Journey’s End by R.C. Sheriff
Post-Reading Activities –Essay
What were Sheriff’s aims in writing Journey’s End and how successful was
he in achieving those aims?
Thesis Statement
 Aims of drama (entertain and provide a moral message)
 Sheriff’s aims (personal, moral, dramatic)
Body
 Entertainment (how does Sheriff entertain his audience?)
 Moral message (how does Sheriff provide a moral message to his
audience?)
 Literary/Dramatic features (how does Sheriff employ these contexts to
reinforce his aims?)
Conclusion
 Provide an overall judgement on Sheriff’s success, in terms of
achieving his aims in writing the play
 Write your personal response to the play, focusing on its impact on
you and its message for subsequent generations
Points to Remember
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Playwright’s intentions
Effect on audience
Social; historical context
Address the question
Employ textual evidence
Evaluate every point you make
 Use the present tense when discussing the events of the play
 Self-edit your work carefully in order to eliminate technical errors