Contrasting Characters

Year 5 were tasked to create two contrasting characters and put them in a situation together, as if it was the start or middle of a longer story. They have been reading a story set in Victorian times with Dickensian-style characters and the inspiration was taken from that, although their characters didn’t have to be Victorian… Here are just three of the excellent pieces.

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By Jess

I remember brushing the walls that morning when my Mistress told me to come over and talk with her. “Jane, my friend Margaret is in a horrible condition. She is very sad and sick; she has been wanting a child for years and never got one. Each time she tries, the more years will be cut off her life. You make my children so happy and I hope that you will make Margaret happy too.”

“I will try my absolute best ma’am,” I said a little sadly. After all I’ve been working here for around three years now and now, I have to leave.

When I first arrived at Lady Margaret Ida Elizabeth’s house. She didn’t talk to me at all, she would stay in her room all day and occasionally I had to bring her some tea and white buttered bread since she didn’t come down to eat.

I tried my best to make her lighten up and laugh. I told her some jokes and sayings that I knew. However, she didn’t even flinch and ignored them. Even though I couldn’t make her so much happier, I settled in well and I made friends with the cooks and cleaners.

One night, I heard the most heartbreaking sobs coming from Lady Margaret’s room. I couldn’t resist rushing up the stairs to check if she was alright. I burst in and forgot to knock on the door, it gave her a rightful scare. “What..are..you…doing..here?” She stuttered between sobs.

I felt my face blushing hard. “I‘m very sorry Miss, I didn’t mean to burst in like that. I was just checking if you’re alright,” I whispered softly.

Lady Margaret looked at my plump, round face and her face and expression softened. She gave me a tiny nod to tell me to sit down. “Oh Jane, you have been so good to me and I wished I treated you a little better. I just feel so alone and empty in my heart. I have a husband that doesn’t care about me and only cares about money, and none of my relatives are living anymore.” More tears streamed down her face as I dabbed them away with a cloth.

I smiled sadly at her, “I could be your family.” I took a long breath. “You see Miss, family doesn’t need to require blood, it requires love,” I said very softly.

~~~

By Nathan

They slowly peeked around the corner, and there it was, the bakery.

The smell of warm, fresh bread flooded their noses, the days of no good food would finally come to an end. They had been waiting for this moment for weeks, but, there was an obstacle in their way, they only had a single shilling, and bread was three. They would have to steal their way to satisfaction.

“Don’t you think this is a stupid idea?” John asked, with an angry tone in his voice. He had doubted Sam for a long time.

“You can say what you want but it isn’t going to change my mind.” Sam replied, staring at the bakery, waiting for the right moment to sneak through the crowd and into the kitchen.

A few minutes later, Sam whispered “Now!” He was gesturing for John to follow him, but he didn’t move.

“Knock yourself out,” John said. Sam smirked at him and ran for it. He snuck through the crowd slowly getting closer and closer.

Logan was also out looking for some bread. He had seen the two many times before and got them in trouble lots, and it just so happened to be that he was going to the same bakery as Sam. He was walking around the back of the bakery and saw the young boy walking through to the kitchen.

Logan knew that he could get a reward from this bakery if he stopped them, and the pleasure of stopping these kids in their plan would be so pleasing. So, he took his chance. He grabbed Sam by the shirt and he was held back from running any further. A broad smile came across Logan’s face, and an angry frown came across Sam’s.

One of the ladies from the kitchen walked out and saw what had happened.

“This boy was trying to steal your bread, and I -”

“Oh, well how wonderful is that! How can we reward you?”

“A nice loaf of bread would be lovely.” He said in his posh clear voice. She went back into the bakery and took out a nice loaf of bread for him.

Sam saw this as his chance, as Logan was being handed the bread he wrenched out of his grasp and snatched the bread. He ran away as fast as he could. Because of how many times he has run away before he had developed a great speed. He easily outran the rich man and claimed his prize.

Sam and John ate the whole loaf that night, which made them desperate for more.

“So,” John said, “do you want to try again?”

~~~

By Scarlett

INTRO (setting the scene)

A tall man stood watching the sea. His servants behind him grew more anxious by the second as he was unmoving. He had laid off the old butler yesterday and they knew Mr Robert Lee Dickerson wasn’t going to pay the fare back to England. The butler was now sobbing in his cabin on the Titanic while Mr Robert Lee Dickerson was swinging his cane and looking at the sea. Then the noise came from the background. He straightened the white rose at in his pocket and turned around. “Who made the noise!” He barked at the line of gulping servants. Emily the youngest servant put up her hand…

“Oh, please ma!” cried Lizzie. “Just for a stroll around!”

“You’ll get lost or in trouble,” said Ma firmly. Lizzie huffed and went to sit on her bunk bed.

“Ma?” she said. “why is there a switch on the wall?” Before her mum could say anything, she had pressed it and Lizzie gasped- electric lighting!

Robert was very proud of himself. He had shown his servants who was boss after he had told Emily to pack her bags. She had run off in tears to his delight. He leaned over the railing and saw a young girl skipping by. He frowned. She was interrupting his peace! And she didn’t look first class! More like steerage! He shuddered at the thought of all the poor on the ship. Then he smiled.

“I will attend to this girl personally!”

Lizzie carried on skipping while smiling to herself. Her mum had been so shocked with electric lighting she had simply waved Lizzie away. She closed her eyes and when she reopened then she smiled. She was now wearing a silk ball gown and was walking towards the grand staircase. She was about to dance when a cold hand grabbed her pulling her out of her dream. Her gaze went along to the bony fingers up to a sleek jacket and carried on to the face that for some reason made her gulp.

CONTRASTING CHARACTERS

“What are you doing youngster?” He whispered into her face and pointed to a sign.

FIRST CLASS ONLY

He watched as the girl stuttered and tried to smile politely. He let go of her shoulder lifting one finger after another. He curled his fingers into a fist and slowly opened it again.

“I repeat what are you doing here?” he said almost spitting at her. Lizzie found her tongue.

“Sir,” she whispered. “I wasn’t looking where I was going!”

She looked into his eyes. That was a mistake. They were cold black.

“Perhaps you were trying to steal?” said the tall man.

“No Sir!” she said nearly in tears. “I would never steal!”

“Maybe we should ask someone else?” He said pointing further down the Lane to the constable’s office.

“Not on my watch,” said a voice behind Lizzie.

Roberts stirred his tea viciously. He couldn’t believe defeat. So, his old employer Emily had been told to watch the girl! It didn’t mean anything! He wished he could have sued them but what for? And the biggest question…

Why was Emily watching the girl?

~~~

Great work Year 5!