Transcript NLMG The Cottages

*
Notes Prompts and Supporting Material for
pages 113-153
*Part Two of the novel marks
a new ‘in-between’ stage in
the students lives.
*Consider the way Keffers interacts and
responds to the students at the Cottages. Is it
discomfort or disgust that he feels towards
them?
*What does being put into various halfway
homes suggest about the students abilities to
look after themselves? What does it suggest
about their ability to ‘integrate’ into the world
of the ‘normals’?
*
*‘…no one would stop us if we
wandered off, provided we were
back by the day and the time we
entered into Keffer’s ledgerbook.’
(p116)
*
*Where are the Cottages set? Do we know?
What impression do we get of the setting?
*How different are the Cottages to Hailsham?
What are the differences?
*What is the mood and atmosphere of The
Cottages? Does it seem inviting for 16 year old
young adults?
*
*Kathy describes how
people tend to mimic
‘appropriate’ and
‘normal’ behaviour that
they see on the
television. Why might
they do this?
*What part does physical
intimacy and sex play in this
section? Why is it important?
*
*It isn’t until the
students are away from
Hailsham and ‘settled’
into the Cottages that
Kathy starts to stand up
to Ruth. What does this
change signify?
*What are your
impressions of Ruth?
Why does she lie and
manipulate people?
*Who are The Veterans? What
role do they play? (this means
why is it important that they
are part of this section – what
do they allow us to understand
about the main characters, and
what theme do they contribute
to?)
*
*What sort of relationship exists
between Ruth and Kathy,
throughout the novel but
particularly in this section?
*