Lesson video

Hello, and thank you for joining me for today's lesson.

My name is Mrs. Butterworth and I am particularly excited about this lesson because in this lesson, we will be watching videos of Helen Edmundson, the writer of the adaptation of "Small Island", talk about the context, characters, and themes of the play.

Now, this is such a great opportunity to hear from the writer herself, so I really hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

So shall we get started? Great, then let's go.

So in this lesson, you will use Helen Edmundson's comments on context, characters and themes to deepen your personal responses.

But before we delve into the lesson, let's look at some keywords.

Now, these lessons may appear within the lesson, but also in the videos that we are going to watch where Helen Edmundson is talking.

And these words are: transactional, empathy, universal, zeitgeist and insular.

Now, transactional is an exchange between people often with something expected in return.

So you may hear Helen Edmundson discussing how some of the relationships in the play could be seen as transactional.

Empathy is the understanding and sharing of someone else's feeling.

So you feel empathy towards someone because of their situation, for example.

Universal is true or relevant for everyone, everywhere.

So you may hear the themes of "Small Island", for example, being referred to as universal.

The word zeitgeist, I love this word, is the general mood, ideas and beliefs of a particular time in history.

So you could describe something being very much of the zeitgeist of the time.

And insular is having a narrow or limited view of the world, isolated or inward looking.

And again, we may hear Edmundson discuss and describe some of the characters as being insular.

So the outline of our lesson looks like this.

We're going to start by considering context further.

We're then going to move on to look into some character insights before finally unpacking those themes, all with the writer Helen Edmundson.

So let's begin.

In this first video, we will watch Helen Edmundson discuss the title "Small Island".

So make sure you are ready to do some very careful listening.

Once you have watched the video, you will need to answer the following question or complete the following task.

And this is to write down three things that Helen Edmundson says about the title.

So do be listening out for some examples as you watch the video.

So gather what you need to complete this task.

You may want to grab a pen or a laptop to make some notes, but most importantly, we need to be listening to what Helen Edmundson has to say about the title.

So I'm going to press play now.

<v ->Yeah, so I think Andrea would agree</v> that "Small Island" is, you know, it's one of those brilliant titles that works on different levels.

There's the "Small Island", which is Jamaica, which is literally in the great scheme of things, a small island.

There's the small island that is Great Britain or the UK, which again, you know, is, in context it probably is geographically a small island.

But I think it's also, it also is about the mentality.

It's a reference to the mentality of the people who live on islands.

But I think it's definitely a reference to the thing of living on an island and in the case of Great Britain, sort of cutting yourself off, feeling that you have control over this space which has sea all around it and is therefore somehow kind of impenetrable a sense of insularness, not looking outwards, not being part.

So for example, if you live in Italy or Germany, you are in the heart of Europe, you have borders with various different countries and there's a kind of sense of fluidity of people and ideas through over these borders.

Whereas in Great Britain, certainly at that time before, yeah, up until the sort of first waves of immigration post-Second World War, there was this sense of insularness of somehow thinking we were right and better and sure of ourselves and being very, very wary, and hostile to a large extent, to outsiders.

You know, I think now it's interesting that you hear people say all the time, which I think also picks up on what Andrea was talking about, this thing of, you know, we are only small and we are full, you know, there's too many people, we can't, we are full, we are small.

And it's, there's a sort of, yeah, I think that kind of feeds into it as well.

And then again with Jamaica at the time, that sense of that they did feel as though they were just a little, a little island, a small island which was part of this thing called Empire, which was this wonderful great big thing that was over there somewhere.

And that would, you know, and that the motherland was Britain and London and that they're just somehow this little tiny dot, this satellite on the outer edges of what's really important.

And obviously that was being challenged, which is great by the fact that there was an independence movement in Jamaica at the time.

And there was definitely some people who didn't see themselves in that role, but for a lot of Jamaicans.

But simply because that's what had been imposed on them and that's what the education system had reinforced.

That is how they saw themselves to an extent.

So yes, I think it's all those things in play.

<v ->Great.

</v> It's really interesting to hear her talk about these things, isn't it? And gives you a real insight into her brain and how she's thinking.

So now just take a few moments if you haven't already, to write down those three things that Helen Edmundson says about the title.

Pause the video to give yourself time to do this.

Okay, great.

So we have Laura's answer here.

Let's see what she put down.

So the three things that she put down are that Edmundson says that the title refers to a particular mindset that is insular, that keyword there, and shows how people on a small island can be cut off and not open to others.

She explains that Jamaica was seen as a small island on the edge of the big British Empire, and that she says that some people in Britain had a mindset that was wary and hostile to outsiders.

So I like that how Laura has actually used some quotations from the video there.

So I'd like you just to spend a few moments comparing your own answers and discussing, is there anything you can add to Laura's answer? You'll need to pause the video to give yourself time to complete that.

Off you go.

Okay, great.

Some excellent answers there and definitely more than three things that we could have written down.

So well done.

It is true or false time.

So let's see what we remember.

So Edmundson suggests that the title "Small Island" only refers to the geographical locations of Jamaica and Britain.

Is the answer true or false? Come up with your answer now, please.

Well done to everyone that said that the answer's false, but I need to know why that answer is false.

So please pause your video to give yourself time to come up with that explanation.

Off you go.

Okay, great.

So here is my answer.

So hopefully you have something similar.

So Edmundson argues that the title also reflects a mindset that is insular, inward looking and resistant to outsiders.

So it's false because she doesn't say it's only the geographical location.

She says it means a lot more than that.

So in this next video, we will watch Edmundson discuss the connection between "Small Island" and the Windrush generation.

After we have watched the video, we will answer the following question: What three things do you learn about the Windrush scandal? So as you are watching the video, you may want to have this question in the back of your mind.

So are we ready to watch the video? Okay, fantastic.

Then I'm going to press play now.

<v ->It was interesting because</v> when we first started working, obviously it takes a long time to develop a play and when we first started working, the idea of the Windrush generation or that sort of idea of the Windrush generation wasn't something that was talked about.

No one, you know, there hadn't been a Windrush scandal and it just wasn't something that was in the zeitgeist, strangely.

Andrea had, you know, Andrea had told this story built on personal experience and her parents' personal experience and her father had come over on the Windrush.

So she knew all about, you know, she knew all about that and she had a very three-dimensional understanding of what those experiences were.

So she had, you know, crafted this brilliant story and obviously there was a lot of awareness about immigration, racism, people who'd come from different areas of Empire, et cetera.

The issues in Britain connected with those things, the brilliant things connected with those things.

But this idea of Windrush as such wasn't really very forward in the news, it wasn't something that people talked about generally.

And then it was sort of quite far into the process when we weren't that far away from going into production, that the actual Windrush scandal was opened up and came into the news.

which was very much, you know, obviously connected with the fact that the warm welcome which people from the Caribbean were promised, and which the novel and the play had clearly shown to have been a sort of false dream and a false offering, that actually, the kind of the breaking of that promise was continuing and continuing in a really quite, given that we'd, as a country, et cetera, it felt as though we had all, we all knew so much more than those people did in 1940, you know, '45, '46, '47, '48, when the first waves of the people were coming over on Windrush, et cetera.

There was a level of just kind of not knowingness and ignorance, but, I think what was really telling about the Windrush scandal as it were, was just the fact that with all that history behind us, with all that time, with all that what was supposed to be increased understanding and integration and et cetera, et cetera, the sort of betrayal and the fact of that broken promise was still happening in a sort of seemingly, well, at best, careless, but worse, cynical way.

So it really threw into very, very sharp focus the story that we were telling and the importance of the story we were telling.

And Andrea, I remember Andrea saying that it had upset her, that particular fact of that broken promise, in that, you know, 21st century context had upset her more than anything else had in relation to this whole saga.

So yeah, I think it just really, it really enforced and everybody in the room, you know, every single person associated with the production felt even more the importance of telling this story at this time.

<v ->Okay, great.

</v> Again, such fantastic insights from Helen Edmundson there.

So I'm going to suggest that you pause the video in order to give yourself time to complete the question: What three things do you learn about the Windrush scandal? So pause your video now, please.

Okay, great, thank you.

So shall we see how Izzy answered? This is a really good opportunity to compare to your own answers.

So Izzy said that she learned that the Windrush scandal felt like a betrayal and a broken promise.

Again, Izzy using those quotations from the videos there.

Andrea Levy was most upset by the way people were promised a home, but then treated unfairly.

And the scandal wasn't well known until just before the play was performed, when it finally made the news.

So perhaps you have something different or even similar to Izzy, but I'd like you just to spend a few moments discussing and considering if there is anything you can add to Izzy's answer.

So do pause the video to give yourself time to do that.

Off you go.

Okay, so A, B, or C? According to Edmundson, what upset Andrea Levy most about the Windrush scandal? Is it A, B, or C? Pause the video to come up with your answer now.

And a very well done to everyone that picked answer B.

So according to Helen Edmundson in the video, she said that Levy was most upset about the continued broken promise to the Windrush generation.

So we're on to our practice task now, and what I would like you to do is, I would like you please to discuss the following question: How do Edmundson's comments about the play's title and the Windrush scandal help you understand the play better? So you may want to discuss specific characters, what the title "Small Island" means and why the story is still important today.

Before you begin discussing, you may wish to jot down some ideas first.

So we've looked at lots of videos already and we have lots of information, so do use these to really help you discuss that question.

So when you are ready, pause the video so you've got time to complete that task.

Off you go.

Great, thank you.

It was so nice to hear such lively discussions and you've clearly taken a lot from those videos, so that's fantastic.

So here we have Alex and Jacob.

So let's see how they responded to that question.

"So the title suggests a closed off attitude that shapes the play's story and characters.

Bernard reflects the insular mindset that Edmundson describes and he seems to see Britain as superior and resists change or difference." Lovely answer from Alex.

And Jacob said, "Considering the Windrush scandal, I can see how characters like Hortense feel hurt and betrayed when Britain doesn't keep its promises.

This makes the story feel real and important today because it shows how history and unfairness still affect people's lives." So some really thoughtful answers from our Oak pupils there.

And I would like you now to discuss, considering your own discussions and notes, what could you add to Alex and Jacob's comments? So how could we develop their comments further? So, you know, to pause the video to get that done.

Off you go.

Okay, so in this part of the lesson, we are going to look specifically at characters.

So we've looked at context, we are now going to move on to characters.

So in this video we will watch Helen Edmundson discuss Hortense's journey throughout the play.

And when we have finished watching that video, you will need to list three ways that Edmundson describes Hortense.

So do be keeping an ear out for those as you watch and listen to the video.

So hopefully we are ready to go.

Have you got a pen or a laptop maybe if you want to take notes? But we definitely need to make sure that we are listening.

So I'm going to press play now.

<v ->Hortense's journey is a very complicated one,</v> and she does obviously, she goes, she changes a great deal through the piece.

So much of Hortense is, again, rooted in the way that she has been raised, her life experience as a child, the going to live with the Robertses when she was a small child and sort of at a very impressionable age.

And so she has kind of, she's drunk in a lot of the very upright Christian beliefs of Mr. Roberts and the need for self-discipline and also that notion, I suppose of, because Mr. Roberts was a figure in the community, someone who people looked up to.

There was something about being part of that family, sharing that, having that name, being welcomed in church, dressing perfectly.

And so, there's just, there's a little bit of Hortense that has embraced that very so thoroughly, that there's a sort of, there is a kind of, for want of a better word, a slight kind of snobbishness about the way that she interacts with the world, a sense that somehow she is actually just a little bit better than a lot of people.

And it's very much a product of her upbringing and also a sort of naivety, a young, you know, her youth and the fact that she's growing up in a very small town on a very small island.

And there's also an aspect of Hortense, I think in a way that because of Michael's, the fact that Michael leaves, she feels abandoned by him and then when she goes off to, you know, the things that go wrong with Michael and the family unit, the Roberts', which she's only ever really been on the periphery of, that has kind of disappeared for her and dissolved and she's gone off to teaching, to learn to be a teacher and so on.

I think what she does is, she puts up, she puts up kind of defensive barriers because she doesn't feel, because she doubts whether she's lovable, you know, there's a kind of pattern of abandonment.

Obviously she felt love for Miss Jewel, a kind of unconditional love and Miss Jewel's a hugely important person to her.

But her mother had left, she never knew her father, apart from maybe a sense of him once or something, Michael's abandoned her.

the Robertses are no longer there as a kind of feasible, welcoming place for her to go to, if they were ever welcoming.

So she doesn't trust that she is lovable.

And because of that, she does put up these barriers.

She doesn't let people close.

The way that she treats Celia, you know, Celia's kind of open offer of friendship, Hortense's inability to understand the value of that and to sort of return that love and friendship in the same way is very telling, I think.

And then as she moves through the story, obviously when she encounters Gilbert, it is quite transactional, this thing, this getting married that she offers.

Well, it is transactional.

That's exactly what it is.

And so yeah, I think there's definitely a sense that she needs to learn that she can be loved.

And when she starts to learn that through Gilbert, she starts to learn that she can also love and you know, she will love little baby Michael and she will love Gilbert, I think.

I know she will.

So yeah, it's a rather wonderful journey, I think, for Hortense.

<v ->Okay, great.

</v> So what I would suggest now is that you pause the video to give yourself time to list those three ways that Edmundson describes Hortense.

So pause the video just to finish that up.

Off you go.

Now, I would like you please to answer the following question: Edmundson says that Hortense feels abandoned and unloved.

Does this change the way you feel about Hortense? So Edmundson says that Hortense feels abandoned and unloved.

Does this change the way you feel about Hortense? So this can be a discussion task or you may wish to jot down some ideas or even think quietly to yourself, but you'll need to pause the video to give yourself time to come up with your answer.

Off you go.

Great, thank you.

So let's look at how Andeep answered this.

So let's focus on Hortense first.

So the way Edmundson describes Hortense.

So the three ways that Andeep came up with was that she shows a snobbishness in how she treats others, that there is a sense that she thinks she's better than most people and that she is young and naive.

So this is how Edmundson describes Hortense.

Can you add anything to Andeep's answer? So think back or look back to what it was that you said, those three things, and think about whether you can add anything to Andeep's answer.

Pause the video to give yourself time to do that.

Off you go.

Okay, and then we had that follow up question where Edmundson says that Hortense feels abandoned and unloved.

Does this change the way you feel about Hortense? So let's see how Lucas answered to this question.

So Lucas has said, and this is his opinion, that "Considering Hortense as struggling with feelings of abandonment makes me see her actions in a more complex light.

Her pride and treatment of Celia may be ways of protecting herself from further rejection or proving her worth in a world that overlooked her.

I think it makes her a much more sympathetic character." I think that's really interesting from Lucas, isn't it? And something that's really special about this play is how complex the characters are.

Because even though Hortense is, you know, highly flawed, she's particularly mean to some people, specifically Celia.

There is a sense that we feel sorry for her and there is some sympathy to be had there for Hortense.

So thinking about Lucas' answer, to what extent do you agree and why? Do you agree with Lucas? Or do you disagree? Pause the video to give yourself time to discuss that.

Off you go.

Okay, so true or false time.

Edmundson suggests that Hortense's sense of superiority is shaped mainly by her education and her experiences living in Britain.

Is the answer to that question true or false? Come up with your answer now please.

Well done to everyone that said false.

However you do now need to explain why that statement is false.

So pause the video to come up with your explanation now.

Off you go.

Okay, so I'm gonna share an answer, hopefully you have something similar, maybe slightly different.

But that is false because Edmonton suggests Hortense's attitude comes mainly from her upbringing in the Roberts' family and her small town island background.

Okay, so let's keep going.

So in this video, we're going to watch Helen Edmundson discuss the characters, Michael and my favorite character Gilbert, okay? So we're gonna watch her discuss those characters.

As you watch the video, okay? Maybe think about this following question that you will need to answer when we are done.

So write a list of the similarities and differences between Michael and Gilbert, okay? So be ready to listen, gather what you need to complete the task, and we'll do that together in a moment.

So I'm about to press play now.

<v ->Michael and Gilbert,</v> I think they, in a way they're very similar in that they both want to forge ahead with their lives.

They're both ambitious.

They're both very smart and have a sense that there's a kind of world out there which they want to be a part of, and they want to explore and have opportunities in.

So there are a lot of similarities, I think.

I think the differences lie in probably in the way that they've been raised to some extent.

With Michael, there's definitely a sense that, that sort of, he's had quite an interesting experience in childhood because his father is extremely strict.

You know, the religion is at the forefront of things.

Doing the right thing, going to church, not bringing shame on the family, being upright, being respectable and dependable is kind of paramount.

On the other hand, he's also had this kind of adoration from his mother and this sense of him being, 'cause obviously he's an only child and he's had this sense of being an important person, an important little boy.

And then he goes to you know, to this boarding school where everything is gonna be very smart, the level of education is going to be very good, et cetera.

But I think the combination of those two things, along with his natural kind of flexibility of mind and ambition mean that he's, and he's ended up pushing very, very hard against, he's very hard against his father and very hard against what he sees as the limitations of what his father has tried to instill in him and the kind of life that they've lived.

His eyes have been opened at boarding school and there's a, you know, just at a time when he's full of that kind of rebellious desire to kick against things and make his own path.

So it means that there's a kind of, almost a sort of ruthlessness in Michael to escape and to make a life for himself that suits him, where he feels that he is gonna, you know, he's gonna shine and it's gonna offer him what he wants.

Whereas I think with Gilbert, we don't find out a great deal, especially in the play about Gilbert's family life, but we do get the impression that he is, that there's a kind of relaxed happiness largely about the way that he's been raised.

You know, he's very fond of his parents, clearly.

There's a sort of humor around his dad, there's a kind of warmth in the way he talks about them, and he's kind of at ease in his own skin.

He doesn't have that sort of touch of anger and recklessness and selfishness and ruthlessness that's there in Michael.

So he still has the ambition, he still has the dreams, he still has, you know, the sort of the desire to get out there and make his place in the world.

But there's a, I don't think Gilbert would, I don't think Gilbert would have that same capacity to kind of interact with somebody and then just, and then just kind of forget them and move on or he's.

Yeah, there's something.

Gilbert is more, there's a more two-way thing with Gilbert.

He is more affected by his interactions with people.

He meets people halfway, in a very similar way to, in the way that Queenie does.

<v ->Okay, thank you, everyone.

</v> Isn't that such an interesting video? I loved what she had to say about these characters and it just really helps me to understand them even further.

Okay, so we now have that task to complete.

So write a list of the similarities and differences between Michael and Gilbert.

Pause the video to give yourself time to do that now.

Okay, great.

Shall we see one of our Oak pupils' answers? So this is how Sam answered.

So Sam has said that "Michael has a ruthlessness," again, the quotation from the video, "and pushes hard against his strict upbringing.

Gilbert is at, is at ease." That's a tongue twister.

"Gilbert is at ease in his own skin and shows a relaxed happiness," which is very different to Michael.

"Gilbert is more affected by people while Michael can move on easily." So we think of how Michael left in Act I.

He doesn't seem to be so concerned with others, whereas Gilbert seems to be quite more affected by how he treats people.

So I'd like you to pause the video to consider your own answers and discuss, can you add anything to Sam's answer? So pause the video and get discussing.

Okay, so now we need to come up with the answer A, B, or C.

And the question is: Which character does Edmundson describe as having a flexibility of mind and ambition? So which character does Edmundson describe as having a flexibility of mind and ambition? Pause the video to give yourself time to come up with that answer.

Off you go.

Well done to everyone that said, Michael, that flexibility of mind and ambition.

I think that's a really lovely phrase from Edmundson to describe that character here.

Okay, so in this next video, Edmundson discusses Queenie and Bernard.

So we're going to watch that video in a moment.

And then you are going to write down three words or phrases used to describe Queenie.

So listen out for some ideas there.

And then you're going to write down three words or phrases used to describe Bernard.

So again, listen out for those.

Okay, so hopefully we are ready to watch this video because I'm going to press play now.

<v ->I mean, Queenie And Bernard</v> are so different from each other and probably not a very good match for each other, essentially.

Queenie, I suppose Queenie is a dreamer, you know, Queenie has dreams and ambitions.

She is an open person, she's openhearted, and when she meets people, she looks them in the eye and she sees another human being and she gets to know that person.

And she often draws out the best in that person.

She can tease people, she can sort of push the boundaries a little bit of making relationships with people.

Yeah.

And she sees possibility in things.

She has great empathy.

She can adapt and make changes.

You know, she's put in an extremely difficult position when Bernard doesn't come home and she ends up having to run a boarding house.

Not what she was anticipating, but she adapts.

And there's a sort of essentially open human quality to Queenie.

Bernard.

Bernard is sort of the opposite.

Bernard is very threatened by change.

He can't adapt.

He is very fearful of the world, he's very fearful of other people.

When he meets people, he is wary, cautious, judgemental, threatened.

And what he is always trying to achieve is to cling on to his little island, his little piece of the world on which he lives, and to shore it all up and make sure nothing can change it or shake it.

I always imagined that he was very affected by the death of his mother because obviously, that was a huge change in his life, which he would not have been prepared for.

And he has now managed to kind of keep moving forward to an extent.

But he's built up new structures, he has new routines with his father.

You know, he has his job in the bank, which he goes to every day, at the same time, he does the same things.

He comes home, they probably make the same food.

The chairs have to be in the same place.

Bernard is a very, Bernard is all fear really.

And Queenie is a lot more outward-looking and a lot braver.

And Bernard does struggle with empathy, whereas Queenie has limitless empathy.

So it's, obviously the two of them being together is, they are going to challenge each other.

I remember someone asking, Andrea and I were both there in the room and someone asked whether we thought that Queenie and Bernard would stay together beyond the end of the play.

And I said that I thought it, I thought it might just be possible if Bernard could continue to work on changing and opening up a little bit.

But Andrea said absolutely no way on earth would that ever happen.

She was absolutely sure that they would end up going their separate ways, but they both serve a, you know, they both absolutely serve the purpose that they're needed for in the narrative.

<v ->Okay, fantastic.

</v> Now, what I would like you to do is to complete those tasks.

So write down those three words or phrases to describe Queenie.

And then the same for Bernard.

You'll need to pause the video to give yourself time to finish those tasks.

Off you go.

Great, thank you so much.

So let's see how Aisha and Jun answered.

Maybe you have something similar, maybe you have something different.

This is a really nice opportunity to compare your own answers.

So Aisha said that the three phrases she identified were a dreamer, open-hearted, and that she can adapt.

Whereas Jun for Bernard identified these words, fearful, wary, and judgmental.

It's interesting, isn't it, that we can really start to see the differences between these two characters, which is why I think they make for an interesting pairing.

But that's enough of my opinion and Aisha's and Jun's.

What I would like you to do now is I would like you to discuss the following question: How do these words, or the words that you have also picked, help you understand the differences in their characters and their relationship? Okay, so considering Aisha and Jun's answer and your own answers, discuss how do these words help you understand the differences in their characters and their relationship? So when you are ready, pause the video and get discussing.

Okay, so true or false time.

Helen Edmundson believes that Queenie and Bernard would stay together beyond the end of the play.

Is that true or is that false? So think back to that video and what did Helen Edmundson say? Does she believe that Queenie and Bernard would stay together at the end of the play? Come up with true or false now, please.

Well done to everyone that remembered that is true.

But can you now explain why that statement is true? Pause the video to give yourself time to come up with your answer.

So yes, here's my answer.

So Edmundson says she believes Bernard and Queenie could stay together if Bernard continued to change and open up.

And I think it's really interesting what Edmundson says in the video about how Andrea Levy was like, "No way would they stay together.

They're far too different." Whereas Helen Edmundson was a bit more optimistic about this opportunity for change.

Okay, so we are on Task B now, and what I would like you to do, please, is I would like you to identify one important insight you took from what Edmundson said about each character.

Okay? So one important insight, or one important piece of information that you took from what Edmundson said about each character.

So we've got Hortense, Michael, Gilbert, Queenie, and Bernard.

I'm sure you've had lots of discussions and have made lots of lovely notes to help you complete this task too.

So when you are ready, pause the video and get that grid done.

Off you go.

Okay, once you have completed that grid, I would then like you to discuss, has anything Edmundson said changed how you feel about any of the characters? Why or why not? So pause the video to discuss your answers.

Off you go.

Great, thank you so much for your lovely suggestions.

It's great to have such a variety of different responses and different ideas, and that's exactly what watching and studying plays is all about.

So what I would like you to do now is just look at how some of our Oak pupils answered.

So we have an answer here.

So "Considering Hortense's feelings of abandonment, abandonment made me feel more sympathetic." I would agree with that, actually.

"Her pride now seems like a way of protecting herself, not just snobbery." And I think that's a really interesting point.

Edmundson definitely talks about Hortense as a much more complex sympathetic character than we may have first thought.

"Edmundson's view of Michael as ambitious, but shaped by pressure made me see him as more complex and not just selfish." "Edmundson's description of Gilbert as warm and empathetic deepened my admiration for him.

He seems the most emotionally grounded." "Hearing Bernard described as fearful and threatened by change made me understand his behavior, though I still find it hard to excuse." I think that's a really lovely, thoughtful answer there because you can think those two things at the same time.

We can be understanding of characters like Bernard, but not excuse his behavior.

So I think that's a really interesting point there.

And then finally, "I didn't realize how much hope and possibility Queenie represented until Edmundson described her.

I respect her more now." So some really lovely personal responses there.

And I'd like you now to discuss, to what extent do you agree with these opinions and why? So pause the video to give yourself time to complete that.

Off you go.

Okay, so we have looked at context, we have looked at characters, and now we are moving on to themes.

So let's delve in to unpacking themes with Edmundson.

So this video is all about Helen Edmundson explaining how the play explores the gap between dreams and reality, which is a very important theme in the play.

So we're going to watch that video in a moment.

And then I would like you to answer the following question: Does the play suggest it's better to hold on to dreams or accept reality? So as you listen to Edmundson talk, really think about that question and how you could possibly answer it.

So are we ready to watch the video? Fantastic.

Then I will press play now.

<v ->There was very definitely a sense in Jamaica in the 19,</v> well, right through Empire really, of a very particular idea of Britain being a very particular picture of Britain being created.

So in the, you know, very much in the education system, in politics, in church, in all the different aspects of life, there was this image of the motherland being created.

You know, Gilbert too has very strong ideas about the opportunities which will be there for him in England.

And likewise, Queenie has been sold ideas of the perfect marriage, looking a perfect way, meeting a handsome man, having beautiful babies.

You know, Queenie's not from London, Queenie's from Lincolnshire.

And I think particularly, again, there's that sense of a little bit like with Gilbert and Hortense, there's a sense of somehow not the real life and that the wonderful things are happening somewhere else.

And all these characters start to have these ideas of what all the possibilities and all the wonderful things that are going to happen to them if they can only get to this place, this England, for Queenie, London, you know, well, for all of them, eventually London.

So yeah, I think there's definitely a sense of possibility and to an extent, unrealistic, romanticized ideas which have been either, which have been probably deliberately sort of put out there, which people have bought into because they seem enticing and they seem wonderful.

And then of course, in real life those things don't exist.

There will be possibilities, but they'll be very hard earned.

There'll be more possibilities and opportunities for some people than there are for other people.

There'll be huge amounts of compromise and difficulty involved, disappointments, et cetera.

So I think, you know, I think Andrea recognized that it's in those, that compromise is where we have to be realistic and it's within that recognizing of what reality is that we can start to find actual progress and actual moments of moving forward and actual moments of hope and building on some sort of realistic foundation.

<v ->Okay, lots to think about there.

</v> So now we have watched the video, you'll need to pause the video to finish answering that question.

Does the play suggest it's better to hold onto dreams or accept reality? Pause the video to get that question completed.

Off you go.

Okay, so let's see how Alex answered that question after watching the video.

So he said, "I think the play shows it's important to accept reality because the character's dreams come from idealized ideas about Britain.

Edmundson says real opportunities are hard to get and many face disappointment.

Accepting this helps them find hope through compromise." And I can see here how Alex has really used Edmundson's comments in the video to shape his own opinions in his own responses, which is a really good thing to do.

And now I would like you to consider Alex's comment And to discuss to.

Okay, I would now like you please to pick one of the following answers, A, B, C, or D in response to this question.

So the question is, why does Edmundson say it's important to face the reality betw, behind romantic ideas? Let's try that again.

Why does Edmundson say it's important to face the reality behind romantic ideas? Okay, so pause the video to come up with your answer to pick A, B, C, or D.

Off you go.

Okay, so hopefully we have a lot of confident-feeling people, and for those of you that chose the answer, A, you are absolutely correct.

So she says that it is important to face the reality behind romantic ideas because compromise and difficulty can lead to true progress and help.

Okay, so now we are going to watch Edmundson discuss whether "Small Island" is a hopeful play, okay? So again, another really important theme in this play.

So when we have finished watching the video, I would like you please to list three reasons why "Small Island" is a hopeful play.

So maybe be thinking about those as you listen and watch the video.

Okay, so I'm going to press play now.

<v ->I think there is a great deal of hope</v> in "Small Island," in the ending.

I think it's a realistic play in that it doesn't shy away from the reality of what it means.

You know, what it means for Queenie and Michael's baby to be raised in this country where there was so much hostility and sort of ignorance.

I think hopefully by the end of the play, we love Gilbert and Hortense and we trust them.

And so I think given that degree of compromise and the sort of tragedy really, of Queenie's feeling that she isn't equal to the task on her own of raising her child, it's the best possible outcome that Gilbert and Hortense and we know we trust them and we know that they are going to love this child.

And we know that people like Queenie for all her, you know, she's very much of her time, and for all her limitations, there is hope in Queenie as well.

I think in that she sees, she meets people eye to eye, she doesn't see the peripheral, she doesn't get hung up on how people look or where they're from or anything other than just what she reads in their eyes.

And I think that gives us hope because she's one of the first, you know, of hopefully many, many people who understand that that's the way to approach the world.

Unlike someone like Bernard who, even in Bernard's, there's even hope, I think, a little bit, in Bernard's willingness to, when he says, you know, that he wants to, that he and Queenie could raise the child together and that he could be the child's father.

Although I think Queenie rightly understands that that that's probably a misplaced feeling that he would be up for that or ready for that or able to deal with it.

But the fact that he reaches for that and that he has the impulse to say that.

I think there's also hope in that.

I think there's something rather uplifting and in the fact of Hortense kind of inadvertently being reunited with Michael through this baby who is Michael's.

One thing I talked about a lot with Andrea was the legacy of slavery in the Caribbean in terms of broken families, in terms of family structures that had been initially deliberately eroded by slave owners in order to weaken the Black, the Afro-Caribbean people.

And I think there's something very important about the fact that in Hortense holding Michael's baby and taking that little boy into her family, that's amended family somehow.

And I think that's very hopeful.

<v ->Okay, great.

</v> Again, so much to think about and really insightful ideas there around the theme of hope in the play.

So now you'll need to pause the video to finish that task of listing three reasons why "Small Island" is a hopeful play.

Pause the video.

Off you go.

Okay, thank you so much for your answers.

So here is how Jacob answered.

So Jacob said that "Edmundson suggests that the play is hopeful because: Gilbert and Hortense take the baby and the audience trusts they will love and care for him.

Queenie shows hope by seeing beyond appearances and truly connecting with others.

And finally, Hortense taking the baby brings a feeling of a, and Edmundson says 'a mended family' and a fresh start." So now considering your own answers, can you add anything to Jacob's? So pause the video to discuss that question.

Off you go.

Okay, so now we are going to watch another video, and this time, Helen Edmundson is discussing the play's most important themes, ideas, and questions.

So it's kind of bringing everything together now.

So when we are finished watching the video, you're going to answer the question: What themes or ideas are the most important? So do be listening out for that as we watch.

Are we ready to watch this video? Fantastic.

Okay, so I'm going to press play now.

<v ->One of the themes which I think is definitely there,</v> which I suppose the most, I guess the most important one really for me is encapsulated in what Gilbert says towards the end of the play about the things that we have in common being so much more important and relevant than the superficial things which set us apart.

You know, I think when Andrea and I were talking, she would always say that she wanted to write, that she wanted to write a novel which spoke to all of us, you know, that didn't say, that essentially saw it as a universal issue for all of us in a way, to find the things which, just, you know, the humanity and the things which we all have in common.

You know, I think Gilbert says, we want, you know, we want love, we want to feel useful, we want to have, you know, to be able to live freely to, and those are the things which I guess everyone is striving for in the novel.

And which I think hopefully Andrea is saying we should all be striving for and we should all be prioritizing rather than looking at the things that divide us.

So I think that is there very strongly.

I think the idea of the sorts of unrealistic dreams and notions which we sometimes take on board or are influenced by is also there.

And then the sort of compromise involved in reality, the sort of making room for each other, the trying to meet each other halfway.

I think Andrea felt very strongly about that.

<v ->Okay, and now it's over to you to finish the question,</v> which is what themes or ideas are the most important? So pause the video to give yourself time to do that.

Off you go.

Okay, thank you, everyone for your responses.

So here is how Jun answered and that was a very difficult question 'cause there's a lot to think about in that video.

So Jun has said that "Helen Edmonton says the most important themes are understanding and shared humanity.

The play shows that we have more in common than we think, and real hope comes from meeting each other halfway and learning to live together." Really great answer there from Jun, but you may have something different or you may have something to add because as I said, there was so much in that video to think about.

So it's definitely worth discussing now whether you can add anything to Jun's answer, and I'm sure you can.

So pause the video and off you go.

Okay, so thank you, everyone.

Now, we need to answer the following question.

According to Edmundson, why is Queenie a hopeful character? So according to Edmundson, why is Queenie a hopeful character? So you'll need to pick an answer now, A, B, C, or D, and pause the video to give yourself time to do that.

Off you go.

Okay, are we ready for the answer? Has everyone got something? Great.

Okay, so well done to everyone that said, C, she sees people for who they really are.

And I think that is something that makes Queenie such a wonderful character is that she really does see people for who they are.

And Edmundson talks a great length about this.

Okay, so Task C now.

After listening to Helen Edmundson's comments, how far do you believe that "Small Island" is a hopeful play? So again, we're going to think about Edmundson's comments and how they can develop our own feelings and thoughts about the play.

So the question is, after listening to Helen Edmundson's comments, how far do you believe that "Small Island" is a hopeful play? And I'd like you to write a short answer to explain your ideas.

So you could consider what Edmundson says about the ending.

Think about how characters change or grow and Edmundson's ideas about reality and dreams. Okay? So really think about what Edmundson said.

But also the thoughts and feelings you have yourself about the play.

Okay, so make sure you have everything you need to complete this task.

And when you are ready, pause the video and write that short answer.

Off you go.

Thank you for your answers, everyone.

Let's just look at how Sam responded.

So Sam said, "I think 'Small Island' is hopeful because Edmundson highlights a realistic yet caring ending.

Characters like Queenie and Hortense grow by facing difficult truths.

The play shows that true hope comes from balancing dreams with reality and finding strength in shared humanity." A really lovely, thoughtful answer from Sam.

And I'd like you just to spend a few moments comparing your own ideas and really having a bit of reflection time by discussing, to what extent do you agree and why? So pause the video to give yourself time to discuss that question.

Off you go.

And that signals the end of the lesson.

A very well done, everyone.

There were lots of big ideas to grapple with there, and you have done really well at finding those and linking them to your own ideas and comments.

So let's just run through what we have done today.

We know that Edmundson notes the Windrush scandal emerged during production and really deepened the play's relevance.

She suggested that Hortense experiences deep feelings of abandonment, that Edmundson highlights the stark contrast in Michael and Gilbert's upbringings and how this shapes their identities.

Edmundson suggests hope and progress come through compromise and by honestly addressing reality.

And she describes "Small Island" as a hopeful but realistic play.

Thank you so much for your hard work in the lesson today.

I really hope you'll join me for another lesson too, and I will see you then.

Okay, goodbye.