Comparing two texts from different times: summary and synthesis
Comparing two texts from different times (eg 80 years apart) helps to identify how each achieves its purpose. Link the texts by theme or topic, eg both might be about experiences of poverty, education, survival, or even a popular day out.
When linking two texts, To give a brief statement of the main points. and Bringing together information from two (or more) sources.:
- the different viewpoints in each text
- the purposes - the writer鈥檚 reasons for writing the texts or what they want to achieve
- methods used to convey viewpoints, eg text type, structure, language differences, tone
- context 鈥 this will come from within the texts, eg modern references, such as 鈥楪oogle鈥, or from the past, such as 鈥榩rinting press鈥
- intended audiences - this could be one reader or a specific group of readers
Question:
The two extracts show children鈥檚 experiences of food.
What differences are there between school dinners in these extracts?
Use details from both extracts to support your answer.
Extract 1:
Extract 1 is from Such, Such Were the Joys, an autobiographical essay by George Orwell, published in 1952. Here, Orwell writes about his experience of school dinners at St Cyprian鈥檚.
The food was not only bad, it was also insufficient. Never before or since have I seen butter or jam scraped on bread so thinly. I do not think I can be imagining the fact that we were underfed, when I remember the lengths we would go in order to steal food. On a number of occasions I remember creeping down at two or three o'clock in the morning through what seemed like miles of pitch-dark stairways and passages 鈥 barefooted, stopping to listen after each step, paralysed with about equal fear of Orwell鈥檚 nickname for the headmaster., ghosts and burglars 鈥 to steal stale bread from the pantry. The assistant masters had their meals with us, but they had somewhat better food, and if one got half a chance it was usual to steal left-over scraps of bacon rind or fried potato when their plates were removed.
As usual, I did not see the sound commercial reason for this underfeeding. On the whole I accepted Sambo's view that a boy's appetite is a sort of Unhealthy. growth which should be kept in check as much as possible. A A common 鈥榮aying鈥, eg 鈥榥ever judge a book by its cover.鈥 often repeated to us at St Cyprian's was that it is healthy to get up from a meal feeling as hungry as when you sat down.
Such, Such Were the Joys, George Orwell
Extract 2:
How schools can join Food Revolution Day 2015 by JamieOliver.com May 2015.
Food Revolution Day is kicking off on Friday 15 May to get children everywhere excited about good, fresh, real food. It鈥檚 a global day of action to celebrate the importance of cooking from Starting with the basics, without premade ingredients., and to raise awareness of how it impacts our health and happiness.
Greenvale School in Lewisham, London, is a community special school for children and young people between the ages of 11 and 19 who have severe and profound learning difficulties. On Food Revolution Day 2014 all of the students in the school took part in Jamie鈥檚 live lesson in some way: even if they were not able to practically get involved in the cooking due to because of their physical disability, they were still able to smell and feel the ingredients with support from staff.
Some of the children focussed on shaking up the salad dressing, and others were given tasks of chopping, grating, picking herbs, and wrapping, based on ability. Each class had set up their tables in front of the screen and students were excited and well prepared!
How schools can join Food Revolution Day 2015, JamieOliver.com
Analysis
SUMMARISE - scan read both texts for 2 or 3 main points:
| Extract 1 鈥 1952 | Extract 2 - 2015 |
| They sound unhealthy 鈥 鈥榠nsufficient鈥 鈥榰nderfed鈥 | They sound healthy 鈥 鈥榞ood, fresh, real food鈥, 鈥榬aises awareness of how it impacts our health鈥 |
| Children - steal extra food 鈥榠t was usual to steal left-over scraps鈥 | Children - are involved in preparing the food 鈥榓ll of the students took part鈥 |
| Appetites - were 鈥榢ept in check鈥 | Appetites - are encouraged 鈥榮tudents were excited鈥 to be working with the food |
| Extract 1 鈥 1952 | They sound unhealthy 鈥 鈥榠nsufficient鈥 鈥榰nderfed鈥 |
|---|---|
| Extract 2 - 2015 | They sound healthy 鈥 鈥榞ood, fresh, real food鈥, 鈥榬aises awareness of how it impacts our health鈥 |
| Extract 1 鈥 1952 | Children - steal extra food 鈥榠t was usual to steal left-over scraps鈥 |
|---|---|
| Extract 2 - 2015 | Children - are involved in preparing the food 鈥榓ll of the students took part鈥 |
| Extract 1 鈥 1952 | Appetites - were 鈥榢ept in check鈥 |
|---|---|
| Extract 2 - 2015 | Appetites - are encouraged 鈥榮tudents were excited鈥 to be working with the food |
SYNTHESISE 鈥 compare the differences:
In Extract 1, school dinners sound unhealthy as Orwell complains that they are "insufficient" and the boys are "underfed". There was not enough food for the children to feel satisfied. In Extract 2, school dinners sound healthy as the food is "good, fresh, real food". This extract states directly that the Revolution Day "raises awareness of how it impacts our health".
The children resort to stealing extra food in Extract 1, as they are still hungry after school dinners: "it was usual to steal left-over scraps". Whereas in Extract 2 the children are more involved as "all of the students took part" - the food is not kept away from them.
In Extract 2, the children are encouraged to enjoy working with the food: "students were excited and well prepared". This suggests that they will look forward to eating it too. Jamie Oliver鈥檚 day intends to "celebrate the importance of cooking from scratch". However, Orwell鈥檚 extract implies a negative attitude towards eating, since appetites "should be kept in check as much as possible" and you leave a meal "feeling as hungry as when you sat down".