Miss Potter
Fiches élève   
An unconventional woman

Niveau : collège, 4e-3e (B1-B2 du CECR)
Objectifs culturels : la condition des femmes et les relations hommes-femmes à l’époque victorienne et au début du XXe siècle.
Objectifs linguistiques 
– Le vocabulaire décrivant la personnalité et l’attitude des personnages et le statut marital.
– L’entraînement à l’expression orale spontanée et à la discussion.
– Le travail sur l’accentuation et la prononciation (réalisation de « u ») avec pour finalité l’interprétation d’une courte scène du film.

The characters and their time
The characters’ personalities
Which adjectives apply to Beatrix, Millie, Mr Potter, Mrs Potter? Fill the grid.
feminist, sensitive, artistic, snobbish, outspoken (qui a son franc-parler), understanding, conventional, imaginative, strong-willed (volontaire, déterminé), narrow-minded (étroit d’esprit).

Beatrix
Millie Warne
Mr Potter
Mrs Potter








Discussion: Try and justify your choices orally with what you remember of the film.

Mrs Potter’s and Mr Potter’s attitude to Beatrix and her art
Match the following ideas with the appropriate character.



Mr Potter


Mrs Potter
– believes in Beatrix’s talent.
– is disappointed with Beatrix’s life.
– supports Beatrix.
– is proud of Beatrix and what she has achieved.
– is ashamed of Beatrix’s life.
– is not interested in Beatrix’s drawings.
– would like Beatrix to marry a rich suitable gentleman.
– disapproves of Beatrix’s wedding plans.

(suitable: convenable)

Women in Victorian society
The Victorian age corresponds to the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901). It was a time of profound social and economic mutations. The industrial revolution transformed the face of Britain and many great scientific discoveries were made such as photography, the electric bulb, the telephone. But society remained very conservative about the condition of women. A woman’s place was at home. Marriage gave a woman respectability. The ideal woman looked after her home and her children. Single women were an object of pity.

Men and unmarried women’s relationships
Beatrix is constantly followed by her chaperon, Miss Wiggins. Why?
What couldn’t unmarried women do? (Use expressions of prohibition.) 
Which differences did you notice in the relationships between young women and men compared with today? (Use expressions of opposition or use the comparative.)

The ideal woman
What would Mrs Potter like her daughter to do/ to be?
What makes Beatrix different from the ideal Victorian woman?

Play a scene from the film
A family crisis

Beatrix: How was your day at the club, father?
Father: Interesting, as always.
Mother: Rupert, we seem to have a situation. We need your resolution.
Beatrix: I want to invite Norman Warne and his sister to your Christmas party.
Mother: With lady Armitage. With sir Nigel and Sybil?! A tradesman, Rupert, how will anyone have fun?
Beatrix: He is a gentleman who publishes my books, father.
Mother: Rupert.
Father: I have something here, Beatrix. I went into Hatchard’s bookshop and I purchased this with good money (he shows The Tale of Two Bad Mice).
Beatrix: I would have given you one.
Father: But I wanted to buy one. Like everyone else. I owe you an apology, Beatrix. When you showed me your books, all I saw was my little girl bringing me clever drawings for me to comment on. You are not a little girl anymore, you are an artist. A genuine artist. I would have been proud to use that word about myself. And I’m proud of you, Beatrix.
Beatrix: Thank you, father.
Father: So I don’t see any reason why we cannot make a little social effort to welcome the gentleman responsible for this blessing in our home.
Beatrix: Thank you, father.


A tradesman: un commerçant ; to purchase: to buy ; I owe you an apology: je te dois des excuses ; genuine: real; a blessing: un bienfait, une bénediction.

a) Syllable stresses
(a stress: un accent, stressed: accentué)
– Underline in black in the scene the stressed syllable of the words of two syllables and more.
– Situation, resolution: what do you notice about the place of the stress for the words ending in “tion”?
...............................................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................................
– tradesman, bookshop, gentleman: in compound nouns, which word is stressed?
...............................................................................................................................................
...............................................................................................................................................

b) Sentence stresses
Read the scene again and underline in green the words that are stressed because the speaker wants to insist on them.

c) Pronunciation
Classify the following words from the scene in the grid according to the pronunciation of the letter “u”.
club; resolution; Rupert; publish; fun; purchase; use
– like in sun or but: ...
– like in you: ...
– like in bird: ...

d) Practice reading the extract aloud. Pay particular attention to pronunciation and stress.

Now get on the stage!
Work in groups of three. Each one chooses a part, learns it by heart. Then rehearse to be prepared to act the scene in front of the class.
(a part: un rôle; to rehearse: répéter)

Vocabulary
From single life to married life
Use arrows to match the English words with their translations.

Un chaperon
Célibataire (adjectif)
Une vieille fille
Un célibataire
Un prétendant
Un bon parti
Se fiancer
Des fiançailles
Se marier
Une cérémonie de mariage
Un mariage
Unmarried, single
A suitor
A spinster
To get engaged
A chaperon
Engagement
A bachelor
To get married
A wedding
A good match
A marriage


Hélène de Surgy
Professeur d'anglais

 © SCÉRÉN - CNDP
  Créé en mars 2007. Actualisé en avril 2007 - Tous droits réservés. Limitation à l'usage non commercial, privé ou scolaire.