Qns:-

1
Qns- Life aint supposed to be anything, except
maybe tough. Briefly describe the novel The
Great Gilly Hopkins and then, in greater detail,
show how Gilly comes to realise how true
Trotters comment is
Areas where Gilly finds life tough-
. ii. Getting to know W.E.
i. Being an Orphan
iii. Learning her mother does not want her.
iv. Being forced to leave Trotters.
v. Learning to grow up.
vi. Learning that stealing is wrong.
2
i. Being an Orphan
a) The problems with being shunted round foster
homes. P 1-3 Note the comments she makes about
the foster homes.the situations that she had
been faced with..the problem with people not
using her nameDetermined to make trouble and
make the life of others difficult..comment on
early days with Trotter P. 3-25.Gillys view of
herself P. 96 This is probable a consequence of
being an orphan and not wanted.has cried to
herself a lot P. 109
ii. Getting to know W.E.
a) The problem of coming to terms with the Less
Able. First impression on W.E. is that he is a
retarded.. Confronted by Trotter
immediatelyForced to get on with him..With the
plane realises that he is not stupid..Teaches
W.E. to stand up for himselfargues with Trotter
over it and wins.. returns back to Trotters
because of him .the cuddle with W.E. P.121 rare
speciesThe letters to W.E. P. 136ff
3
iii. Learning her mother does not want her.
a) Coming to terms with who she is and what she
is- Until the very end, the purpose to Gillys
life is to be her mother whom Gilly feels wants
and loves her.She does not know who her mother
isPicture is before Courtney left home..Gilly
was clearly an accident. Courtney keeps her for
3 years and then gives her up.Courtney appears
to be a selfish person See Courtneys room P.
132 argument with her mother P. 146Has only
come home because she was paidNever speaks to
Gilly in the novel.When she gave her up for
adoption she gave Gilly a picture of herself with
I will always love youGilly realises that the
message was never really meant..considers
Courtney never really loved her.
4
iv. Being forced to leave Trotters.
a) Having to leave somewhere she really wanted to
be Because she did not want to be with the
Dixons or the Richmonds Gilly makes life so
difficult for them that she has to leave
them.When she arrives at Trotters she does the
same..She writes the letter to Courtney to get
her away from Trotters.She runs away to be
with her mother.. it is because W.E. begged her
to come back that Gilly returns.
After her return major changes take place.she
teaches W.E. to defend himself.She hears Trotter
defend her.She refers to W.E as her brother P.
118..She comes to regard Trotters as a real
home.
The letter forces her to leavewhere before she
would have fought tooth and nail, now she accepts
she must live with her grannythe reason she
accepts it is so as let Trotter down. It is her
love for Trotter and W.E. that make her accept
something she does not want.
5
v. Learning to grow up.
a) Becoming someone others respect When Gilly
arrives at Trotters she has been such a pain
that Miss Ellis despairs anyone will ever take
hershe has major disagreements with
Trotter.she frightens W.Eshe steals from both
Trotter and Mr. Randolph and she tries to wind
up Miss Harris.
Gillys love for Trotter and W.E. is what changes
her. See slide 4.
When she leaves Miss Harris writes to her telling
her how much she misses her and wants her to
write to her.W.E. writes
She not only replies to Miss Harris she also
reads and comments on The Lord of the Rings the
book where her name came from.
In the final conversation with Trotter, Trotter
tells she would not changed anything in her.she
is proud of her..so as not to let Trotter down
she does something she does want to or like.
6
vi. Learning that stealing is wrong.
a) Learning the difference between right and
wrong