Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
ADRIAN MOLE
BY SUE TOWNSEND
Te a c h e r s
Material
C O N T E N T S
Before Reading...................................................................................................................... 5
2
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole
TO THE TEACHER
Adrian Mole: the writer of this diary. He is a working-class English boy aged 13 3/4 with many
predictable (and some not so predictable) problems.
Adrians mother, Pauline: evidently influenced by the Feminist movement, she gets a job and has an affair
with Mr Lucas, the neighbour. She leaves her husband and her son for nine months to live with Lucas in the
city of Sheffield, but she eventually returns.
Adrians father: loses his wife, his job and, according to Adrian, his sanity, but eventually regains all three.
Adrians grandma: his fathers mother. She is outspoken and opinionated, but helps Adrian when necessary
and feeds him good meals from time to time.
Nigel: Adrians school friend, who always seems to get what Adrian wants first, namely a racing bike and
Pandora as his girlfriend.
Pandora: Adrians girlfriend. She is from a wealthy family, is pretty and is very politically correct.
Bert Baxter: an old man whom Adrian visits and helps.
Barry Kent: the class bully.
Doreen Slater: Adrians fathers girlfriend during the time that he is separated from his wife. She is a single
mother with a two-year-old son, Maxwell.
P L O T S U M M A RY
This is the charming, hilarious and explicit diary of a British teenager who lives in a modern suburban
setting. Adrian, an only child whose parents marriage is in crisis, records his experiences and observations
of life from New Years Day, when he is 13 3/4, until his fifteenth birthday.
While Adrian monitors the growth and changes in his body, he also copes with being in love with Pandora,
taking care of his dog, visiting his grandmother, and helping Bert Baxter as part of his schools community
service. At school, Adrian suffers the unwelcome attentions of Barry Kent, who hits him and takes money
from him. Adrian bears Barrys bullying in silence for months and even begins a paper round to be able to
pay him. Eventually, it is Adrians grandma who puts an end to Barrys reign of terror.
Adrian also worries about his parents, who are having difficulties in their marriage. They, however, seem to
worry more about themselves than about Adrian. Adrians mother goes away to Sheffield with her lover,
Mr Lucas, leaving Adrian and his father to cope on their own. Adrians father starts going out with his co-
worker, Doreen Slater. Two months later, he loses his job, which gives Adrian added cause for concern. In
due course, his mother comes back home and his father gets another job.
Adrian shares the household chores of shopping, cooking and cleaning with his parents though not by
choice. He becomes aware of adult problems and responsibilities, especially when his parents make him
pay for his lengthy phone calls to Pandora while she was in Tunisia.
Through it all, Adrian never ceases to take himself seriously. He soldiers on, with his British stiff upper
lip and a most entertaining combination of understatement and exaggeration.
3
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole
Sue Townsend was born on April 2, 1946 in the city of Leicester, England. As a child, she was such an avid
reader that during school holidays she would read two books a day. When Townsend was an adolescent, she
began writing semi-autobiographical fiction. This was the basis of Adrian Mole, but Townsend, not ready to
publish, kept him secret.
An early school-leaver, Townsend married, had three children, divorced and remarried before she became a
professional writer. In 1979, just after she had given birth to her fourth child, she joined the Phoenix Writers
Group at Leicesters Phoenix Theatre. She wrote her first play, Womberang, and won the Thames Television
Playwrights Scheme. This entitled her to a 2,000 stipend as resident writer at the theatre for one year.
Townsends contract at the Phoenix required that she write only one play. However, she was extremely prolific
and versatile, working on many pieces that year. Her main piece, The Ghost of Daniel Lambert, was a
successful musical with 42 speaking and singing parts. During this period, she also began reworking her
Adrian Mole material. The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 was published in 1982 and was such an
immediate success that Townsend soon adapted the book for television and for the theatre. Adrian Mole
became a household name in 1980s Britain and Townsend wrote sequels which follow Adrian through his
early manhood. These include: The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole (1984); The Confessions of Adrian Mole
(1989); and Adrian Mole: The Wilderness Years (1993).
Using comic characters whose behaviour is often preposterous, Townsends work pokes fun at the ridiculous
aspects of human behaviour and British life and institutions. Townsends extremely popular novel, The Queen
and I (1992), presents an imaginary scenario in which Britain becomes a republic, and the Royal Family is
rehoused on a council estate, a government housing project.
Townsends most recent novels are Rebuilding Coventry (1995) and Ghost Children (1997), the latest addition
to the Adrian Mole series.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Thatcher and Thatcherism: The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 was published during the time
that Margaret Thatcher was Britains (first female) Prime Minister. Much of Townsends comedy expresses
social commentary on the Prime Ministership of Thatcher, and her policies, known as Thatcherism.
Thatcher was nicknamed the Iron Lady because of the tough stands which she took, first in the war over
the Falkland Islands with Argentina in 1982, and later in her defeat of the national coal miners strike and
other trade union action. She favoured free-market forces and supported the privatisation of national
industries and utilities. She espoused the values of hard work and self-control, and discouraged too much
reliance on the welfare system. However, during Thatchers 11-year tenure (1979-1990), many institutions
were in a state of flux and unemployment rose. For some people, especially for the working class, it was a
difficult period.
Feminism is a movement which became popular in Thatchers Britain. Women no longer saw themselves as
solely responsible for taking care of children. It became acceptable for women to question the institutions of
marriage and parenthood, and to look for challenge and responsibility outside the home.
Multi-cultural England: England is a country with many immigrants. Most are from parts of the former
British Empire (such as the Singhs, the Indian family in the story), others are from other parts of the world
(such as the Chinese nurse). Townsend mocks Adrians grandma for her intolerance and racist views.
Bonfire Night falls on November 5th. It is a night of fireworks, bonfires and the burning of effigies of Guy
Fawkes. Guy Fawkes represented a group of Roman Catholic extremists who protested the anti-Catholic
policies of King James Is government. Bonfire Night (or Guy Fawkes Night) commemorates the failed
Gunpowder Plot of November 5th, 1605, in which Fawkes intended to blow up the Houses of Parliament
while the King and his chief ministers were meeting there. Fawkes was tried, found guilty and executed.
Coming for Tea: Tea is a light meal of sandwiches and cakes served in the early afternoon with cups of tea.
The English drink tea with milk and sometimes sugar. The word Tea is also used by some people as
another name for dinner, the evening meal.
4
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole
BEFORE READING
In pairs, students ask and answer the following questions. Alternatively, you can ask the questions and elicit
the answers from the whole class. (Some suggested answers are provided in italics.)
1. Have you ever written a diary? Do you keep a diary now? What are some reasons for keeping a diary?
(to record ones thoughts and opinions / experiences / an important event that one is living through;
when travelling; to create a document for you or others to read later)
2. Have you ever read someone elses personal diary? Did the writer give you permission to read it?
3. Have you ever read a published diary? How old was the writer? What period of time did the diary
cover?
4. Why do you think that people enjoy reading diaries written by others? (it is interesting to know what
others thought and felt; one can learn about the times the writer lived in)
5. The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole is the work of Sue Townsend, an adult woman writing from the point
of view of a teenage boy. How might such a diary be different from a real diary? (it is fiction; the
author can choose and control all the events and characters)
K E Y V O C A B U L A RY
Pre-teach the words in bold in the passages below. They are presented in context for your convenience. You
could also use these passages as a dictation for your students.
Adrian begins his secret diary with New Years resolutions. He worries about his tonsils, his parents and
his mongrel dog, but mostly about the spots on his face. Being the right age to fall in love, Adrian is
heartbroken when Pandora and Nigel start going out together. He is also jealous that Nigel has a racing
bike.
Adrians family is not wealthy. Adrians father has no money in his bank account, loses his credit card,
and cannot remember his cashpoint card number. The family struggles to pay the bills. The heating
doesnt work and the electricity and telephone get cut off. Adrian starts a newspaper round and uses some
of the money he earns to pay protection money to Barry Kent.
The Before Reading activities in the Burlington Reader Series general information leaflet, pages 8-11,
can be applied to The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole.
In addition to the activities in the general leaflet, students can then answer the following questions after
looking at the front and back cover and the pictures in the reader.
1. Who is the main character of the book? How old is he? (Adrian Mole, 13 3/4 years old)
2. Adrian begins writing his diary on January 1st, New Years Day. Less than three months later, he writes,
I dont know how many more problems I can stand. Suggest what situations are possible sources of
stress for a 14-year-old boy. (school, friends, girlfriends, money, drugs or alcohol, physical changes
associated with puberty, family problems, parents separation or divorce, a parent losing a job, violence
or abuse)
5
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole
Here are some points that more advanced students can be asked to consider after reading the book.
1. Would you consider Sue Townsend, the author, a feminist? Support your opinion with examples from
the book.
2. Can you detect any stereotypes or attempts to question stereotypes of professions, gender or ages in
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole?
3. What typical aspects of British life are presented in The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole?
4. What do you admire and respect about Adrian? What about him do you find fault with?
1. Write a review of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole for an English school newspaper.
2. You are a social worker going to visit Bert Baxter. Record your interview on tape and / or act it out in
front of the class.
3. Act out the conversation that might have taken place between Adrians grandmother and Barry Kent on
Thursday, May 21st (page 33).
4. Write a letter from Pandora to Adrian, telling Adrian that you and he are getting too serious and
explaining why (page 38).
5. Write out a phone conversation between Adrians mother and Mr Lucas after she returned to her family.
Act it out in front of the class.
6. Write the poem that Adrian may have written to Pandora in his Valentines card to her (page 51).
7. Imagine that you are Adrian, planning to go on a weeks adventure holiday with your youth club.
Write a list of things you think you may need to take with you.
Write a letter to Pandora from the trip, telling her what has happened.
8. Write the diary entry that Adrian may have written after the last one in the book.
9. Write your own diary for a week or more.
6
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole
TO THE TEACHER:
1. Organise a debate on one or both of these statements:
Adrian has a harder life than most teenagers.
The fact that Adrian is an only child explains many of his attitudes and problems.
2. Hand out the list of statements below to the groups. The groups discuss the statements and provide
examples from the text to support each statement. The group spokesperson reports the groups ideas to
the whole class.
TO THE STUDENTS:
Find examples to support the following pairs of statements.
1. (a) Adrians behaviour is typical of (b) Adrian behaves responsibly and with
someone his age. wisdom beyond his years.
Examples: Examples:
2. (a) Adrians grandma shows love and (b) Adrians grandma is narrow-minded and
understanding to everyone. intolerant.
Examples: Examples:
3. (a) Nigel is a good friend to Adrian. (b) Nigel is a bad friend to Adrian.
Examples: Examples:
4. (a) Adrians parents are childish and (b) Adrians parents behave like adults and
irresponsible. caring parents.
Examples: Examples:
5. (a) Bert is helpless and senile. (b) Bert is alert and full of life.
Examples: Examples:
See the Burlington Reader Series general information leaflet, pages 13 - 15, for more After Reading
activities.
7
Group Work
POSSIBLE ANSWERS
1. (a) Adrians behaviour is typical of someone his (b) Adrian behaves responsibly and with wisdom
age. beyond his years.
Adrian is obsessed with his spots. He hides Adrian takes himself to the doctor, and starts
behind a plastic plant in the bank. He hides and doing a newspaper round to earn some money.
burns the phone bills. He leaves his sports He helps Bert Baxter clean his house. He
clothes at home because he does not want to do pretends to be Berts grandson and phones the
sports at school. He tells his father that the dog Social Services to ask about a home-help for
broke the stereo when it was really his own fault. Bert. He calls a doctor when Bert is ill.
He leaves his new bike outside. He hides Big
and Bouncy magazines under his bed.
2. (a) Adrians grandma shows love and understanding (b) Adrians grandma is narrow-minded and
to everyone. intolerant.
Adrians grandma feeds Adrian and pays Adrians grandma says she is glad Adrians
attention to him. She comes round to collect parents are getting divorced. She tells Adrian
Adrian in a taxi, takes him home and calls the about someone who died on the operating table
doctor when he is ill. She helps her son pay his getting his tonsils removed. She doesnt like
electricity bill. She insists that Adrian and his black, brown, yellow, Irish, Jewish or foreign
father move in with her until the electricity is people. She sends Adrian a letter on December
reconnected. She gets Barry Kent to stop beating 5th asking him why he hasnt sent her a
Adrian up. She makes soup for Adrian when he Christmas card yet.
is in hospital.
3. (a) Nigel is a good friend to Adrian. (b) Nigel is a bad friend to Adrian.
Nigel invites Adrian to sleep at his house. He Nigel lies about Pandoras father and goes
tells Adrian he cant see his spot. He asks out with her even though he knows Adrian
Barry Kent to stop taking money from Adrian. loves her. He tells the whole school that Adrian
likes Barbara Bayer although Adrian told him
in secret.
4. (a) Adrians parents are childish and irresponsible. (b) Adrians parents behave like adults and caring
Adrians father throws his cheese sandwich parents.
at the wall. He forgets his cashpoint card They share their problems and true feelings
number. He stays in bed instead of looking for with Adrian. Adrians father asks Adrian which
a job. He wants to hit Adrian because of the parent he would like to live with. He cleans up
high telephone bill. He says goodnight to his the house. He finds a job. He takes Adrian
car. He gets drunk. shopping for his school uniform (even though he
Adrians mother doesnt give Adrian a note complains how expensive it is).
to get out of sports although he complained of Adrians mother insists that Adrian pay the
being in pain. She doesnt bother too much phone bill himself. She occasionally gives
about Adrians food and clothes. She leaves Adrian spending money. She cries and is nice to
Adrian and goes to Sheffield with Mr Lucas. Adrian when he goes to visit her.
5. (a) Bert is helpless and senile. (b) Bert is alert and full of life.
Bert tells Adrian that a Bible printed in Bert gets Adrian to do his shopping and
1956 saved his life during the First World washing-up. He tells the social worker that
War. He gives Adrian a book token which his grandson looks after him. He escapes
had to be used before December 1958. He from hospital and goes to live with the
has had a set of false teeth since 1946 which Singhs. He gets married. He speaks perfect
originally belonged to his father. His house Hindi.
is very dirty.
8
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole
C. Fill in the blanks with the Past Continuous form of the verbs in the word bank. Then match A to
B to form sentences.
A B
ANSWERS
A. 1. Bert Baxter
2. Pandora
3. Mrs Lucas
4. Adrians mother / Pauline
5. Barry Kent
6. Adrians father
7. Nigel
8. Adrians grandma
9. Adrian
10. Mr Lucas
B. 1. hair, treacle
2. mongrel, eyes
3. delivered, round
4. complained, rude
5. civilised, uncivilised
6. card, token
Nouns Verbs Adjectives
hair delivered rude
treacle complained civilised
mongrel uncivilised
eyes
round
card
token
C. 1. was playing, d
2. was beating, f
3. a, was delivering
4. c, were having
5. were watching, e
6. was concentrating, b
10
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole
B. Fill in the blanks with the Past Perfect form of the verbs in the word bank.
1. Bert Baxters teeth had sentimental value to him; they ........................ to his father.
2. After Sabre ........................ Berts false teeth, Bert washed them and put them back in his mouth.
3. The phone was cut off on November 28th because nobody ........................ the bill.
4. Because Adrian ........................ his homework by candlelight, there was candle wax on his exercise
books.
5. Adrians grandma told him about someone who ........................ to death on the operating table while
he was having his tonsils removed.
6. Adrian ........................ the red phone bill and ........................ the blue phone bill under his bed.
7. Adrian ........................ from tonsillitis for nine years before his tonsils were removed.
C. Fill in the blanks with the possessive form of the nouns below.
1. ........................ hat had flowers and fruit on it and her make-up was orange.
2. ........................ bedroom had black walls, a white carpet, a stereo and a colour television.
3. The postman read ........................ postcard from Tunisia.
4. Maxwell was ........................ two-year-old son.
5. Pandora advised Adrian to put some vodka in ........................ milk.
6. The art teacher wasnt pleased with ........................ picture of a nude.
7. Adrian found ........................ teeth in ........................ kennel.
8. When they had no electricity, Adrian and his father stayed at his ........................ house for a week.
9. Even ........................ dog couldnt stop smiling when ........................ mother came back home.
10. The dog destroyed ........................ new path.
11
W o r k s h e e t 2 : Pa g e 2 8 t o Pa g e 5 4
ANSWERS
A. 1. because
2. because
3. although
4. because
5. because
6. Because
7. Although
8. because
9. Although
10. because
B. 1. had belonged
2. had chewed
3. had paid
4. had done
5. had bled
6. had burned, had hidden
7. had suffered
C. 1. Queenies
2. Nigels
3. Pandoras
4. Doreen Slaters
5. Maxwells
6. Barry Kents
7. Bert Baxters, Sabres
8. grandmas
9. the Moles, Adrians
10. Mrs Lucas
12
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole
FINAL TEST
D. Choose one topic and write a paragraph. Your paragraph should be at least 60 words long.
1. Why do you think Adrian did not tell anyone about his troubles with Barry Kent? How did the
situation get resolved in the end?
2. What kind of a woman, mother and grandmother is Adrians grandma?
3. Describe Adrians relationship with Bert Baxter. What kind of a friend is Bert to Adrian?
4. Describe Adrians relationship with Pandora. Mention the things you like about their relationship.
5. Would you and Adrian be friends? Explain why.
30 points
13
Final Test
ANSWERS
A. 1. c 2. a 3. b 4. d B. 1. c 2. b 3. d 4. c
1. New Years resolutions are a persons (good) 16. Pandora lives on Elm Tree Avenue. Adrian
intentions for the coming year. finds this out when he sees her coming out of
her house while he is delivering newspapers
2. Adrian thinks that his spot is growing because
on her street.
his mother doesnt know about vitamins.
17. Adrian found out that his parents were
3. The vet finds many things in the dogs separating when he heard his father talking to
stomach. There were even plastic pirates from his grandma.
Adrians fathers model ship. The dog had
18. Adrians grandmother was quite happy that his
eaten these things.
parents were getting a divorce.
4. Adrian is 13 3/4 years old at the beginning of
19. Adrian hid his fathers shaving razor because
his diary.
he thought that his father was suicidal.
5. Adrian thought that Nigel was being polite
20. After his weekend with Nigel, Adrian thought
because Nigel said he couldnt see Adrians
that he had been living in poverty for 14 years.
spot.
He thought that he lived in a horrible house,
6. Adrian decided to go and see a private doctor ate terrible food and didnt get enough pocket
because the doctor who Adrian went to first money. He thought that his father would have
didnt examine Adrians spot. to look for a better job (so he could buy
7. Adrian thought that the family were poor everything Adrian wanted).
because they only had a black-and-white TV 21. Adrian told his mother because he wanted to
(not a colour one). make her jealous so she would come home.
8. He thought he would be a teenage criminal 22. Adrian was angry that the postman had read
because his mother was looking for a job. (He his postcards. He thought he would report the
thought she would be too busy to look after postman for reading other peoples postcards.
him.)
23. Adrians father put the flowers into the back
9. Adrian is in a group at school that helps old seat of his car and went out with Doreen
people. Adrian is given Bert Baxter to help. Slater.
10. Adrians mother got a job at the place where 24. Adrians grandma went mad (got very angry)
Mr Lucas worked. when she found Adrian and his father reading
11. Adrian is angry because Nigel started going by candlelight. She said they had got to go to
out with Pandora even though Nigel knew her house. She gave Adrians father a cheque
Adrian loved her. for the electricity bill.
12. The real reason is probably that Adrians 25. Adrians grandma solved his problem with
father is jealous. Adrians mother is looking Barry Kent.
after Mr Lucas when she finishes work and 26. Adrian hopes that Bert Baxter doesnt die for
has got no time to look after Adrian and his two reasons. First, he likes Bert. Second, he
father. doesnt have anything to wear to a funeral.
13. Mr Lucas stays with Adrians family because 27. Pandora thinks Adrians father is racist
his wife has taken all the furniture from his because when an Indian family, the Singhs,
home. moved next door, Adrians father said it was
14. Adrian wishes he knew karate so that he could the beginning of the end of their street.
protect himself from Barry Kent. 28. Pandora said she had given all her money to a
15. When Adrians father went fishing, Mr Lucas poor man in Tunisia.
came for dinner and ate three pieces of 29. Pandora told Adrian they shouldnt see each
Adrians fathers favourite cake. There was no other for a while because she thought they
cake left for Adrians father. When Adrians were getting too serious.
father arrived home, he was hungry. His wife
30. Adrian is worried about the operation to
made him a cheese sandwich. Adrians father
remove his tonsils because both his grandma
threw the cheese sandwich at the wall. He said
and Bert said they knew people who had bled
that he wasnt a mouse, he was a man.
to death when they had their tonsils removed.
Adrians mother cried.
15
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole