You are on page 1of 3

I Can Play Schools by May C.

Jenkins
Summary
Fill in the missing words:
attitude - confidence - deaf despite ease fault stubborn unattainable
"I Can Play 'Schools'" is a story which centres on the relationship between a young widow
and her little girl, Marian, who is not the sort of child she had wanted Marian was born
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and dumb and in many respects does not fulfil her mother's
e"pectations #he mother lo$es her "after all", !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! an "e$er-recurring ache"
at the sight of the little girl from ne"t door, %reda, who is fair-s&inned, "golden $oiced" and
full of !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Marian, on the other hand, is shy, hesitant and does
not feel at !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! with other children
#hough the mother does not want %reda to play with her daughter, %reda's !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
persistence ma&es it ine$itable that in the end the two girls play "schools" together 'uite
happily- Marian's mother realises that her daughter's inade'uacy and unhappiness are partly
her own !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! because she has not been gi$ing her the support which only
unreser$ed lo$e can pro$ide (ithin a brief period of only one hour the mother's !!!!!!!!!!
towards her handicapped child changes %rom now on she will be able to lo$e her
unconditionally, with no more "foolish longings" for an !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ideal
Unit I
Setting S!s"ense
) #he setting
Which characters are involved?
Is there any geometric figure which would illustrate the relationship between them?
)
Unit II Characterisation
#. $he two girls
What do we learn about Marian and Freda? Group or partner work.
#he two should be contrasted in appearance and character
Match these words with the girls:
born leader - e"tro$ert - insecure - intro$erted li&eable - not feel at ease with other people
outgoing - 'uiet self-confident senses, that something is wrong - sure of herself - unhappy
Marian %reda
*
Match the %!otations and the im"lications
) I had dreamed of a different child serious
* +are laughter strong-willed, self-confidence
, She had sensed my desire for a child
without her handicap - she had been
bitterly hurt
strong-willed, determined
. /ou0d thin& it was her garden1 sensiti$e to others
2 shrewdly self-confident
3 Stubborn persistence sensiti$e
4 5i$e this to Marian, I brought it for her ta&es the initiati$e
6 7on0t call me child, my name is %reda Mirian must lac& self-confidence
#. $he signi&icance o& the game 'schools'
How is the change reflected in the childrens game?
(. $he &!nction o& the letter
Why does the author have the mother writing a letter during the story? What is its function?
). $he e&&ect o& the story on the readers
Is there anything we can learn about human nature from the story?
!o you know any handicapped people? What can you do to help them
a" as an individual?
b" as a group?
What sort of people would you advise to read this story?
,

You might also like