Reading
To think about while reading:
- What are the women doing gathered in the middle of the street?
- What do we learn about toilets in the Victorian houses?
- Who are the two men that Charlie and Tilda meet? What are their jobs?
After reading the chapter:
- Who does Charlie mean by ‘artisans’?
- Look at the quotes: ‘…the stern face of a very large man…’ and ‘…the burly constable growled…’. What impression do you get of the police constable?
- What has Mrs Baxter done wrong?
- “D’you hear that, Constable?” sneered the little man. “They haven’t done anything wrong!”
What does the word ‘sneered’ suggest?
- Where does the constable threaten to take the children?
To think about while reading:
- Who is discovered in the house?
- Where was Mrs Baxter reported to be?
- Look for any similes or metaphors that you can find in the chapter.
After reading the chapter:
- What happened to the Baxters’ father?
- Who is captured and who gets away in this chapter?
- Joseph is described as ‘wearing clothes that hung from his thin frame like rags on a scarecrow’. What impression does this give of him?
- What other synonym for ‘idiots’ is used?
- How do the Baxter children feel? Find evidence in the text to support your answer.