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Tasks: Sixpence by Katherine Mansfield

A yellow teddy bear with an orange bow is sitting in a chair. A child's hand is holding the armrest. Watercolour illustration.
Govva: Denise Krebs / CC BY 4.0

Quiz:

What do you remember about the short story? Take this true/false quiz to check. Perhaps you need to have a quick look at the story again?

Analyse:

Work with a partner or in a group. Discuss, and write your answers in a shared document.

  1. Compare Mrs Bendall and Mrs Spears. In what ways are they different?

  2. How are Mrs Spears's two boys described, and how are they different from Dicky? What effect do you think whipping has had on Mrs Spears's children?

  3. Find five adjectives that you think best describe Edward Bendall.

  4. How would you describe the Bendall's parenting skills? Is Edward Bendall a bad father?

  5. Do you think the names, 'Spears' for the woman who advocates beating children and 'Bendall' for the parents who give in to this idea, are significant? Why do you think the author chose these names?

  6. Explain how these keywords relate to the short story:

    • Forgiveness

    • Control

    • Guilt

    • Obedience

    • Fear

    • Bravery

  7. What is the message of the short story?

Discuss:

Work with at least two partners and discuss the questions.

  1. Is it OK for parents to physically discipline their children when they do something wrong? Give reasons for your opinion, and explain where you draw the line.

  2. When should the government step in to protect children from their parents?

  3. In the past, many people believed the saying 'spare the rod, spoil the child'. Today most people would say that beating and physically disciplining children is unacceptable. Why do you think this has changed?

  4. Is it only physical discipline from parents that may be harmful to children? Are there other forms of discipline that you think are unacceptable and should be legislated against?

Act out:

  1. Some days after the incident, Dicky's mother and father discuss what happened. The father is determined never to beat his children ever again, but the mother is not so sure ... Write and act out the conversation.

  2. Mrs Spears is having tea at a friend's house and takes the opportunity to gossip about how Mrs Bendall is raising her children. Write and act out the conversation between Mrs Spears and her friend.

  3. One of Mrs Spears's boys and Dicky meet to play in the park. They talk about what life is like for them at home. Write and act out their conversation.

Research:

Work in groups and share the work between you.

In 2007, New Zealand was the first English-speaking country to make it illegal for parents to physically discipline their children.

  1. Is it illegal for parents to discipline their children in Norway? If so, when did it become illegal?

  2. What was the arguments against making corporal punishment of children illegal in New Zealand?

  3. Is corporal punishment of children illegal in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom? If so, when did it become illegal?

Write:

  1. A few days after the incident, Dicky writes a letter to his grandmother telling her about what has happened. What does he tell her? Write the letter.

  2. Edward Bendall keeps a diary and writes down his thoughts and feelings about the incident. Write the diary excerpt.

  3. You have been asked to make a speech at a conference about parent-child relationships. Your topic is 'How to bring up children in the 21st century'. Write the speech.

  4. Write a blog entry called 'How I Plan to Bring up my Children'.

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