LETTERS FROM THE INSIDE An epistolary – a story in the form of letters

Two girls Tracey A horse – two dogs and a cat Father owns transport firm Loves basketball Has a brother and sister – older Lots of pocket money Boyfriend Likes Art. Goes to Prescott High

THE OTHER GIRL Mandy A brother, Steve, (17) and a sister, at University. A nameless dog. Has $101.60 in all. Lives in Acacia Park Has close friends Confident

Mandy’s secret Steve, her 17-year-old brother, is “creepy”. “He watches all these violent movies,dresses in Army greens..has got all kinds of weapons…” “He’s beaten me up sometimes…And it’s always when no-one’s around. He’s smart like that…

Tracey’s secret “You heard of Garrett?...It’s a maximum security place, where they put you if you’re bad…”

Climax of the novel What will Mandy think once she knows about Garrett? Tracey: “I can’t be honest…if I don’t pretend you’ll realise how off I am…”

tension builds up Tracey “…I’m back in the Med Unit, not for anything in particular. They just want to keep an eye on me or something…” Mandy “…This last week Steve’s been out of control…He slaps me, knees me, kicks me…he scares me…”

The moment of realisation Tracey: “I know my father was what they call violent….and he’d hit Mum…” “And that’s when Nanna told me that my Mum had died and my Dad had gone away…I started to go a bit funny, I think…”

The resolution Tracey’s father was violent and he murdered someone close to him. There is an eerie link in the lives of the two girls… Mandy’s brother is violent, and the author lets us assume that he murders someone close to him.

theme List the themes (ideas about life) that John Marsden makes us think about in this novel. Why did he write this story?

Did you choose any of these? Courage Loyalty Honesty Prejudice Communication Family Violence Disappointment Empathy Growing Up Crime and Punishment Friendship Betrayal Mystery Grief Life and Death Others?

“Hurt people hurt people.” Write your own short paragraph explaining how this saying can be true. Use an example from “Letters” to explain.

Aspects of a novel. Setting – Where and when the story takes place. Character – Who are in the story. Structure – How the story is told, and from whose point – of – view. Theme – What ideas the writer wants the readers to think about.

Setting Topic sentence: The events in the novel, “Letters From The Inside”, take place in modern-day Australia, in the characters’ homes, and in a prison…….(Explain more.)……………… (Effect of this?)............................ You will have written an essay-style paragraph once you have done this.

Character The main characters in “Letters from the Inside” are Tracey and Mandy. (Explain who they are and what they are like at the start…and give an example or detail about each to prove what you are saying. Another paragraph in essay style will emerge.

Structure The novel “Letters from the Inside” is structured as a series of letters. This style is called an “epistolary”. (Now explain how the letters are dated in chronological order and how they change in style as the story progresses – and suggest why that is.) You have completed another literary paragraph….

Theme An important idea (theme) in Letters From The Inside” is …………………….. (Explain what this means.) (Give an example of something in the novel that demonstrates this theme.) You have now completed 4 essay – style paragraphs.