The Last Night (extract from Charlotte Gray by Sebastain Faulks)

www.teachit.co.uk 2011 15501 Page 1 of 1

Read through the article before starting on these tasks.

1. The short introduction explains that the two young boys are about to be transported to
the concentration camp. What does our own general knowledge tell us is likely to
happen there?
They are probably going to be killed or worked to death
2. Why were there so few pencils? What does this suggest about the conditions people
are living in and the way they are being treated?
This is because the pencils were taken by the police. This shows that there must have
been really restricted to the point that something as irrelevant as a pencil could be
denied from them
3. a) Make a list of all the details you can find in this extract which show what the living
conditions were like.
Andre was lying in the straw
The soft bloom of his cheek lay, uncaring, in the dung
The adults in the room sat slumped against the walls
b) Using these details, write a short summary in your own words of what it was like
in the barracks.
Ife in the barracks was not good at all. Judging by the fact that he was lying in the
straw tells us that that was probably the only place he could sleep. The dung
combined with the straw also hints to us that they must have been in some sort of
stable or barn. The way the adults sat slumped on the wall also shows how
uncomfortable it must have been in there
4. a) What are the characters feeling? Scan the passage looking for places where the
author has referred to or suggested an emotion that a character is feeling.
Highlight the examples you find.
Sat Slumped against the wall- this hints that the people there were depressed and had
lost all hope. This is caused by the thought of them leaving their loved ones and going
to a place that is strange to them and unfamiliar
One of the older boys embraced her in his gratitude this shows that the child was
very thankful for the service that had been done to him. This is probably shows that
they are treated really badly because of the extent of gratefulness he shows
b) Next to each highlighted detail, jot down which emotion is being shown.
c) For each one, make a brief annotation explaining what is causing that emotion.
5. Look at the sentence in line 42, She was looking to remember, forever. What
thoughts and feelings might this sentence evoke in a reader? You might like to
comment on its meaning, its length and/or structure and its placement in the text.
The word forever shows that this might probably be the last time she ever sees her
child ever again. This makes the reader feel sorry for the mother knowing that this
might be the last time she ever sees her child. The way the writer has put the phrase at
the end of paragraph also gives a greater effect to the reader being a sort of climax for
that paragraph
6. In line 43, Andre is described as holding his brothers hand hard. What does this
suggest to us about Andres thoughts/feelings? (Extension: How does this description
relate to the previous paragraph?)
When Andr sees the womans face and the stiff look at her child he realizes what the
The Last Night (extract from Charlotte Gray by Sebastain Faulks)
www.teachit.co.uk 2011 15501 Page 1 of 1
look means, he grabs his brothers hand and holds it hard as a way of saying that he
doesnt want to let his brother go or lose him. He realizes that he doesnt want the
womans fate to befall him also
7. For each of the following words/phrases, write a sentence saying what thoughts or
feelings they might evoke in a reader. Try to explain your response as fully as you
can.


Line 13 soft bloom of his cheek
The use of this phrase emphasizes on the boys youth given that flowers bloom in
their youth. This will make the reader sympathize with Andre and feel sorry for
him
Line 13 and line 33 dung and filthy straw
This will make the reader feel sorry for them because it will give them a picture of
how it must have reeked in there and how uncomfortable it must have been in
there
Line 15 slumped
The word slumped shows how hopeless the adults must have been which, yet
again, will make the reader feel sorry and sympathize with them
Line 16 spared
This word shows that something horrible was going to happen to them because
one cannot be spared from something that is good and beneficial to them which
will make the reader feel frightful for them
Line 25 homely
This word brings out the irony in this; the same buses that give them the warm
feeling if home are the same buses that may lead them to their death. This will
also make the reader feel bad for them because it will only give a moment of
calmness
Line 27 trembling
This will link what some of the deportees must have felt like to the buses. They
must have been literally trembling in fear. This will also make the reader feel the
fear of the deportees

8. What delayed the bus leaving the barracks? Why has the writer chosen to include this
detail?
A baby in a cradle was being lifted into the bus. I think he chose to include this
because it shows how much deceit and sugar-coating the officials must have been
using. This would give the deportees a sense of calmness knowing that nobody in
their right mind would ever bring harm to a young innocent infant
9. Read lines 49 52 again. (a) What is the writer describing in this sentence? (b) Why
do you think he has chosen to express this in such a long sentence?
He is describing how the police officer was trying to put the baby in the bus. The long
sentence enables the reader to see how much regard the police officer gave to the
baby and the effort he took to make sure the baby was in a comfortable position
10. For you personally, what details or techniques create the greatest pathos (definition:
the quality in something that makes people feel pity or sadness) in this passage?
The Last Night (extract from Charlotte Gray by Sebastain Faulks)
www.teachit.co.uk 2011 15501 Page 1 of 1
I think it the way he describes the situation and gives great detail about the living
conditions of the deportees. It helps me picture in my mind ho it must have been to be
there