Before Reading the Novel

Consider the internal and external covers of the book.

a) Are you able to get a feeling about the story based on the blurb and illustrations?

b) What does it give away that could help you piece together what might happen in the book?

c) Record your ideas so that you can revisit them during your reading of the novel.

Read the contents page with the list of chapter titles. What impressions do the headings give you about the story? Which ones do you find more appealing? Why?

Themes

Personal Identity and Individualism

Ishmael declares that he will be voted the Mayor of Loserville because of his Ishmael Leseurs Syndrome. What does this tell you about how Ishmael feels about his identity?

What does Ishmael feel about the story of how he got his name?

What do you think of Ishmael? What strengths and weaknesses does he demonstrate throughout the novel?

Over the course of the novel, Ishmael faced and overcame many challenges. Looking back, what do you think would be three things that Ishmael might say he learnt? Do you like Ishmael better at the end of the novel?

Find your own evidence of identity in the text and record it in the following table.

Scene

Chapter and page number

In your own words, explain how it demonstrates the theme of identity.

Conformity

How does James Scobie challenge the notion of conformity at St Daniels Boys College?

How is the way Scobie responds to Barry different from Ishmaels?

Find your own evidence of conformity in the text and record it in the following table.

Scene

Chapter and page number

In your own words, explain how it demonstrates the theme of conformity.

Rebellion

Ishmael said at the start that Year Nine was the toughest, the weirdest, the most embarrassingly awful and the best year of (his) life.' Highlight the acts that highlight teenage rebellion either for a good cause, or simply as an act of defiance.

Find your own evidence of rebellion in the text and record it in the following table.

Scene

Chapter and page number

In your own words, explain how it demonstrates the theme of rebellion.

Characterisation

In your novel who does the author introduce to the reader?

Create a table like the one below then list all the people the narrator introduces us to, including themselves.

If the narrator gives us their name, include it.

If the narrator only gives us a common noun (such as friends), include that instead.

In the middle column, list up to five important details the narrator tells us about the person or people if any,

Try to predict whether we will learn more about that person or people later in the book.

Characters/families introduced

Proper name or common noun?

Things the narrator tells us about them

Predict: will they be a major or minor character? Will they be flat or round?

Why or why not?

Hair and eye colour?

Personality?

Nationaliy?

Gender? Age?

Interests or hobbies?

Friendships Throughout the novel, Scobie and Ishmael are tormented by Barry Bagsley and his group of bullies; using the Venn diagram, show how the two characters deal with the bullying.

Complete the Character Inference Chart on two of the main characters in Dont Call me Ishmael.

A writer can reveal aspects of character by telling the readers what the character is like and by showing the readers. A writer might show readers what particular characters are like in many different ways by how they move, by their mannerisms, by what they do, by their interests and attitudes, by how they speak, by their appearance and by their name. Discuss ways in which the characters of Prindabel, Bill and Razza are shown in Chapter 21.

Setting

Please read the graphic organiser below and create your own organiser in your workbook where you write your own examples for each of the senses.

Construct a table like the one below in your workbook to explore the author's use of sensory imagery to describe the setting.

As you read through the novel fill in this table to demonstrate your understanding of each of the senses.

Sense

Example from novel

How is the reader supposed to react to the authors descriptions?

Home

School

Other location/s

Making Connections

Use the three worksheets to make connections between the novel you are reading and yourself, another text and a world/global.

Double Entry journal: text to text What connections can you make between Dont Call me Ishmael and another text you have read or watched.

Double Entry journal: text to self What connections can you make between Dont Call me Ishmael and yourself?

Double Entry journal: text to world What connections can you make between Dont Call me Ishmael and things you know about the world?

Vocabulary

Find one word per chapter that you do not know the meaning of and complete the WORD MAP for each word.

Remember the WORD MAP asks for a definition in your own words, words with similar meanings, a sentence using the word correctly and a drawing of the word.

Language

Read the following extract from Dont Call me Ishmael and complete the discussion questions on the text, which highlight different literary techniques such as descriptive, sensory and emotive language as well as tone, mood and setting.