4th August 2017

I am Esther

“SURVIVAL” TEXTS PLANNING TEMPLATE

TEXT: _________________________________________

AUTHOR/ DIRECTOR: _______________________________

1) THE SITUATION AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TEXT:

Who are the central characters?

Where are they?

What is their central situation?

CENTRAL CHARACTERS SUPPORTIVE QUOTES/DIALOGUE THAT GIVE IMPORTANT (SURVIVAL) INFORMATION
Kirby Greenland/Esther Pilgrim– a bright 14 year old girl who has been taking care of her mother since she can remember. Her world is flipped upside down when her mother leaves her to stay with her uncle and aunt who change her name to Esther. She is forced to conform to new ways of thinking and believing. She struggles to know who she really is. Who was I now?  Who I used to be was disappearing and there were only bits of me left that sometimes I caught sight of in puddles or dark windows.

Why would you not want to be married?  It is what all girls of our faith want.

I’d never seen such a grey man.  His hair was grey, his clothes were grey, his shoes were grey.  I couldn’t see his eyes – they were lost under a frown and wrinkles.

I had prayed.  Me, who didn’t believe in God.

I hacked at the plait, sawing the knife backwards and forwards across my hair.

Kirby’s mum (Ellen), nah. starve them to death,i say. keep them in the dark.

I’m so hopeless with money! Why am I so hopeless Kirby?

Daniel the oldest of the Pilgrim children and Kirby’s confidant who is struggling with the decision to leave his family and pursue his career. you have no idea how free I feel!  I thought I would be frightened without the Rule but it is wonderful.

I ask to be able to be given permission to study at university… I ask the community to give me permission to become a doctor so that I may serve you all.

Mrs Flethcher Kirby’s guidance counselor and main supporter throughout her adjustments to a new way of life.
Caleb Pilgrim– Kirby’s uncle who is the head of the household and main disciplinarian Your mother has repented and is making atonement for her years of sin.
Magdalene “Maggie” Pilgrim- the youngest of the Pilgrim children, she is very close to Kirby and the main reason Kirby puts up with her uncle’s strict ways.

 

THE SETTING (WHERE CHARACTERS ARE: TIME AND PLACE) SUPPORTIVE QUOTES/DIALOGUE THAT GIVE IMPORTANT (SURVIVAL) INFORMATION
At the start of the book kirby and her mum live at their house in Auckland. kirby got home and her mum was crying. (she never cried. never)

kirbys mum dragged kirby and gemma all over Auckland looking for the right christmas presents.

when kirby asked her mum about the men coming to their house she said ->

A letter can in the mail and kirby’s mum had gone perfectly white

she didn’t even drink it, just held it in her hands then put it on the table.

Kirby Greenland: what’s wrong? what’s the matter?

Kirby’s mum: sorry kirby. i’m fine. really. Just ghosts from the past. Put it down to christmas. Don’t they say christmas brings out all sorts of stresses? How about we have tea in town? There’s a new restaurant David told me. Yummy food, he says.

Kirby Greenland: is David hassling you?

Kirby’s mum: of course not! No guy hassles me. You know that!

Kirby Greenland: what ghosts?

Kirby’s mum: just things. Ignore them and they’ll go away.

Kirby Greenland: they don’t seem to have. Aren’t you supposed to get things out in the open? Confront them, and then they go away?

Kirby’s mum: nah. Starve them to death, i say. Keep them in the dark.

Kirby Greenland: drown them with tears.

Kirby’s mum: They should be well dead, then.

Kirby Greenland: but you never cry.

Kirby’s mum: not since you took over the budget, i’m so hopeless with money! Why am i so hopeless, Kirby?

Kirby Greenland: (I could of have said, because you’re a sucker for a sob story, or because you help Louisa and her kids so much, or because you’re a dizzy flake who shop till she drop.)

Kirby Greenland: i dunno.

Kirby Greenland: she’s driving me nuts!

Louisa: something’s going on. Must be something to do with those creepy guys who’ve been visiting.

Kirby Greenland: what guys? I don’t know anything about creepy guys visiting!

Louisa: you don’t?

Kirby’s mum: because it’s my business and nobody else’s.

Kirby Greenland: mum! Mum! Stop it! What’s the matter? Tell me!

Kirby’s mum: i’m okay. I’m fine. Just a bit of a shock. Not to worry, it’ll be all right. Get me a drink of water, will you Kirby. Thanks.

Maggie tugged at my hand, then followed my glance. She stood dead still and her face went white as he swans on the lake. “Miriam!” she screamed and her voice sent shivers right through me. “its Miriam! Its Miriam’s ghost!

My own heart was doing a tap dance. But that girl was no ghost. She was flesh and blood and her clothes were real. “Are you Miriam” Kirby asked. She nodded, staring at Maggie, desperate to comfort her. But Uncle Caleb said sharply, “hurry along, Esther. Put Magdalene in the vehicle, if you please.”

He looked at the girl. At Miriam. His daughter. His eyes swept right over her as if she didn’t exist. She cringed and bit her bottom lip but she didn’t say anything. Years of training. Years of the discipline

 

THE SITUATION (WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERS DOING/WHAT IS THEIR SITUATION) SUPPORTIVE QUOTES/DIALOGUE THAT GIVE IMPORTANT (SURVIVAL) INFORMATION

 

2) THE CONFLICT/PROBLEM:

What is happening to place the characters in a difficult circumstance?

What is the problem?

What conflict/s arise?

THE CONFLICT/S OR PROBLEM/S SUPPORTIVE QUOTES/DIALOGUE THAT GIVE IMPORTANT (SURVIVAL) INFORMATION

 

3) CHARACTERS’ SURVIVAL TECHNIQUES/ACTIONS:

What do the characters do to survive?

How do they try to get themselves out of this problem/conflict/difficult circumstance?

THE CONFLICT/S OR PROBLEM/S SUPPORTIVE QUOTES/DIALOGUE THAT GIVE IMPORTANT (SURVIVAL) INFORMATION

4) THE OUTCOME

Are the characters’ survival techniques/actions successful?

What is the outcome of the character/s situation?

 

THE OUTCOME- What happens to the character/s?

* Do they survive?

SUPPORTIVE QUOTES/DIALOGUE THAT GIVE IMPORTANT (SURVIVAL) INFORMATION

 

  1. What do we (as the viewer/reader) learn about the “nature of survival” from this text?

– What does the author/the characters of this text want us to know about survival and a human’s/animal’s ability to survive?

– What does it take to survive difficult circumstances?

– What do we learn about the environment/the world/extreme conditions?

 

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* Use more paper for these “final conclusions” if you need to.

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