Form 4 Literature Components

Drama :
The Right Thing To Do
By Martyn Ford
 Synopsis
A man is lying in the street. Three people, Patrick, Rebecca and
David pass by and thy look at him not knowing what to do. They
are in two minds – whether to walk away or do something to help
him. They push the act of checking on the man to each other as
each feels it is not their problem. As they are hesitating and
arguing, a woman in blue comes and she immediately starts
helping the man. She instructs each on of them to do certain
things – David has to call for an ambulance, Rebecca to get water
from a house nearby and Patrick to feel the man’s pulse. The lady
and Patrick see the bottle of pills in the man’s pocket. He has to
take one if he feels ill. They help him to take a pill and he feels
better. The woman walks away quietly unnoticed by the famous TV
chef. The ambulance takes him away and the three bystanders
are happy they have done the right thing by heling the man They
commented on the woman walking way, not wanting to help.
 Setting

Time :Daytime
Place : the sidewalk
of a street in
town
 Match A to B.
Plot
A B
1 A woman in blue helped the man by giving instructions to the three bystanders. A Exposition
They were instructed on what they should do during an emergency. The man
recovered after he was given a pill from his medicine bottle. He thanked them
quietly.
2 Rebecca and Patrick saw a man lying on the pavement. They did not do B Conflict
nothing except looked at him. They felt it had nothing to do with them.
3 The three bystanders were happy the man recovered and was taken to the C Climax
hospital in the ambulance. They congratulated themselves for a job done. They
felt the woman did not help much. They felt helping the man was the right thing
to do.
4 David passed by and asked about the man. He too did not make any attempt D Falling
to check on the man. All three felt that they were not duty-bound to help the Action
man.
5 The ambulance came and after the doctor and nurse had checked on him, E Resolution
they took him to the hospital. Michael Scott thanked the three bystanders for
their help.
Practice 1
Answer the following questions

1. Who wrote the play ‘ The

Right Thing to Do?’

Martyn Ford
2 (i) Who was the first person to see the man lying
on the pavement of the street?
Rebecca
(ii) What are the three things she did before she
started to walk away?
She stopped , looked around at the man and then
looked around her.

(iii) Why do you think she looked around her?

She did this to make sure nobody was around to see her
ignoring the man and walking away.
3. Who came by and stopped to look at the
man too?
Patrick
4 i. What specific thing did he want to
know about the man?
He wanted to know if the man was
dead.
ii. What reason did he give her? What
do you think of his reason?
His reason was she was there first. I think that
is unreasonable as he could have helped
the man even if he came by later.
5 i. Who was the next person to stop by?
David
ii. How did he react to the situation?
He merely asked questions and said that it was
not his problem whether they helped the man
or not.
iii. How would you feel if you have seen
them in the street? Give your reason.
I would have felt angry because for the three healthy
grown-up to not even raise a finger to help a sick
person on the road is a despicable attitude.
6 i. How did Rebecca react to the woman’s
answer to their questions?
She answered that then he was not her problem.

ii. How did the woman rebuke her?

The woman told her to be quiet.

iii. Do you think Rebecca deserved to be

told off?
Yes, she deserved it because in spite of the fact that
he was a stranger to her, the woman helped the man,
something that Rebecca should have done.
 What did the woman instruct the following
7
people to do?
i. Rebecca –To get some water

i. Patrick –To feel the man’s pulse

ii. David - To call for an ambulance

8 Describe the three bystanders’
reaction to the whole incident after the
man recovered and was taken away
to hospital?
They felt pleased that the man had recovered
and that it was due to their efforts. They
credited and congratulated themselves for
doing the right thing. No credits went to the
lady in blue. “It was the right thing to do and we
were there for him”
Practice 4
Number the following sentences to show the
correct sequence of the story. The first one
has been done for you.
A A woman in the blue sees the man and she bends down to ( 4 )
help the man.
B Rebeca sees a man lying on the pavement of the street. ( 1 )

C She tells the three of them to do as she instructed – call the ( 5 )

ambulance, get the water and feel the man’s pulse.
D David comes by an all three bystanders feel it is not their ( 3 )
problem.
E They give the man a pill from his pill bottle and he recovers ( 6 )
and thanks them quietly.
F Michael Scott thanks the three bystanders before leaving ( 8 )
with the ambulance.
G The ambulance comes and the doctor and nurse examine ( 7 )
the man.
H She is wondering what she should do when Patrick comes by ( 2 )
and both look at the man.
Match the examples listed below to the
appropriate literary devices and elements.
 Examples Devices &
Elements
1 The three bystanders congratulated themselves for doing A Flashback
the right thing and forgot to credit the woman in blue. 3
2 The man lying on the street is symbolic of public apathy B Language
and style
when help is needed. 5
3 The bystanders recalled the woman in blue as being bossy C Irony
1
rather than helpful.
4 “Yes, but it’s not my problem” “And it’s not my problem!” : D tone, mood
and 8
“We did everything.” “ Yeah. Everything.” atmosphere
5 Dialogue – exaggeration and repetition of words. E repetition
4
6 The three bystanders looking at the man lying on the street F diction
gives a clear image of helplessness in the face of
emergency. 7
7 “Oh, be quiet and help.” “ Got on! Feel his pulse.” G symbol 2
8 Uncertainty, serious mood and relief. H imagery
6
Fill in the blanks with suitable expressions from the text.

Rebecca sees a man lying n the pavement of the street. She looks at
the man, then she looks around and seeing that …(1)… , she starts to
walk away. However, she stops and goes back …(2)… again. Just
then, Patrick walks past and he looks at the man. He asks about the
man and wants to know …(3)…? Davis comes by and after asking a
few questions and arguing with the other two finally says, “ And
…(4)…!” As they are hesitating and arguing, a …(5)… comes and she
immediately starts helping the man. The three bystanders want to
know her relationship with the man’s condition because as Rebecca
says, “Then …(6)….” But, she tells them to b quiet and instructs David
to …(7)…, Rebecca to get water and Patrick to …(8)… They help him
to take a pill and he feels better. The woman goes away quietly
unnoticed by the others.
 Choose the answers from here!

call the Is he there is feel the

ambulance dead nobody man’s
3 around 1 pulse 8
7

he’s not to look at woman It’s not my

your 6 the man in blue problem
problem 2 5 4
 All the best!

 Po Po Tun 2015

Form 4 Literature Components