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Summary for Lesson 1
We kicked off our study of The Hobbit today by sharing first impressions of the story and what makes Tolkien’s world so magical. After discussing what we enjoyed and didn’t enjoy about the book, we zoomed out to think about the historical and literary context behind Tolkien’s writing. We talked about the impact of Tolkien’s experience in WWI and his fascination with mythology, languages, and storytelling, and how this shaped his world-building. You were all excellent at spotting how The Hobbit blends a fairy-tale tone with epic fantasy elements, and coming up with your own mythologies, well done! For homework, you’re researching Tolkien himself- can’t wait to hear what you find out next week! 🙂
Homework
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Summary for Lesson 2
In today’s class we continued thinking about The Hobbit, discussing features such as the worldbuilding Tolkein achieves. We thought about what that concept refers to, digging into how Tolkien shows, not tells, aspects of the world such as language, power, and beliefs. The class thought about the ay the world of the book comes to life and then created their own fantasy worlds using this book as inspiration. Finally they dropped a Hobbit character into their world, thinking about everything it could reveal. Well done everyone for your amazing work today, keep it up and see you next week 🙂
Homework
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Dear Beth,
Here is my homework for this week:
The role of wealth in The Hobbit is that it makes Bilbo, the dwarves and Gandalf go on the big adventure and get the treasure from Smaug. Also, the novel seems to say that Bilbo’s viewpoint is right because he was the one who fought the evil characters, like the goblins and wolves.
See you next week, and I hope you’ll enjoy my homework!
Kind Regards,
Karl
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Hi Beth, sorry that its slightly late but here’s my homework for this week.
Overall, wealth in The Hobit plays a central role, being the main focus of many characters such as Thorin, Smaug and Bard. The giant hoard of treasure guarded by Smaug is a constant centerpiece throught the book which almost all of the charcters in the story attempt to go after especially after the great dragon is killed. This results in the Battle of the Five Armies, which proves to show how greed affects lots of the characters and the depths people would go to for their share of the hoard.
Thorin, who is the leader of the dwarves (and Bilbo) only shows interest in restoring his kingdom and gaining back what was rightfully his. However, at the end of the book his true colours show and reveal his obsession with the gold and other valuable jewels; especially the Arkenstone. He refuses to give up the pile of riches with Bard, ending up in conflict between the two. As the journey slowly progressed and the 13 dwarves eventually came eye to eye with the treasure they begin to show signs of greed and mistrust, showing how the lure of gold slowly starts to corrupt even the most honorable among them. Slowly, this tension eventually rises to the Battle of the Five Armies, which truly shows how ruthless people can be for money.
Another interesting character is Gollum. While he doesn’t seem rich, living under the misty mountains on a rocky island, the ring which he supposedly got on his birthday shows to be something of importance and wealth. The book doesn’t necessarily state the ring’s worth directly, but it’s clear it holds great significance and importance to him. He calls it ‘his precious’ and as he’s going to find it and realises it is missing, he quickly becomes panicked, furious and desperate.His unhealthy obsession with the ring consumes him to the point of near delusion, where he almost forgets about Bilbo entirely, highlighting the ring’s powerful hold over him which can symbolise the danger of exessive self-indulgance.
However, ordinary folk (such as the people of the lake) who were in need of money to rebuild their town as Smaug had caused great damage to their homes and trading routes. They simply were in need of resources and basic supplies for them to get started. When they heard that the giand hoard was now unguarded they quickly made their way over in hopes of the treasures or at least a share. When they arrive they are met with the dwarves (and Bilbo) adn tensions rise between them. Later they are caught in the crossfire, with unwanted attention on them. This also shows that greed can have a negative affect not only on yourself but many others around you.
Overall, I think that wealth and money play a major role in The Hobbit. The story shows how the pursuit of riches can slowly turn even the humblest and kindest characters greedy, focusing only on themselves and how they can benefit. Characters become ruthless in their desire for money, with the pursuit of treasure often clouding their judgment and relationships. Ultimately, the novel reveals how greed can corrupt and destroy, emphasizing that wealth brings not happiness, but conflict and division.
Bella
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Summary for Lesson 3
In today’s class we worked on archetype and fantasy in The Hobbit, thinking about how Tolkien plays upon ancient ideas to create the story he does. We spoke about character and unlikely heroes, thought about archetypes in human history and finally looked at dragons and how Tolkien set the stage for their use as archetypes. We then did some work on riddles, analysing what role they play and looking at them within the novel. The class wrote some incredible riddles playing on these ideas and thinking about how to secretly communicate their answer behind layers of trickery. Amazing and creative work everyone, you were all brilliantly enthusiastic and engaged today. Keep up the wonderful work and see you next week for the Hunger Games 🙂
Homework
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Summary for Lesson 4
In today’s class we began work on The Hunger Games, thinking about the genre of dystopia. We spoke about how we felt about the book and researched the author to learn about her inspirations. We thought about what her past told us and wrote interviews, imagining what she would share about her motivations. The students thought amazingly about the way in which this dystopian world is created and came up with brilliant and creative ideas throughout. Well done everyone, keep up the wonderful work and see you next week 🙂
Homework
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Dear Beth,
Here is my homework for this week. I hope you enjoy it!
My dystopia is based on the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. After Theseus killed the Minotaur and went back to Greece, the Minotaur’s ghost escaped the Labyrinth and followed him. The Minotaur started to haunt the homes of the people who lived there. Then the population began to shrink as more and more people left the city. In the end, the ghost went to Theseus’ home. When Theseus realised that the Minotaur had come, he went to search for it. Ultimately, he finds the ghost and manages to trap it in a jar. The citizens of Athens then come back, and Theseus becomes even famous than he already is, and they all live happily ever after. The End.
See you next week, and I hope you liked my story!
Kind Regards,
Chenxi
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Wonderful work Chenxi, well done! This is a really interesting take on the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. I like how you’ve reimagined the story in a dystopian setting, turning the myth into something that reflects both the supernatural and the psychological consequences of past actions. Your narrative is clear and the way the ghost of the Minotaur begins to haunt the people shows a great understanding of how consequences can ripple outward, affecting a community. I also think it’s really clever how you’ve brought the Minotaur’s ghost into Theseus’ life once again, showing that some things can’t be escaped, no matter how much time has passed. To push this even further, think about adding a bit more detail in the resolution. Maybe, explore how Theseus’ fame changes after the event or what it means for him to trap the ghost. This could help expand on the consequences of his actions and offer a more final ending. Overall, this is a creative and thoughtful take on the myth. Keep up the great work! 😊
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Summary for Lesson 5
In today’s class we continued work on The Hunger Games, digging into character and how changes in the novel. We spoke about our favourite characters and then looked in detail at Katniss and her progression. We learned new ways of dissecting character, thinking about analysis tools, and spoke about how Katniss could have turned evil in her journey. We touched on the ways in which she is a complicated hero and then finally answered some essay questions. Amazing work class, well done for your astute observations throughout. Keep up the great work! 🙂
Homework
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