The arrival of Grandma Lynn

Objective: To explore ways in which character is created

Is this your typical granny?

Her character traits

Hard drinking

Flirtatious

Fashion conscious

Fun

Her actions

Bakes for her family

Takes drugs

Advises Abigail

Helps Lindsey feel better

Hits on her grandchildren’s friends

Encourages her daughter to lose lots of weight?

Her roles

Mother

Grandmother

Mother-in-law

Saviour

Grandma Lynn brings hope, compassion and joy back to the Salmon household

Now find

One adjective One verb One proper noun One abstract noun

Aiming for an A? Add to the lists with your

own words.

What do we learn about Grandma Lynn’s character through representations of speech

and other narrative techniques?

Tip: you might wish to consider sentence types, paralanguage and the reactions of other characters to her arrival

Aiming for an A? What might a feminist say about Sebold’s depiction of Grandma Lynn

Did you get?

Her use of expletives (swear words!) show how she is a bold, non-traditional grandmother

‘Still handsome as hell Jack’Her use of imperatives show how she takes charge‘Clear off the table and get your mother over here’Lexical choices from the field of religion perhaps

paralleling Grandma to a Christ-like figure‘saviour’ ‘lord’ ‘heaven’

You are a film producer working on The Lovely Bones – The Movie. Your have an unlimited budget. What

decisions will you make as to the arrival of Grandma Lynn?

Music Choice of actors Instructions to actors regarding movement Instructions to actors regarding tone of voice Costume/props Instructions to film crew Lighting Setting

Plenary

Now add to the Grandma Lynn mindmap in your handbooks using key quotes and ideas from the lesson.