By Sebastian Faulks

Section B (Fiction)of anthology

Set in France in the 1940s, occupied by Germans
during the second World War
Charlotte Gray = long novel, deals with the themes of
memory and loss
The piece describes the waiting and struggle the boys
and adults suffered when waiting for transportation to
their final destination. The situation is described and a
tense atmosphere is created for the reader.
Reader is filled with fear for the people.
THE very LAST night before they go to the
concentration camp. They will face death, although
they may all not realise this at this moment.



Each paragraph builds up a picture
Jewish orderly = lined up
Deportees might write a final message = been thrown out of
a country, and asked to write a final message before they
leave/die
Sobbing passion/Punctilious care = choosing their words
carefully/taking great care why?
Final message = the last piece they will ever write? Sense of
closure?
They will have to leave them at the station or throw from
train anyway
Pencils/barracks = limited resources
Safety/choice of words = look at the last two lines?
Forgiveness? Confession?
Repetition of some

Woman = unknown/no name, but at least she is kind,
maternal instinct
One sandwich ONLY for each child, very basic food
One pail of water to share between many, they
clustered, packed together round the bucket
Sardine cans for cups, they have to share, havent got
one each
Embraced/gratitude = positive, so grateful, the older
children recognise this, not the younger children -
maybe do not understand the importance?
Bucket soon empty = hope gone, back to not having
any water again, they need water to survive

Only a few hours to go
Lying on straw animals live/eat straw, that is
now how they are treated
Soft bloom of his cheek = so young and fresh
Laid, uncaring in the dung = no self respect
left, he isnt complaining, the only bed he has
available (link back to refugee blues), loss of
childhood?
Jacob and Andre only have limbs for warmth
= they have nothing
Adults slumped = they seem to know what is
going to happen. They have given up? No more
fight left in them? They are collapsing with
exhaustion?
Talking in lowered voices = depressed, down
somehow children fell asleep = maybe they do
not realise the reality of what they are going to
have to face, as they sleep, whereas the adults
cant. The only time they are at peace is when they
are sleeping.
Able to dream of better places = sleep is better than
reality

Refused coffee = coffee is a common drink to
have in the morning/start of the day, they
wont drink it, as they know that at breakfast
that will be the end/final destination/apart
from the children/family

Ripple quickening of muscle nerve =
body reaction/stress, we start to
feel/understand how they feel, brings it more
to life?
White and green municipal buses = plain
government buses
Sleep/refused to leave = the ones that understand,
dont want to leavethey know what they are
going to face?
Gendarmes = controlled by the Germans to control
the people
filthy straw = living like animals
dug in their heels = fighting to leave such a
terrible place, they want to stay
screamed = to scream is to make a loud,
piercing, high-pitched cry, uttered, in this case,
fear or pain. This word really allows us to
understand their emotions.
shower of food = but they are only scraps
Women wailing = could be crying for their
family. To use wail to describe them is more
powerful and communicates their feelings
clearly to the reader. Alliteration emphasises
this.
To wail is to express pain, grief, or misery in a
long mournful high-pitched cry or in words
uttered in a mournful way.
Grief/morning = death it is as if they are
already dead to them.
eyes were fixed with terrible ferocity =
focusing to try and remember, and be left with
a picture of the child fixed in the mind
Ferocity = extreme/intense/ almost fierce

Held on hard = alliteration makes this image
stick in our minds, Andre cant let go of Jacob.
Imagine how you would feel if somebody said
to you that it may be the last time you would
see/be with your brother/sister again? This
image is heartbreaking
Some of the children are so young, they cant
even manage the steps

Delayed because of a baby = even a baby of
only a few weeks old is having to go to a
concentration camp
crammed interior = they are having to be
pushed in, they would be extremely
uncomfortable
Mentions the caf opposite = the last snippet
of reality they will see?
Matter of fact, does not over emphasise details
Big contrast with the reality of horror
Words and sentences simple and
straightforward

Find all the examples of contrast used, for
example, Andres young, fresh cheek
contrasted with the dung.