CONTENTS ‘Ruby in the Smoke’ Resource Pack

Transcript:CONTENTS ‘Ruby in the Smoke’ Resource Pack:
CONTENTS ‘Ruby in the Smoke’ Resource Pack Objective: to analyse the writer’s intentions through the representations of characters in the context of the narrative Characterisation Synopsis Context Themes Author biography Writer’s intentions Motifs, symbolism and dramatic devices PEEL response Key quotations Assessment scaffolds SYNOPSIS The Ruby in the Smoke' is a mystery story set in Victorian London. Sally Lockhart's father has just died and she has received a mysterious letter telling her to seek out Marchbanks and to avoid 'The Seven Blessings.' Sally begins to investigate and is soon drawn into two dangerous mysteries, one revolving around a much-desired Ruby, and the other concerning her father's death. By the end of the story, with the help of new friends, she manages to solve both mysteries. Sally goes to the offices of her late father's shipping firm, Selby and Lockhart. She has received a letter that warns her about the 'Seven Blessings.' She asks the company Secretary about this and he immediately dies of fright. A boy called Jim overhears this and decides to help Sally with her mystery. Sally returns to Mrs. Rees' house, a distant relative whom she has been living with since her father died. Sally receives a letter from Major Marchbanks, asking her to come see him in Swaleness. However, when she arrives he tells her that a dangerous woman called Mrs. Holland is in his house. He gives Sally an important parcel to read and then tells her to get away quickly. She does so, but is followed by Mrs. Holland. She sees a photographer on the pier and he agrees to let her hide in his tent until Mrs. Holland has gone. Sally opens Marchbanks' parcel on the train home. It is his diary. She reads an entry about him serving in India and seeing the beautiful Ruby of Agrapur. She then falls asleep and while she is sleeping, a man steals the diary, leaving only a page with a riddle on it. Meanwhile, a man called Matthew Bedwell arrives in London and stays at Mrs. Holland's lodgings. Mrs. Holland becomes interested in some information he has, so she keeps him drugged on opium to stop him from leaving. Bedwell tells Mrs. Hollands' servant Adelaide to contact Sally for him. Adelaide goes to Selby and Lockhart and talks to Jim, who passes the news on to Sally. Mrs. Holland hires a man called Mr. Hopkins