The Life of Charles Dickens - Lesson 5. - Style Techniques Worksheet

The "Style Techniques Worksheet" from "The Life of Charles Dickens - Lesson 5" presents an intriguing historical account of Queen Victoria's brushes with death, highlighting her remarkable survival through eight assassination attempts. One such attempt in 1842 is vividly described, where Victoria, while riding in an open carriage down the Mall, narrowly escaped death when John Francis fired a pistol at her. The drama unfolds with Sir Robert Peel's unconventional strategy to apprehend the gunman by having the queen retrace her route at the same time the following day. This bold move proved successful, leading to the capture of Francis, who was subsequently sent to Australia, though the queen's preference for a harsher punishment is noted with a hint of dark humour.

The worksheet exemplifies various style techniques used to engage the reader. It employs a conversational style that brings the historical event to life, making the narrative accessible and compelling. A mix of sentence structures adds rhythm and interest, while the inclusion of gruesome details serves to underscore the severity of the situation. Rhetorical questions are used to provoke thought and further draw the reader into the narrative, and the overall storytelling style ensures that the information is not only conveyed factually but also in an entertaining manner. This approach to writing history helps to captivate the audience and makes the learning experience more memorable.