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Question

Refer to both Extract 1 and Extract 2.

Compare how the two writers convey different attitudes towards helping homeless people.

In your answer, you should:

• compare their attitudes
• compare the methods they use to convey their attitudes
• support your ideas with quotations from both texts

Ireland and Dickens have very different attitudes towards helping homeless people.

One difference is that Ireland seems much more positive about it than Dickens. When describing the volunteers, Ireland uses adjectives like “ready” and “brave” whereas Dickens uses “ugly object” to describe the homeless man. These words suggest that Ireland thinks people are keen to help the homeless whereas Dickens finds the homeless man unpleasant.

Ireland presents attitudes towards helping homeless people with an enthusiastic tone, quotations from those involved state that the night is “great fun” and “a real community effort”. The adjectives “great” and “real” emphasise the enthusiasm and effort that goes into the fund raising event. On the other hand, Dickens is more formal and serious “one of the worst night sights I know”. This makes the reader imagine a terrible situation where nothing is done to help.

In Extract 1, Ireland quotes Chris Kershaw’s metaphor that the charity “was close to his heart”. The connotations of heart imply that helping is deeply personal and emotional to those involved. However, Dickens does not seem to be as closely involved when he offers money to the homeless man. The simile “like a worried dog” suggests that Dickens views the man like a frightened animal and helps out of pity.

Extract 1 ends with positive statistics, “Last year’s event brought in more than £30,000”. The reader will feel pleased about how much this will help the charity and homeless people. However, Dickens ends with a negative tone saying that “the growth in corruption” is “displayed in these all uncared for savages”. The reader will feel sadness at the neglect of these children.

Feedback - improving

This answer:

• Has an introduction which gives an overview of the answer, and a conclusion, even if it is very short.
• Uses quotations and examples to back up points. Some of the points are developed with further discussion – like how word choices suggest the attitudes of both writers.
• Selects words and explores their connotations.
• Identifies methods, eg adjectives, similes and metaphors.
• Comments on how parts of each text might affect the reader.
• Compares how each text ends and what the reader feels.

However, it would have been better if:

• They had developed their introduction, summarising the attitudes over the entire extracts – acknowledging that both authors want homeless people to receive help.
• They had commented on the different forms used, as well as their purpose and intended audiences, eg Ireland’s feature article aims to inform readers about the ‘Framework’ charity and persuade them to think about helping. Readers might even decide to sign up for the next ‘Big Sleep Out’. It is also written in a way that entertains readers with anecdotes, making a serious topic more accessible and personal. Dickens’ essay also aims to inform readers about the need to help homeless people. His tone is more formal and he argues his opinion that the ‘growth of corruption’ in society is partly to blame for the lack of help that the homeless receive.
• They had explored the wider meanings created by the word choices quoted, eg “savages” implies that the homeless children have become wild and unruly.
• They had linked points to further evidence, eg at the end of the article, Ireland informs readers when the next charity night is and where they can sign up. This directs readers to get involved personally in helping homeless people.
• Ireland’s article is upbeat and celebrates one charity’s success in “preventing homelessness and helping people into accommodation”. Whereas Dickens employs a more accusatory tone. He states that “the growth of corruption” has led to a terrible situation where homeless people do not receive the help they need.