AQA GCSE English Paper One Jigs and Reels by Joana Harris: Suggested Answers.
Q2). Mr. Fisher adopts a nostalgic, even highly romanticised view of the past ‘time’ where he recollects that ‘books were golden’, an adjective that emphasises the precious value of stories and the exhilaration (and treasure) of reading, ‘imaginations soared.’ This creative elation is expressed through the use of metaphorical language to celebrate the freedom and even wild excitement of stories. The trio of similes that illustrate this liberating feeling: ‘like gazelles…like tigers…like rockets,’ each communicate something untethered and ‘wild’ about the pace and movement of the stories as they ignited the imaginations of the readers. Interestingly, the final simile also suggests that stories can catapult readers into new universes or worlds as thresholds of thoughts are crossed. Mr fisher even recalls the infectious ‘fever’ of ‘whole classes’ again underlining the halcyon days of reading in the past.
At the end of the extract, Mr Fisher retrospectively realises that ‘we dreamed in colour’ even though ‘films were in black and white.’ This illuminating contrast reveals the depth of Fisher’s passion for teaching and reading and his evident belief that reading could even establish a moral code and sense of justice.’ Good always triumphed in the end.’ This final declaration gives representation to the importance of reading in any education as it encourages healing and reconciliation.
Q3) At the beginning of the source, Harris swiftly establishes the character of Mr Fisher through the use of exposition. Thus, we are made aware of his solitary home life, ‘lived alone’ his commitment to his vocation, ‘marking in the form room’ and his disillusionment with the creative writing skills of his students( ‘disappointing’) who no longer show interest in reading books. These factors set up an interesting contrast with the revelation of Tibbett’s ‘original’ story as the initial disillusionment of Mr Fisher, yields to surprise and excitement.
After the initial characterization of Mr Fisher in the opening two paragraphs, the structural focus shifts to the past, contrasting the disenchantment of the present with the creative excitement of the past.’ When books were golden.’ This shift in focus is represented in the vivid, vibrant images linked to the past which gives powerful representation to the ‘colour’ recollected by Fisher, ‘when imagination soared.’ The temporal return to the dismal ‘black and white’ disappointment of the ‘now’ explores the internal reflections of Mr Fisher who suffers from a ‘terrible disillusionment’ with his teaching as if ‘the magic had run out.’
Yet Mr. Fisher’s mindset is revitalised in the next paragraph due to the introduction of ‘Tibbett’ whose ‘spark’ is acknowledged and then starts to deliver a contrast to his previous expectations. This shift is explored through a visceral effect on Fisher: ‘a very strange sensation.’ This physical awareness of the intervention of something more promising ‘he began to sweat’ and presumably the missed bus home, leads to the awareness of a ‘nugget of gold’ being in front of him recalling the halcyon days of the ‘golden’ past. Such retrieval of hope is made compelling by the final focus of the extract which suggests that something ‘new’ and ‘original’ has been produced by the student Tibbett restoring the faith of his teacher in the creativity of a student whose flair and talent cannot be reduced to a ‘meaningless’ formula.
Q4) I fully support this student’s verdict on this section of the story, as we as readers are made powerfully aware of the extraordinary transformation of Mr. Fisher’s cynical expectations concerning his students’ creative writing. Even his views of Tibbett himself change as Fisher initially dismisses his student’s work as being at least ‘part’ done on the ‘bus.’ This transformation shifts from a resigned acceptance of all his students’ lack of ability in story writing, to an escalating elation as Fisher recognises Tibbett’s capacity to surpass all expectations through his astounding, ‘original’ story writing. Thus we witness the ‘gloomy’ Fisher defying his pessimism as he starts to give deserved ‘attention’ to the work of Alastair Tibbett. Fisher’s fairness in committing his time to read Tibbett’s story without prior judgment ‘ took a deep breath’ despite the allurement of the triple, ‘home, dinner, bed’ is rewarded by his mounting incredulity represented in physical terms: ‘tightening in his diaphragm.’ The surprise is so strongly felt that Mr. Fisher ‘went back to the beginning’ suggesting he cannot believe the quality of what he has just read, ‘breathing quickened’ and has to resort to ‘re-reading every word slowly’’ in order to savour the evident merit of the writing ‘with meticulous care.’ This lengthy description within the long sentence accentuates Fisher’s extreme reaction to what he has just encountered. He literally can hardly believe his eyes, so he haste to reread Tibbett’s work.
The analogy to the experience of a ‘prospector’ brilliantly links back to the supposedly lost ‘time’ when creative writing had the ability to liberate minds and allow students to run free imaginatively ‘like tigers’ or ‘gazelles.’ Hope now is personified and grows ‘strong’ underlining the revelation of this inspiring encounter with Tibbett’s fresh and ‘original’ story. The fact that Fisher cannot quantify exactly what makes this story so exciting, ‘ might have been hard put to reply’, shows that Fisher’s faith in the creative abilities of the young has been restored and certainly revitalised by reading this ‘new’ and ‘original’ story which exceeds all his expectations.
