (chapter 4 p75-84) Group 3 and 4 (p85 – 98)
• Group 5 and 6 (chapter 5 p99 – 114)
Suggestion:
• Split up the pages – each is a specialist in a certain area
• Take notes in jotters to then share on the group paper
• Don’t forget page references
• You should include a BASIC explanation of how your evidence
links into the four points mentioned.
• Your group will explain their points to the rest of the class
when they are complete.
• You should be prepared to be questioned on your points if
they are not explained well enough.
Before reading/studying
chapter 6
• Some background in formation
• We cannot forget the turbulent happenings in the world at the
time when the main action of the novel was set.
• 1. Just after WW1 – explained the personality of ‘modern’
women
• 2. Fascists rising in power (Mussolini mentioned) (Hitler)
• 3. Joyce Emily was anti-Franco (p118) – significance of this?
• Background information…
• fas·cism
• /ˈfæʃɪzəm/ Show Spelled [fash-iz-uhm] Show IPA
• noun 1. ( sometimes initial capital letter ) a governmental
system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly
suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry,
commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism
and often racism.
By the time the 1936 elections came around, the leftist Popular Front Party (el
Frente Popular) had successfully unified various leftist factions to win at the polls.
However, on July 18th 1936, an army rebellion started and thus the Spanish Civil
War began. The conservative army generals led by General Francisco Franco, began
a military coup to depose the elected government.
As the Spanish Civil War progressed, General Francisco Franco made agreements
with Hitler and Mussolini: Franco traded very large quantities of Spain’s primary
materials (iron ore, copper etc. for Germany and Italy’s growing weapons arsenal)
in exchange for military support to capture the strategic port of Bilbao in the
Basque Country. With this support, General Francisco Franco furthered his control
of Spain.
• Assisted by Hitler and Mussolini, General Francisco Franco
took control of most of Spain. The thorn in Franco’s side was
the Basque Country, which he had been unable to combat and
thus control. Franco called for Hitler’s assistance to break the
Basque Country through the use of the German Air Force. This
request led to the most shocking incident of the Spanish Civil
War: the bombing of Guernica (el Bombardeo de Guernica).
• At around 16:30 on Monday 26th April 1937, a force of
German planes (known as the Condor Legion) began the
blanket bombing of the historical town of Guernica. This was
the first time such a campaign had been carried out in any
war; it marked the start of mass attacks on undefended
civilians and was a testing ground for Hitler’s later campaigns
during World War Two (la Segunda Guerra Mundial). The
intention of this arial bombardment was to crush the spirit of
the Basque people and bring the Basque region to its knees.
• The actual death toll of the Guernica bombings is unknown
but it is estimated that 10,000 civilians were killed. Pablo
Picasso immortalized this horrific act through one of his most
famous works: Guernica (which currently hangs in the Reína
Sofía museum in Madrid).
Chapter 6 notes
• WE have read through chapter 6 together and stopped to
point out important quotes…
• When creating your notes try to link evidence to literary
techniques (character/setting(?)/ theme/ climax/turning
point)
• Don’t forget that Brodie’s termination from work was only an
excuse – her politics were not the only reason that Sandy
disapproved of her methods
Brodie study
• When you are working on your notes for Brodie try to
remember the basics:
• What is she like? How do you know? Does she change? In
what way and why?
• Narrative structure? Importance of this to the novel – what
impact does it have on the readers?
• Ensure you understand the themes and how they have been
conveyed.
Summary
• Bullet point the central goings-on in the novel:
• Central characters/relationships
• Who disapproved of whom and why?
• (As this novel is not in chronological order I suggest mindmapping or spider diagrams to show it doesn’t matter WHEN
the events took place in the novel)
Approaching study
• Use the materials available to support your study at home.
• 1. Google “SQA Pastpapers” – this will allow you to see
previous exam papers back to 2007.
• You can also use these for close reading revision but have a
look at the PROSE section.
• PROSE = novel/short story
• Remember to focus on BOTH parts of the question and plan
out how you would tackle this essay.
Planning – quick yet beneficial
• If you do not have time to write a full essay then plan the
important points:
• Intro (bullet point like we would a beginner’s plan)
•
•
•
•
3 body paragraphs – bullet point but include:
Topic sentence (actually write this as most could use practise)
Context and evidence (check you know what the context is)
Limit the quote to what you know you can memorise
• BASIC analysis – notes will be fine but you should be clear
what points you want to make from particular evidence/how
it links to your question
For example
• Choose a novel in which a central character’s failure to understand
the reality of his or her own situation is an important feature of the
text. Explain how the writer makes you aware of this failure and
show how it is important to your appreciation of the text as a whole.
• What two aspects must you focus on in this essay?
• How would you articulate Brodie’s failure of understanding? What
aspects of her situation is she not aware of?
Thoughts?
• Her brilliance as a teacher?
• Reasons against this?
• She is only looking out for her ‘set’ – she only wanted the best
for them?
• Reasons to show this reality is not entirely true?
How does this link to the
theme?
• You should be clear of the reasons why Sandy betrays Brodie:
•
•
•
•
•
Politics (yes but this was the final excuse)
Love (Rose and Teddy)
Curriculum?
Point of view – Girl Guides/Fascisti?
Lost respect – economy of her method – “ridiculous”
What areas of the novel would
you discuss for the following:
• Choose a novel in which one of
the main characters is not in
harmony with her society.
Describe the character’s situation
and go on to discuss how it adds
to your understanding of a central
concern of the text.
Another?
• Choose a novel in which an incident reveals a flaw in the
central character.
• Explain how the incident reveals this flaw and go on to discuss
the importance of the flaw in your understanding of the
character.
• Think carefully about this one. What aspect could you
choose? Ensure you cover BOTH parts of the task in your
plan!
Try to remember
• While you do not micro-analyse evidence for prose or drama it
is expected that you know some terminology.
• If you can mention the narrative style – flashforwards etc.
• Characterisation
• Setting (eg. Traditional school in the progressive times?)
• Turning point (perhaps useful here?)
• Climax – in your opinion? Why?