1. Describe an important character or individual in the text. Explain how this
character or individual was made important.
Answer both parts of the question: The main character in the novel, The Knife of
Never Letting Go, by Patrick Ness is Todd Hewitt. He is very important as the only
person who can save their world from imminent disaster in the form of war. In the
novel he develops from a typical truculent teenager to a responsible, trustworthy
individual with the potential to save the dystopian society in the New World which
Ness has created. Ness shows Todd’s importance through the events which follow
Todd’s escape from Prentisstown with the new settler, Viola. The story is told
through Todd’s eyes in (i) the first person in an almost interior monologue style
through a series of near misses, escapes and danger. This is how Ness makes him
important as he explores the (ii) growing relationship between Todd and Viola.
Establish the situation in the book: Todd lives in Prentisstown and is “the last boy”.
When he turns 14 he will undertake the mysterious rite of passage to manhood and
the town will be complete in the way that Mayor Prentiss wants it: “I am the circle
and the circle is me”. The new town has a major fault described as The Noise – all
men can hear each other’s thoughts so there is no privacy or secrecy. Driven mad by
The Noise, the men of Prentisstown destroyed the indigenous Spackle people and
then the women who weren’t afflicted by The Noise.
The town is ruled by Mayor Prentiss who believes that “knowledge is dangerous” and
who needs “the last boy” to become a man and become “complicit with the other
men”. Prentiss believes that once they are all guilty of murdering innocent people
they can start afresh. Todd is very important because as Aaron, the fanatical town
preacher says, “If one falls we all fall”.
Develop your answer with quotations and evidence: HOW – (i) Todd’s story is the
classic story of the innocent child who must save the world but who does not know
why or how. His story is told by Ness in the first person recording his thoughts
………………………………. Ness uses odd spellings……………………………… and [style
elements]
What is Todd like? How does he change? What are his good points and how does he
show them?
(ii)The relationship between Todd and Viola is very important – in the beginning……..
Conclusion – come back to your opening paragraph and repeat what you said (using
different words wherever possible)
2. Describe an important conflict in the text. Explain how this conflict was
resolved/settled at the end.
Answer both parts of the question: The main conflict in the novel, The Knife of Never
Letting Go, by Patrick Ness is between the young protagonist, Todd Hewitt and the
dictatorial mayor of Prentisstown but most of the physical conflict occurs between
Todd and the fanatical town preacher, Aaron . This conflict is largely resolved by the
end of the novel (i) after a series of battles but the conflict between Todd and the
mayor will be continued in the second and third volumes of this trilogy. Todd is
(ii)very important to both men as the only person who prevents them from being
united and taking over the world. They want to make him become one of them.
Establish the situation in the book: Todd lives in Prentisstown and is “the last boy”.
When he turns 14 he will undertake the mysterious rite of passage to manhood and
the town will be complete in the way that Mayor Prentiss wants it: “I am the circle
and the circle is me”. The new town has a major fault described as The Noise – all
men can hear each other’s thoughts so there is no privacy or secrecy. Driven mad by
The Noise, the men of Prentisstown destroyed the indigenous Spackle people and
then the women who weren’t afflicted by The Noise. Mayor Prentiss believes that
“knowledge is dangerous” and he needs “the last boy” to become a man and become
“complicit with the other men”. Prentiss believes that once they are all guilty of
murdering innocent people they can start afresh. Todd is very important to their
cause because as Aaron, the fanatical town preacher says, “If one falls we all fall”.
Develop your answer with quotations and evidence: (i) trace the series of battles
between Aaron and Todd showing how it is told through Todd’s eyes and using
quotations.
(ii)Explain Todd’s importance and why the mayor needs him so desperately.
Conclusion – come back to your opening paragraph and repeat what you said (using
different words wherever possible)
3. Describe at least one technique in the text that you thought was very
effective. Explain why you thought this technique was very effective.
Answer both parts of the question: One main technique in the novel, The Knife of
Never Letting Go, by Patrick Ness which was very effective was the first person
narrative through the innocent eyes of the protagonist Todd Hewitt. He is very
important as the only person who can save their world from imminent disaster in the
form of war. In the novel he develops from a typical truculent teenager to a
responsible, trustworthy individual with the potential to save the dystopian society in
the New World which Ness has created. Ness uses (i) the first person in an almost
interior monologue style through a series of near misses, escapes and danger to tell
Todd’s story and (ii)to explore the growing relationship between Todd and Viola, a
modern day new settler.
Establish the situation in the book: Todd lives in Prentisstown and is “the last boy”.
When he turns 14 he will undertake the mysterious rite of passage to manhood and
the town will be complete in the way that Mayor Prentiss wants it: “I am the circle
and the circle is me”. The new town has a major fault described as The Noise – all
men can hear each other’s thoughts so there is no privacy or secrecy. Driven mad by
The Noise, the men of Prentisstown destroyed the indigenous Spackle people and
then the women who weren’t afflicted by The Noise.
The town is ruled by Mayor Prentiss who believes that “knowledge is dangerous” and
who needs “the last boy” to become a man and become “complicit with the other
men”. Prentiss believes that once they are all guilty of murdering innocent people
they can start afresh. Todd’s story is very important because as Aaron, the fanatical
town preacher says, “If one falls we all fall”.
{Develop your answer with quotations and evidence: (i) Todd’s story is the classic
story of the innocent child who must save the world but who does not know why or
how. His story is told by Ness in the first person recording his thoughts
………………………………. Ness uses odd spellings……………………………… and [style
elements]
What is Todd like? How does he change? What are his good points and how does he
show them?
(ii)The relationship between Todd and Viola is very important – in the beginning……..
show how we see the relationship through Todd’s eyes with lots of quotations.
Conclusion – come back to your opening paragraph and repeat what you said (using
different words wherever possible)
Describe at least one important idea which the writer made you think about.
Explain how the writer made you think about it.
Answer both parts of the question: One very important idea in the novel, The Knife of
Never Letting Go, by Patrick Ness is the idea of power and its abuse and the need for
innocence and honesty in society. Todd Hewitt is very important as the only person
who can save their world from imminent disaster in the form of the power crazy
Mayor Prentiss. In the novel Todd develops from a typical truculent teenager to a
responsible, trustworthy individual with the potential to save the dystopian society in
the New World which Ness has created. Ness uses Todd as an innocent youth who
does not know the truth about the new world. The story is told through Todd’s eyes
in (i) the first person in an almost interior monologue style through a series of near
misses, escapes and danger. This is how Ness uses him to explore his ideas as he
explores the (ii) growing relationship between Todd and Viola.
Establish the situation in the book: Todd lives in Prentisstown and is “the last boy”.
When he turns 14 he will undertake the mysterious rite of passage to manhood and
the town will be complete in the way that Mayor Prentiss wants it: “I am the circle
and the circle is me”. The new town has a major fault described as The Noise – all
men can hear each other’s thoughts so there is no privacy or secrecy. Driven mad by
The Noise, the men of Prentisstown destroyed the indigenous Spackle people and
then the women who weren’t afflicted by The Noise.
The town is ruled by Mayor Prentiss who believes that “knowledge is dangerous” and
who needs “the last boy” to become a man and become “complicit with the other
men”. Prentiss believes that once they are all guilty of murdering innocent people
they can start afresh. Todd is very important because as Aaron, the fanatical town
preacher says, “If one falls we all fall”.
{Develop your answer with quotations and evidence: HOW – (i) Todd’s story is the
classic story of the innocent child who must save the world but who does not know
why or how. His story is told by Ness in the first person recording his thoughts
………………………………. Ness uses odd spellings……………………………… and [style
elements]
What is Todd like? How does Todd show the reader the danger of a power-crazy
dictator and the need to have hope and trust people?
(ii)The relationship between Todd and Viola is very important in showing all this – in
the beginning……..
Conclusion – come back to your opening paragraph and repeat what you said (using
different words wherever possible)