Starter quiz
- In 'Propping Up The Line', the main character experiences a gas attack in the trenches of World War One. What are the long term implications of this experience?
- trauma ✓
- nightmares ✓
- panic attacks
- compromised lungs ✓
- premature death ✓
-
- In 'Propping Up The Line', the central family have a pet. What is it?
- a lark
- a canary ✓
- a dog
- a cat
- a pony
-
- Starting with the first, order these plot points from the end of Beck's short story, 'Propping Up The Line' in the order they appear.
- 1⇔We flash forward and Nell, Alfred's daughter, is 96.
- 2⇔Nell finds her father's pipe in a drawer.
- 3⇔Nell recalls that her father never spoke of his experiences of war.
- 4⇔Nell finds her father's death certificate.
- 5⇔We learn that Alfred died of heart failure.
- 6⇔Nell hears a canary singing.
- 7⇔Nell remembers a private joke she and her father shared.
- In 'Propping Up The Line', Alfred compares the bits of bodies and uniform he sees caught on the barbed wire of no man's land with an item at home. What is it?
- a washing drum
- a washing line ✓
- a washing press
-
- In 'Propping Up The Line', when Alice receives a telegram, she sits at the kitchen table "trembling". Beck also writes the family's pet bird was "______."
- 'singing' ✓
- In 'Propping Up The Line', when Alfred hears his wife doing the washing, the noise of the water reminds him of Jonesey's sick "______" on the mud of the trenches.
- 'splattering' ✓
Exit quiz
- In 'Propping Up The Line', what did Alfred sacrifice by fighting in World War One?
- his mental well-being ✓
- his ability to work ✓
- his physical well-being ✓
- his family
- his marriage
-
- In 'Propping Up The Line', Beck uses the symbol of the canary four times. What do we commonly associate canaries with?
- freedom
- sacrifice ✓
- war
- joy ✓
- positivity ✓
-
- In 'Propping Up The Line', what are some of the key themes Beck is most interested in exploring?
- the symbolism of a canary
- the motif of a washing line
- sacrifice ✓
- trauma ✓
- lungs
-
- Starting with the first, put Beck's use of the symbol of the canary in 'Propping Up The Line' in the order they appear in the story.
- 1⇔Alice hears the canary singing as she receives the telegram about Alfred.
- 2⇔Alfred hears the canary as he sits in the kitchen eating his welcome home tea.
- 3⇔Alfred breathes in steam under a towel and is compared to the canary.
- 4⇔Nell hears the canary sing as she remembers her father.
- When reading a text, we might consider its most important ideas and how these are explored. Key terms can help us do this with precision. Match the key terms to their definitions.
- theme⇔an important idea in a text ✓
- symbol⇔when writers use something tangible to represent an intangible idea ✓
- motif⇔something that comes up multiple times in a text ✓
- tangible⇔something you can touch eg. a table ✓
- intangible⇔something you can't touch eg. the feeling of guilt ✓
- In 'Propping Up The Line', Alfred compares the washing flapping on the line to an "______".
- 'army' ✓
Worksheet
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Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Writers use symbols and motifs to present key themes.
- Beck uses the symbol of the canary to explore the theme of sacrifice.
- Beck uses the motif of the washing line to explore the theme of trauma.
Common misconception
There are no common symbols across literature.
There are many common symbols across literature which writers use knowing that many of their readers will know what they mean. For example, a crown to symbolise power. A rose to symbolise love. Birds to symbolise freedom.
Keywords
Tangible - a physical thing that can be touched
Symbolism - when writers use something tangible to represent an intangible idea; for example, a crown as a symbol for power
Theme - an important idea in a text; for example the theme of trauma is important to Beck
Motif - something that comes up multiple times in a text; the image of the washing line is a motif in Beck’s story
Sacrifice - unwillingly giving something up
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