English 

Video report unit 1:

Here you will find a news report I made with rayan and kai.

Video report native speaker:

This is my report of a meeting I had with a native speaker who lives in london.

We have always lived in the castle:

Passage 1

I saw the car turn into the driveway and then saw that there were two people in it instead of one; "Constance," I said, "she's brought someone else." Constance was still for a minute, and then she said quite firmly, "I think it will be all right." I turned to look at her, and she was quiet. "I'll send them away," I said. "She knows better than this." "No," Constance said. "I really think it will be all right. You watch me." "But I won't have you frightened." "Sooner or later," she said, "sooner or later I will have to take a first step." I was chilled. "I want to send them away." "No," Constance said. "Absolutely not."

We know that Constance doesn't like to talk with people because the moment when the doctor came in, she goes upstairs. In this passage, she is going to meet someone and I thought it was interesting because I wanted to know how she acts in front of a person. When the person arrives, Merricat sees that there is a second person inside the car. I thought Constance was not going to deal with it but it turns out she is very calm and Merricat is the one who is stressed. I think that we can learn something from this passage because Constance is realistic, she knows that there is going to be a moment that she is going to meet someone, and that's the main reason why I chose this passage. I really like her confidence and I think it's important to take the step to become confident.

What I find quite remarkable about the story is Merricat's introspection(the way merricat thinks about herself and how she goes through life). Despite everything that has happened in the past, she continues to do everything she can to protect her sister and uncle. Also how she deals with the trauma herself is quite remarkable. She knows something bad has happened but she keeps going as if nothing has happened.

One aspect of Merricat's character that surprised and confused me was her tendency towards violence. She believes that the villagers are responsible for the death of her family and she is not afraid to hurt them. We can see that because of her actions towards the villagers.

What I found interesting about Merricat is her ritualistic behavior. She has a routine that she follows every day and she becomes anxious if anything disrupts that routine. An example is that she goes to the grocery store every week, using the same route every time.

One thing I would like to know more about Merricat is her past. I want to know why she and her sister are isolated from the outside world. I also want to know what happened with her family and why she hates the villagers and why they hate her.

source: https://www.litcharts.com/lit/we-have-always-lived-in-the-castle/summary

Passage 2

I saw Jonas in the doorway and Constance by the stove but they had no color. I could not breathe, I was tied around tight, everything was cold. "He was a ghost," I said. Constance laughed, and it was a sound very far away. "Then a ghost is sleeping in Father's bed," she said. "And ate a very hearty dinner last night. While you were gone," she said. "I dreamed that he came. I fell asleep on the ground and dreamed that he came, but then I dreamed him away." I was held tight; when Constance believed me I could breathe again. "We talked for a long time last night." "Go and look," I said, not breathing, "go and look; he isn't there." "Silly Merricat," she said. I could not run; I had to help Constance. I took my glass and smashed it on the floor. "Now he'll go away, I said.

In this part of the story, we see that Merricat is actually prone to hallucinations and that she has a fantasy. This is because she believes so hard in her own world in her mind and therefore forgets the realistic world. She cannot and will not accept what she saw with her own eyes for example when Charles is in her father's bed, she starts replacing him with her father. We can link this to the theme of 'imagination' because she imagines Charles as her father. The tension between Merricat and conctance is also very clear in this part. We know that Merricat is prone to hallucinations and Constance is actually the opposite because she isn't prone to hallucinations and she kind of laughs at it but still believes her. So Constance is much more realistic but perhaps more naive. I think Merricat would do anything to protect Constance because Merricat sees danger.

b) The first gothic element is the setting. The story takes place in an isolated house, which already gives me a sense of dread. Psychological horror is another element of gothic fiction. We see this especially with Merricat due to her hallucinations and delusions. Also, the story is full of secrets and hidden motives and this also keeps us enthralled.

Often gothic novels have a romantic plotline and this book does not. Perhaps there is a romantic link with Charles but that is not the main subject of the story. Also, the story does not really have a clear antagonist. There are many characters who could be the antagonist but there is no one really a clear antagonist and that also makes it less gothic.

Passage 3

"We are on the moon at last," I told her, and she smiled. "I thought I dreamed it all," she said. "It really happened," I said. "Poor Uncle Julian." "They came in the night and took him away, and we stayed here on the moon." "I'm glad to be here," she said. "Thank you for bringing me." There were leaves in her hair and dirt on her face and Jonas, who had followed me into my hiding place, stared at her in surprise; he had never seen Constance with a dirty face before. For a minute she was quiet, no longer smiling, looking back at Jonas, realizing that she was dirty, and then she said, "Merricat, what are we going to do?" "First we must neaten the house, even though it is not the usual day." "The house," she said. "Oh, Merricat." "I had no dinner last night," I told her. "Oh, _Merricat_." She sat up and untangled herself quickly from Uncle Julian's shawl and the leaves; "Oh, Merricat, poor baby," she said. "We'll hurry," and she scrambled to her feet.

Even when Merricat knows that everything is different, she still thinks through her own routines, and in this part, it also becomes clear that she has made all those routines herself. For example, she tells them to clean the house even if it is not the right day. She also says that they are now on the moon because she knows that from now on they are going to live how they want and she also knows that she is not going to see any other people. What I did find a bit funny, and which is also ironic, is that Constance is more worried about Merricat missing her dinner than about the fire. This also does show the love the sisters have for each other and that they put each other above everything else.

B) The two central characters in the novel are Merricat and Constance, sisters who live in the Blackwood family home with their uncle, Julian. Merricat is the younger sister, and Constance is the elder. The relationship between them is complex because of a traumatic event, but also because of different personalities.

Merricat is the sister with the most imagination as she has a number of rituals, and a strong superstition, to protect their home from the outside world. She also protects her sister Constance very well. Merricat also does not want anyone to come and disturb their peace because she likes being isolated even estranged relatives are not welcome with her.

Constance, on the other hand, is a lot more introverted. She feels responsible for the traumatic event. She is completely withdrawn from the outside world and Merricat is the only person she has a bond with. As a result, Constance trusts her sister to protect her from the pain of the event.

Despite having a close relationship, there are tensions between the two sisters. Merricat blames Constance for her passivity towards the outside world while Constance, on the other hand, is troubled by Merricat's behaviour and her superstitions and rituals.

Concluded, the relationship between the two sisters is a close one due to a shared trauma. Despite the conflicts that sometimes exist, they are still bound together by love and by a sense of protecting each other from the outside world.

powerpoint mother tongue: 

This is my powerpoint from the presentation about chapter 6 'the pronunciation' of Bill Bryson's book 'mother tongue'.