NICHOLAS NICKLEBY - EXERCISES ON PAGE 16

2. Focus on the characters

1. In what way are the pupils different from those of an ordinary school? what evidence of their ill-treatment is given in the text?  Boys were silent and sad. They did not make noice as boys of other schools normally do, there was no happyness in them, nobody was playing. The children were afraid and were shivering.  The description in the text wants to underline that the childrean are ill-treated: they did not live as children, they suffered the sarvation and they could not speak, make noise, laugh, or rather, they had no reason for laughing and being carefree and happy.

2. How does Mr Squuers define his teaching method? What is an actual aim? Why do you think he gives an explanation to Nicholas? What do his words reveal about him and his qualifications as a teacher? He defines his teching method as the "regular education system". I think he explains it because he wants to appear intelligent,and superior than Nicholas. His words reveal that he is not cultured, as he wants to let others believe. He made different mistakes in his speech with Nicholas.

3. Do Mr Squuers' wife, son and school reflect his personality? I think yes, because they are different from others.

4. Does Nicholas' oponinion about what is going on come out at all? No, he does not say frankly what he thinks, but his gesture and his answers let us think that he does not agree with Mr Squeers' method.