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AUTHOR'S QUESTIONS

In this interview, Michael Morpurgo explains four questions he would like to ask a class of children who have read Private Peaceful. Watch the clip carefully – be aware that this is a task for those who know how the novel ends. After watching, in pairs discuss your answers to his questions. Then, as a class, write a letter or email to Michael explaining you have watched his interview on this Film Education website, and giving your answers to his questions, making sure you give clear reasons for each response. You can send your correspondence via his website or to the contact information below:

Laura West
David Higham Associates
5-8 Lower John Street
Golden Square
London W1R 4HA
laurawest@davidhigham.co.uk

Here is a reminder of the questions he asks:

  1. Which part of the story could you see most clearly in your mind’s eye as you were reading?
  2. Do you think it would have been better to have the other brother tell the story, the one who is going to get shot, might that have been better?
  3. How relevant is the book for today? Is there anything you can connect with in the story like Big Joe's learning difficulties?
  4. Is there anything about society today which you think is unfair, as things clearly were then?

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Michael Morpurgo interview transcript

 

The first question would be "have you read it?", and that always gets them flummoxed, because someone in the class is sure to lie, you know.

No, I wouldn't ask that, of course I wouldn't.

What would I ask presuming they'd all read it.

I think I'd say to them which part of the story could you see most clearly in your mind's eye as you were reading it? Would it be pastoral beginning or would it be at the front itself? Which - is there a moment you can see most clearly?

Then I might ask what do you think about the ending? Do you think it would have been better to have the other brother tell the story, the one who is going to get shot, might that have been better?

And the third one is how relevant is this book for today, is there anything in this book which you can connect with today that has - has maybe helped to open your eyes to some issue, such as having someone in your family or in your community who has learning difficulties of one sort or
another, like big Joe has?

Are there moments when you think, hang on, this is interesting now, it's not just about the First World War.

A fourth question - because I would rattle on - is is there anything about society today which you think is unfair as things clearly were then?

I would try if I could to immerse them in time. I would certain take them to the Western Front. I think every child should go to two places in Western Europe, one is Auschwitz and the other is the Western Front.

We have to know what happened in order to be able to move on. And I do think that would be important, not just to count graves, not just to weep and moan and to put flowers down, but to think about it. And at the end of the day, really, after my three or four questions or whatever, that's all - if I walk out of the class and leave them, what I'd hope is that I'd leave them thinking.