Gavin Smithers

Understanding Conan Doyle's The Sign of Four for GCSE Gavin Smithers

Gavin's Guides are highly rated and popular with students who want to deepen their understanding of exam set texts. Gavin has a degree in English from Oxford University and he bases these guides on a close reading of the text and an awareness of the writer's times and culture. In "The Sign of the Four" this means getting to the heart of the issues of criminal justice and natural justice, and how we do and should judge other people's actions and character; and the morality of class and Empire. Gavin has worked as a private tutor for the past ten years. His skill is in helping students improve their knowledge and writing style. This means that buying this guide is as close as you can get to a series of one to one sessions, but at a fraction of the cost. This study guide for AQA GCSE analyses the plot and characters and then moves through themes to the BIG IDEAS which high grades require you to explain. You will feel confident about what is in the text and the ideas which lie behind it. There are sample essays and some tips on how to tackle your exam task. All of this is designed to sharpen your own thinking, and encourage you to develop your own ideas, so that your exam essay will be the personal response to the text which AQA is looking for. Finally, if you buy this book, and you have a burning question on the text, you can e-mail the author!