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Lesson 07 and 08 - Blueback PDF

This chapter reveals Dora Jackson's complex feelings about her family's history as whalers in the bay. She feels bad about their whaling even though it was before her time, but believes the sea has taken enough from her family to make them even. The chapter also introduces Costello, a reef stripper who is pitted against the Jacksons, revealing Dora to be protective of the bay and Abel to be observant. Finally, the character of Costello is used to show that nothing in nature is as cruel as greedy humans.

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Jenny Granger Smith
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460 views

Lesson 07 and 08 - Blueback PDF

This chapter reveals Dora Jackson's complex feelings about her family's history as whalers in the bay. She feels bad about their whaling even though it was before her time, but believes the sea has taken enough from her family to make them even. The chapter also introduces Costello, a reef stripper who is pitted against the Jacksons, revealing Dora to be protective of the bay and Abel to be observant. Finally, the character of Costello is used to show that nothing in nature is as cruel as greedy humans.

Uploaded by

Jenny Granger Smith
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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BLUEBACK by Tim Winton Grade 8 - 2020

Lesson 7 and 8:
Chapter 6

This chapter begins with news that Abel has been given Mad Macha’s boat.

Dora reveals the history of the Jackson family who worked as whalers in the bay.

1. Read through the paragraph and describe her complex feelings about the Jackson
family’s history as whalers.
‘Look at that,’ said his mother. ‘We used to hunt them. Your father’s
family, the Jacksons, came here as whalers. Used to sit up on the ridge in
a lookout and when they saw a pod of whales come by they’d row out in
longboats and harpoon them.’ ‘I wonder if they remember, the whales.’
‘Who knows? I hope not.’
Abel and his mother stopped fishing and just watched the whales.
‘I used to feel bad about it,’ said his mother, ‘even though it was before
our time. But the sea has taken its fair share of us. I think we must be even
by now.’

Chapter 7

In this chapter the Jacksons are pitted against Costello, the reef stripper.

1. What does this battle reveal about the characters of Dora and Abel Jackson?
Write down the most striking quality which you learn about each of them.
You must provide textual evidence in your answer.

Chapter 8

The final line of this chapter is:

“That summer he learnt that there was nothing in nature as cruel and savage as a greedy human
being.”

1. How does Tim Winton use the character of Costello to reveal this to the reader?

Chapter 9

“In his high school years, Abel Jackson felt like he was holding his breath.”

1. Can you relate to this metaphor?


When have you had to “hold your breath” in order to cope in a difficult situation?
Describe your experience briefly.

Read through paragraph 2.

It was during these years that the developers came to Longboat Bay. They were businessmen and
councillors in suits and BMWs who wanted to build a resort in the bay. All the land around the Jackson
place was national park and could never be touched. But a hotel and golf course and swimming pool and a
marina could all fit on Jackson land. When these men saw Longboat Bay they saw money, piles of it. Rich
tourists, they thought, could moor their yachts and sit out on resort balconies here and watch kangaroos
grazing at the edge of the forest. International entrepreneurs could play golf and make deals. Helicopters
could bring people in daily for whalewatching tours. Charter boats could take fishermen out every morning.
And scuba lovers could meet that big old groper the Jackson kid played with every day. To them it was a
goldmine, a fortune waiting to be made.

2. Write down 3 examples of the diction which Tim Winton uses to expose the
materialism of unscrupulous developers.

Chapter 10

In this chapter, the writer emphasizes Dora Jackson’s close connection to the sea.

1. Write down a quote which proves this.

Read paragraph 5.

Abel sat on the verandah with his feet on the rail, thinking about it. Imagine that, he thought, knowing what
the old fish knew. Blueback was probably old enough to have known Abel’s mother as a girl. Hadn’t she
come out here as a teenager, staying summers with his father’s family? Did he see them swimming together,
his parents? Two young lovers. Had his father dived down to look at a small greenish groper out at Robbers
Head one day? People said his father swam like a fish. They said sometimes he thought he was a fish. If
Blueback could speak, thought Abel, he could tell him about his father. All the secrets of the sea would be
there waiting for him.

2. What questions do you have about your parents’ lives before you were born?
Write them down.

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