‘ON HER KNEES’ by TIM WINTON - TASK SHEET

TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT THE STORY ‘ON HER KNEES’, WHICH WE READ IN CLASS SOME
TIME AGO. THEN ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

1/ WHAT IS SUGGESTIVE ABOUT THE TITLE? IS THERE MORE THAN ONE MEANING TO THE
PHRASE ‘ON HER KNEES’….

2/ WHAT ARE SIX CHARACTER TRAITS OF THE MOTHER? FIND EXAMPLES OF THE
VARIOUS TRAITS THAT YOU DISCOVER.

3/ HOW DO THE DIFFERENT SETTINGS IN THE STORY CONTRIBUTE TO OUR EMPATHY

FOR THE CHARACTERS?

4/ WHAT ARE THREE THEMES THAT THE STORY EXPLORES?

5/ HOW ARE VICTOR AND HIS MOTHER MORE WELL-ROUNDED AS CHARACTERS THAN
THE LADY OF THE HOUSE?

6/ HOW DOES VICTOR’S POINT OF VIEW AND USE OF FLASHBACK AFFECT OUR
PERCEPTION OF HIS MOTHER?