“Sailmaker”Textual analysis

practice

Remember

In the Scottish Text part of the Critical Reading paper in the exam you are given an extract from the play and you then have to answer different textual analysis questions using your knowledge and understanding of the play and the different techniques used by Alan Spence.

We are going to be doing a number of activities to further prepare you for this part of the exam.

Practice textual analysis for prelim

The extract starts on page (“Imagine really being a fitba player...”) down to page (...Two notes on mouth organ. Fade).

Question 1- 2 marks

Look at the first five lines of the extract.

At this stage in the play, Alec and Ian are still young and optimistic.

How does the language of these lines convey this?

Hint- when you are asked about “language” you should always quote plus comment.

“Imagine really bein a fitba player”

This emphasises that the boys have hopes, dreams and ambitions for the future that they would like to achieve.

“Best job in the whole world”

This emphasises their youth as they want a job that they will enjoy and they want to be like their role models when they are older.

“Better than bein a painter”

This emphasises that the two boys have hopes, dreams and ambitions to have better jobs and better lives than their fathers.

Question 2- 8 marks

Look at the extract from “What’s up wi your face?” down to “On yer way, pal! Out the door”.

Davie has just been made redundant. Show how the writer’s language conveys the reactions of:

• Davie.

• Billy.

Hint: provide 2 x quote plus comment for each character.

Billy

“Bastards”

This emphasises that Billy feels very angry at Davie’s employers for making him redundant and feels that he has been treated badly.

“But that wisnae your fault”

This emphasises that Billy is outraged as he believes that Davie has been blamed for something unfairly and lost his job for no reason.

Davie

“DAVIE shakes head”

This emphasises that Davie feels disappointed and frustrated at losing his job and he can’t believe it has happened.

“Turn roon an kick ye in the teeth”

This emphasises that Davie feels disappointed and let down by his employers and he thinks they have treated him badly.

“Try tellin’ them that”

This emphasises that Davie feels like he does not deserve to lose his job and he feels that he has been blamed for something that wasn’t his fault.

Question 3- 2 marks

Look at the extract from “Bit of bad news son” down to “Never died a winter yet”.

Explain, using evidence, how Davie gives a different reaction when speaking to Alec.

(Shrugs)

This suggests that Davie is trying to act like he is not that bothered or worried about losing his job.

“Ah’m better off out ae it”/“that was a lousy job anyway”/“Better than nothing”.

This emphasises that Davie is trying to put on a brave face and seem optimistic. He is pretending that he is glad he doesn’t have to work there anymore.

Question 4- 8 marks

With close reference to the extract and the rest of the play, explain how the relationship between Alec and Ian develops.

Step 1- from the extract

•Find one piece of evidence from the extract and then clearly explain it, making sure that you answer the question.

(Quote plus comment).

From the extract

“Imagine really bein a fitba player”

This conveys that Alec and Ian used to play together when they were younger and talk to each other often.

Step 2- commonality

•Find one piece of evidence from the extract and then clearly explain it, making sure that you answer the question.

(Quote plus comment).

•Now, explain how this links/connects to somewhere else in the text (outside the extract).

Commonality

“Best job in the whole world”

This conveys that both Alec and Ian admire and look up to football players and would like to have a job that they love, like playing football.

This links to earlier in the play where we find out that the two boys have different ideas about the type of job they want when they are older. Ian wants a trade like his father, but Alec wants to go to university and get a job from his education.

Step 3- from the rest of the play

•Identify a piece of evidence from elsewhere in the text and clearly explain it, making sure that you answer the question.

You have to do this two times, but I would suggest three. You do not quote here.

From the rest of the play

• Alec is a lot more interested in religion than Ian is. For example, Alec attends religious groups and studies the bible, but Ian is not impressed by this and feels left out.

• Ian is much more sectarian than Alec. For example, Ian regularly makes sectarian and bigoted comments about Catholics but Alec is more respectful and open-minded.

• Ian and Alec are very close when they are younger, but they gradually start to drift apart. For example, Alec goes to private school and Ian eventually moves to Aberdeen.

•Alec is an optimistic and positive person whereas Ian is much more sarcastic and cynical. For example, when Alec finds the yacht he really likes and admires it and he wants to repair it, whereas Ian is not impressed and he is critical of the yacht.

•Alec and Ian have very different views about the importance of education. For example, when Alec is accepted into private school, Ian teases him and makes fun of him about it.