Close Reading of The Midnight Zoo

Chapter 4 - ‘The Voices’ (p36-46)

Today we will be closely reading the novel, focusing on Sonya Hartnett’s creative writing choices
and how this mentor text can inspire our creative writing.
1. Re-read the chapter to familiarise yourself with what happens in this part of the text. You
may need to finish off the previous chapter first.
2. Select one of the below pathways to guide your engagement with the chapter and to
prompt your creative writing in response to it.

Pathway A
1. Select three interesting sentences from this chapter and explain why Sonya Hartnett’s
language stood out to you here.
2. In this chapter, Hartnett uses anthropomorphism when she gives the animals voices.
Write a short creative passage where you anthropomorphise something non-human.

Pathway B
1. Compare this chapter to the first three chapters, before the plane drops the bomb.
Propose a reason why the narrative shifts at this point.
2. Develop a short creative scene that includes a distinct shift in style part-way through.

Pathway C
1. Explain how Hartnett distinguishes the voices of at least three characters in this chapter,
discussing language from the text to support your response.
2. Develop a short creative scene involving dialogue between multiple characters. Ensure
you create distinct voices for each of them.