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The Withered Arm and Other Wessex Tales Study Guide

A collection of study notes and explorative activities to support the teaching of The Withered Arm and other Wessex Tales for GCSE. Helps make a difficult literary text easier to understand and, importantly, simple to write about.

A resource perfect for inspiring ambition in a range of learners. [We] love the notes on style, language use and vocab that trail through this resource - a clear example of standard-setting and advancing skills. Penglais English Department

Notes and activities cover all six short stories and include:

  1. The Withered Arm
  2. The Son’s Veto
  3. Tony Kytes, The Arch Deceiver
  4. Absent-mindedness in a Parish Choir
  5. The Melancholy Hussar of the German Legion
  6. The Distracted Preacher
  • Mini vocab guides
  • Plot summaries
  • Links to literary heritage
  • Character summaries and analysis
  • Literary technique and style
  • Important contextual influence
  • Stimulating activities

Also includes advice and tips for the AQA or OCR English Literature exam, a suggested teaching plan, and teacher’s answers.