PLAYS COVERED
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Journey's End by R C Sherriff;
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The Accrington Pals by Peter Whelan;
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Not About Heroes by Stephen Macdonald;
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Oh What a Lovely War by Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop.
FEATURES
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Specifically for A-Level Students (Key Stage 5) studying English Literature;
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Useful in-depth summaries of the plays;
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Detailed sections on Character Analysis or Biographies, Themes and Comparisons provide a valuable resource for examinations, coursework and individual essays;
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Additional depth and understanding can be gained through our inclusion of military and historical sections;
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Extra background information in our Glossary of military terms and section on the ranks of the British Army;
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Valuable critical assesments of various aspects of the plays;
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Comparitive Questions and General Advice for students;
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Bookmarked for ease of navigation.
CONTENT
This Literature Study Guide includes notes on:
JOURNEY'S END
Introduction: A brief overview of the play, Journey's End by R C Sherriff.
Synopsis: An in-depth summary of the three acts of the play, Journey's End, outlining the main events that take place. Clear and concise, these notes are especially useful for revision and refreshing a student's knowledge and understanding of the play.
Main Points of Interest: The most note-worthy events which take place within each act.
Glossary of Terms: The military terminology used within the play is explained.
Characters: Vital to the comprehension of Journey's End, our Study Guide gives detailed character analysis of Stanhope, Raleigh, Osborne, Trotter, Hibbert and Mason. Essential points of focus are the effects of the war on the individual and their reactions to their surroundings and experiences.
Historical Signficance: An understanding of the setting of an historical play is fundamental to a full comprehension of the events that take place.
Portrayal of ranks in the British Army: Provides a brief outline of the role of each of the ranks involved in the play, together with an explanation of Sherriff's use and portrayal of these ranks.
Biography: A biography of R C Sherriff, the author of Journey's End.
Themes: Of particular value, this section of the Study Guide explains the main themes of the play. Topics covered are:
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Futility
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Boredom
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Schooldays
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Family
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Humour
Comparisons: Considered by many to be the key asset of our Guides, this section helps students compare and contrast various aspects of Journey's End with other literature of the First World War, including the poetry of Siegfried Sassoon, E.A. Mackintosh, Robert Nichols, Edmund Blunden, Wilfrid Wilson Gibson and Edith Nesbit, as well as the novels Strange Meeting by Susan Hill, All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque and The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West.
A Question of Comparisons: This section contains suggestions for possible topics of study and gives examples of the texts which could be used. These suggestions, in our opinion, provide suitable material for Comparitive Studies, assuming that Journey's End will be one of the texts involved.
THE ACCRINGTON PALS
Introduction: Briefly outlining the play, The Accrington Pals by Peter Whelan;
Synopsis: An in-depth summary of the two acts of this play, detailing the main events and conversation that occur. This section is of particular value during revision; Main Points of Interest: Very brief outline of the events which take place within each act;
Characters: Here we give detailed analysis of the main characters involved, including May Hassal, Tom Hackford and CSM Rivers, plus a section on the importance of the minor characters in the play;
History of the Accrington Pals: A brief explanation of the formation and historical background of this, and other, Pals Battalions during the First World War;
The Battle of the Somme: Provides a concise outline of the planning and fighting of the Battle, including an assessment of modern thinking with regards to this controversial engagement;
Themes: This section of the Study Guide explains the main themes of the play. The topics covered are:
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Sacrifice
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Changing Times
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Relationships
Comparisons: A key asset in our Guides, this section is designed to help students compare and contrast various aspects of The Accrington Pals with other literature of the First World War, including the poetry of Siegfried Sassoon, and Jessie Pope, as well as the novels Strange Meeting by Susan Hill, Regeneration by Pat Barker, Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks and The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West;
A Question of Comparisons: Here we provide suggestions which in our opinion, provide suitable material for Comparitive Studies, assuming that The Accrington pals will be one of the texts involved.
NOT ABOUT HEROES
Introduction: A concise summary of the play Not About Heroes by Stephen MacDonald;
Synopsis: Detailed outline of the main events and conversations depicted in the two acts of this play;
Main Points of Interest: Very brief summary of the acts - particularly useful in revision;
Biographies: As the characters involved are real people, we have provided detailed biographies for Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen. In addition, there are also biographical details on others mentioned in the play, such as Robert Graves, Robbie Ross, Edward Marsh, H. G. Wells and Arnold Bennett;
Themes: In this section of the Study Guide we explain the main themes of the play. The topics covered are:
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Male Relationships
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Feelings about the War
Comparison: Here we provide a valuable critical assessment of the use of factual details in works of fiction. The pieces studied include: Regeneration by Pat Barker, Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks, A Long Long Way by Sebastian Barry, Journey's End by R C Sherriff and All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque.
OH WHAT A LOVELY WAR
Introduction: A very brief overview of the play of the play Oh What a Lovely War;
Synopsis: Summary of the main events and conversations depicted in the two acts of this play;
Biographies: Rather than analysing the characters in the play, we have provided biographies for Sir Douglas Haig and Sir John French. Taken in conjunction with the next section, this enables students to see how the real personalities differ from their portrayal in the play;
Critical Analysis: In this section, we have provided a detailed critical examination of two topics which are relevant to the study of this play:
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Portrayal of Characters
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The Representation of War
Comparison: Here we provide a valuable critical evaluation of the use of satire in First World War literature. The treatment of Oh What a Lovely War is compared to the poetry of Siegfried Sassoon and A.P. Herbert as well as The Wipers Times and Blackadder Goes Forth;
Appendix - Ranks in the British Army during the First World War: A useful table demonstrating the ranks and roles within the British Army at the time these plays are set;
General Advice to students: Useful tips on examination techniques;
Further Reading: Useful suggestions of books, with brief descriptions, that we believe enhance the reader's understanding of the play.
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