The Perfect Woman? “Strength, and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household; and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.” Proverbs, xxxi. 25–28.

Title: Mrs Beeton’s Women Date: Tuesday 12th January 2016 LO: What methods do writer’s use to convey their attitudes?

Thinking Caps On… ‘Leader of any enterprise’ How many interpretations can you give of these phrases for describing women? When and why would they be used? ‘Strength and honour’ ‘Leader of any enterprise’ ‘The commander of an army’ ‘Performance of duty intelligently and thoroughly’ ‘There are none which take a higher rank’

Mrs Beeton’s Book of household management Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management was a guide to all aspects of running a household in Victorian Britain, edited by Isabella Beeton. Nearly 2 million copies had been sold by 1868, and it remains in print today. As we read, can you think about the purpose of the text is? What ideas/attitudes is Mrs Beeton promoting? Print and read Mrs Beeton article – Resource 5 (you don’t necessarily need to read the whole thing)

In your pair You have been given a range of quotations from Mrs Beeton. Can you sort them into different categories? Eg. Military Language Emotive words

Feedback: What patterns did you find? Were there any quotes which were hard to categorise? What was your ‘best’ category? Why?

Zooming In Your categories could now form your first point in a PEEL paragraph: Eg. P: Mrs Beeton uses military language to convey her message to the audience. Write your most interesting point on your sheet of paper

Screw It Up! Throw your piece of paper across the room. Pick up a new piece of paper. Open it up: Why do you think Mrs Beeton used that method in her writing? - Add your explanation/reasoning underneath. Think about: Her message Audience Purpose Get ready to throw again! – Can you add a different reason to their explanation?

Sharing Ideas What’s the most interesting point you’ve seen today? Could you now answer our LO: What methods does the writer use to convey their ideas?