What happens to Annie during the period of rainfall?

After the rain stops, Annie feels disappointed with her life. She has become ______________

The period of rain might symbolise:

Which word means 'breaking the rules'?

Which word means 'independence'?

The Long Rain:

﻿Hi everyone. Well, this is almost it. We've almost come to the end of "Annie John." We've seen how she's growing up, struggling through adversity, striving for independence and autonomy. Today we're going to find out what happens at the very end of this novel. You need a quiet place to work, a piece of paper and a pen so that you press pause so you can be completely ready to learn. We're going to begin by reviewing our knowledge of the story. I've given you the story here in the coloured boxes, but it's in the wrong order. Press pause and put them in the right order now for me. Let's check your work. First, you should have put that Annie starts to become aware of death at the start of this novel. She's around about 10 years old and she keeps all of her special items in her mother's trunk. Then you should have chosen that her relationship with her mother becomes more strained. She gets into trouble at school when she challenges authority and she questions her curriculum. Next, you should have put that Annie Anna mother had that massive argument after Annie is caught talking to some boys. And that argument leads to the turning point of the novel because then number four, during a long period of rainfall, Annie falls ill and when she's better, she wants her life to change since she has now come of age. And we talked last time about how that period of rainfall can be seen as symbolising Annie's shift from childhood into adulthood. What do you think Annie will do next? She's come out of that period of rainfall. She wants something to change in her life. She doesn't want to see her home, her family, her friends, again, she needs something to change. What would she do next? Well, let's find out by reading the start of the last chapter of the novel. The chapter is called A Walk to the Jetty. And you can see what a jetty is in that picture. A jetty is a wooden structure that is built out like a pier into the sea where boats can come and doc. "A Walks to the Jetty. My name is Annie John. These are the first words that came into my mind as I woke up on the morning of the last day I spent in Antigua. And they stayed there, lined up one behind the other marching up and down for I don't know how long. At noon on that day, a ship on which I was to be in passenger would sail to Barbados. And there I would board another ship, which would sail to England where I would study to become a nurse. My name was the last thing I saw the night before, just as I was falling asleep, it was written in big black letters all over my trunk, sometimes followed by my address in Antigua, sometimes followed by my address as it would be in England. I did not want to go to England. I did not want to be a nurse, but I would have chosen going off to live in a cabin and keeping house for seven unruly men, rather than go on with my life as it stood. I never wanted to lie in this bed again. My legs hanging out way past the, to that tossing and turning my mattress with its cotton stuffing all lumped, just where it wasn't a good place to be lumped. I never wanted to lie in my bed again and hear Mr. Efraim driving his sheep to pasture, a signal to my mother, that she should get up to prepare my father's and my bath and breakfast. I never wanted to lie in my bed and hear her get dressed, washing her face, brushing her teeth and gargling. I especially never wanted to lie in my bed and hear my mother gargling again." So that is how chapter eight begins. Let's check our understanding of what we've just had. You've got four multiple choice questions here, hit pause, and choose the right answer. And let's check your knowledge. Where is Annie going? She's going to England. What job would she do? She's going to be a nurse. Where does Annie say her name is written? On her trunk. And I think this is really significant, isn't it? It's her name. My name is Annie John. She's her own person now, she's independent. And it's written on that trunk, which symbolises her freedom and her autonomy. And finally, what is a pier for boats to land on? It's called a jetty that we saw in the chapter title. Now, what are these doing here? When she's moving from Antigua to England was actually extremely common. Many people left the Caribbean during the 1940s to the 1970s when Britain invited them to live and work in Britain because Britain needed more workers after the World War II. And this generation of men, women and children have become known as the Windrush Generation named after the ship that you can see on your screen now called the Empire Windrush which journey from the Caribbean to England in 1948. Now around about the same time the NHS was established so many men and women from the Caribbean worked as doctors and nurses just like Annie and they helped to build our hospital system. Now, many of those that arrived built lives and have started families in the UK. And they contributed massively to the economy and the culture of Britain. However, lots faced terrible racism as well from the communities in which they lived. And you might also have heard of the Windrush scandal, which was on earth a couple of years ago. Now the British government kept no records of those who arrived in the Windrush Generation. And so some people who arrived here invited by the UK were then being told they were illegal immigrants. And this led to people being, having to face enormous hardship, including being forced to leave their homes and leave their country even though they were here Legally. Prime Minister Theresa May apologised for the Windrush scandal in 2018. And now people celebrate Windrush day on the 22nd of June every year. Now Annie John is presented as being part of the Windrush generation and Kincaid describes her to be leaving her island of Antigua in search of new life and new opportunities. Now, I want you to imagine that you are Annie preparing to leave the island that you have lived your entire life for the first time. Arriving at that jetty, seeing the boat being ready to step a board and say goodbye to your family, how would you feel? Let's read a few of these sections now. She says, "As I pass by all these places, it was as if I was in a dream for, I didn't notice the people coming and going in and out of them. I didn't feel my feet touched the ground. I didn't even feel my own body. I just saw these people as if they were hanging in the air, not having top or bottom. And as if I had gone in and out of them all in the same moment. The sun was bright to the sky was blue and just above my head. We then arrived at the jetty. Now tooI had nothing to take my mind off what was happening to me, my mother and my father, I was leaving them forever. My home on the island, I was leaving it forever. What to make of everything. I felt a familiar hollow space inside. I felt I was being held down against my will. I felt that someone was tearing me up in little pieces and soon I would be able to see all the little pieces as they floated out into nothing in the deep blue sea. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I could see that it would be better not to think too clearly about any one thing. The launch was being made, ready to take me along with some other passengers out to the ship that was anchored in the sea. My father paid off as we joined the line of people waiting to board. My mother checked my bag to make sure I had my passport, the money she had given me and a sheet of paper placed between some pages in my Bible or which were written the names of the relatives, people I had not known existed with whom I would live in England. Across from the jetty was a Wharf, and some workers were loading and unloading barges. I don't know why seeing that struck me so, but suddenly a wave of strong feeling came over me and my heart swelled with great gladness as the words, 'I shall never see this again' that spilled out inside me, but then just as quickly, my heart shrivelled up and the words 'I shall never see this again' stabbed at me. I don't know what stopped me from falling in a heap at my parents' feet." We can see here that Annie's emotions have very, very mixed. At sometimes she feels really glad to be leaving her island. Other times she seems to dread it and feel really scared by it. So let's explore her mixed emotions. I'd like us to find some evidence that shows Annie wants to go. And I want us to find other evidence that sows, that Annie doesn't want to go. We'll do the first one together. I think it shows that Annie wants to go when she realises that she never wants to wake up in her own bed again, she repeats that several times, doesn't she? Press pause and add two things to either side of your table, please. Off you go. And when you're ready, let's check your ideas. For Annie wants to go, you might have also added, she wants to be independent from her parents and her heart swelled with gladness, that wonderful imagery that shows how happy she is to be going. However you might've noticed some details that indicate she doesn't want to go. Things like she doesn't know what Britain will be like. It's very uncertain for her. She's staying with relatives that she's never even heard of before. She feels hollow. And like someone is tearing her up into little pieces as she goes to approach the jetty incredible imagery there of her being ripped apart by the prospect of leaving. Annie might've said that a heart shrivelled straight after it swells with Linus and it shrivels as she's worried and concerned about what the future holds. Now we can see here that Annie's feelings are very mixed. They're very confused. And so we can describe them as an ambivalent. If you're ambivalent, you have mixed feelings about something. And I think it's safe to say that Annie is very ambivalent about leaving Antigua. Let's use this word in a piece of writing, please. I'd like you to continue this sentence starter, Annie seems to feel ambivalent about leaving Antigua because she... See if you can complete that in at three sentences. Press pause now. And let's see what you might have written. You might have written something like this, Annie seems to feel ambivalent about leaving Antigua because she feels both happy and anxious as she prepares to get on the boat. Although she says she never wants to wake up at home again, she also feels as if she is being torn up into little pieces. This reveals that leaving home can be both an exciting and a painful process. Check your work. Do you have at least three sentences? Did you include the word ambivalent? If so, well done. We're going to read the very end of the book now, the very final paragraphs. And I really hope that you love this as much as I do because it's so powerful and so beautiful. At the very end Annie is onboard the ship saying goodbye to her parents. "My mother said, well, she threw her arms around me, big tears, streamed down her face. And it must've been that for I could not bear to see my mother cry, which started me crying too. She then tightened her arms around me and held me to her clothes so that I felt that I couldn't breathe. With that, my eyes dried up and I was suddenly on my God, what does she want now? I said to myself. Still holding me close to her, she said, in a voice that raped across my skin, 'It doesn't matter what you do or where you go. I'll always be your mother. And this will always be your home.' As if responding to some invisible cue, we both said at the very same moment, well. Then my mother turned around and walked out the cabin door. And I stood back where I don't know how long. And I remember it was customary to stand on deck and waive your relatives who were returning to shore. From the deck I could not see my father, but I could see my mother facing the ship, her eyes searching to pick me out. I removed from my bag, a red cotton handkerchief that she had earlier given me for this purpose and I waved it wildly in the air. Recognising me immediately, she waved back just as wildly. And we continued to do this until she became just a dot in the matchbox stop size launch swallowed by the big blue sea. I went to my cabin and lay down on my bed. Everything trembled as if it had a spring in its very centre, I could hear the small waves lap lapping around the ship. They made an unexpected sound as if a vessel filled with liquid had been placed on its side and now we're slowly emptying helped." And that is it. We've come to the end of the book. That's how the whole story finishes. Let's check our understanding of the last section of this book. You got five statements, you need to press pause and decide which true and which are false. Off you go. And be ready to mark your answers. Number one, Annie feels suffocated when her mother hugs her. That's true. She says she can hardly breathe. And that's something she said quite a few times throughout this novel. And I think again, symbolically it shows that Annie is ready to move off and be independent from her mother. Number two, Annie doesn't cry when she says goodbye to her parents? False. Her mother cries. She sees her mother crying and she cries too, because fundamentally she will miss her family. Number three, Annie waves to her parents from the deck. That's true. And he feels small and a large ocean. True. She hears the waves, lapping all around her. She feels small and almost lost as she leaves her island. And Annie feels sure of herself at the end of the novel? False. She has mixed emotions or what was that word we can use when you feel mixed emotions towards something? Well done if you remember it, ambivalent. Annie feels ambivalent at the end of the novel. We have now finished it. So now we can look back on the story and consider what do we learn from "Annie John"? What does it teach us? What does it remind us? And why is it such an important novel to read? Well, you will have your own ideas about this, but here are mine. For me, "Annie John" is such an important novel because it teaches us that growing up and becoming independent can be a painful process. And we can often feel ambivalent about coming of age. We can be excited by it, but we can also feel that it's a difficult time as well. We can also feel concerned by it. However, it teaches us that growing older is inevitable. And this is one of our key pieces of vocabulary for today. If something is inevitable, it's unavoidable and unstoppable. So we can say growing up is inevitable. Is there anything that we can do to stop growing older? No, therefore it is inevitable. So what do we learn from "Annie John"? Becoming an adults can be a painful process and we're likely to feel ambivalent towards it. Growing up is inevitable. Childhood is transient. It won't last forever. Independence and autonomy are important in our development and we can survive adversity. Even if we go through difficulties, we can learn from them and grow. Now, if you notice here that in my answers to what do we learn from "Annie John" I've used some really high level vocabulary, painful, ambivalent, inevitable, transient, autonomy, adversity. We're going to finish with a piece of writing and I invite you to use some of that high-level vocabulary as well. In it, I would like you to write three sentences all about what Kincaid teaches us from "Annie John". You're going to be using the big analytical verbs of author's purpose. So you might say something like Kincaid reveals, Kincaid teaches us, Kincaid exposes, Kincaid highlights or Kincaid reminds us. You're going to write three bullet points for me, please. And I'd like you to use some of the high level vocabulary that we've already studied. Press pause and write your three sentences now. And let's check your work. What kind of things might you have written? Well you might have written something like this. In "Annie John" Kincaid teaches us that although growing up can be difficult and painful, it is inevitable. She reminds us that childhood is transient and it won't last forever. And we all must get older and reach independence, just like Annie. Have a look at your answer. And I'd like you to underline your analytical verbs, teaches, reminds, exposes, highlights. I'd like you to circle your high level vocabulary, inevitable, transient, independence, autonomy. I can't believe that we've actually finished the whole story. Massive well done. You should feel really proud of yourselves. And I hope you can see now that we've seen the entire story from when Annie's 10 to when she leaves home age 17, that her narrative can teach us a lot about growing older, about coming to adversity about reaching independence. Next lesson is our last lesson of the unit and we're going to be pulling everything we've learned together from our understanding of the character, our understanding of the plot and the author's purpose. Along with all that high-level vocabulary in writing an extended piece of writing all about "Annie John". I know you'll be amazing at rising to that challenge. Don't forget to take the exit quiz to check your knowledge from today, and I will see you next time for our very last lesson.

Where does Annie leave Antigua for?

Which word best describes her feelings?

Those that left the Caribbean to work in Britain from the 1940s to the 1970s are known as the ________ generation.

Which word means 'unavoidable and unstoppable'?

In 'Annie John', Kincaid teaches the reader that...

I Am Annie John:

In this lesson, we will explore the dramatic ending to the novel, and consider how growing up is both exciting and painful.

English

Y8 English

Key Stage 3

Year 8

I Am Annie John

Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid

UNIT

Context and Introduction to Annie John

Annie John's Fascinations and Fears

Mothers and Daughters

Annie John's school

Annie John's memoir

Annie John and the Red Girl

Breaking the rules

Columbus in Chains

Blessings and adversity

The Argument

The Long Rain

Writing about Annie John

Which of these is NOT a rule for Annie?

Which of these words best describes Annie as she grows up?

Which of these words means 'independence'?

Which of these books CAN'T be described as a bildungsroman?

Where is Annie John set?

What do you call a book written about a character who grows from a child into an adult?

Which of these best describes a memoir?

Which word means 'going through difficulties or unpleasant situations'?

What is Kincaid's view of colonialism?

What does the trunk symbolise?

What job does Annie plan to do in England?

Which word means having mixed emotions?

As Annie grows up, she challenges and questions the world around her. Which of these does she NOT challenge?

Lesson overview:I Am Annie John

Core Content

Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid: