PT3 NOVEL TIPS / 2018

We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea, by Aurthur Ransome

Question 1
Based on the novel, We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea by Arthur Ransome, describe a character, who
shows admirable character traits and who is a good role model for teenagers. Provide evidence
from the text to support your answer.

Based on the novel, We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea, by Aurthur Ransome, a character who can
be a role model for teenagers is John Walker. He is the eldest of the Five Walker siblings. He is
observant and willing to learn the ropes of handling the yacht from Jim even though their trip in the
ship is supposed to be two-day fun trip only. This trait stands them in good stead when they
unintentionally go out to sea and John has to manage the ship.

He shows a strong sense of responsibility by taking over as captain of the yacht and make
decisions that kept them safe throughout the stormy trip. During the storm, he takes the risk of losing
his life by adjusting the sails as and when it is necessary. He learns about the dangers of being near
shoals end so guides the Goblin out of the danger of hitting shoals and be grounded.

He can be a good role model for teenagers who like John should be willing to shoulder
responsibilities when the need arises. Being open-minded and willing to learn new skills can keep us
safe when the situation demands it.

Question 2
Based on the novel, We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea by Arthur Ransome, write about an event that
leads to unexpected results. Give reasons for your answer. Provide evidence from the text to
support your answer.

Based on the novel, We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea, by Aurthur Ransome, a character who can
be a role model for teenagers is John Walker, an event which I feel is significant is the meeting
between Jim Brading and the Walker children.

The children are enjoying a boat ride with John rowing it along the river. The river is wide and
they feel like they are at sea. They see a buoy named Goblin floating nearby. Further on, a little white
yacht with red sails comes towards them and a man on board is busy at the mast. No one is manning
the tiller and the yatch is coming straight to them. John rows away to avoid a clash. Slowly the yacht
is carried away by the tide away from the buoy. The young man shouts for help to tie the rope from
the yacht to the buoy. Roger does it and the yacht, the Goblin stops moving and is safely moored. Jim
invites the children aboard and after introducing themselves, John mentions casually that they have
sailed in an open boat but not one they can sleep in. This prompts Jim to extend an invitation to them
to spend a night in the yacht.

I find this incident important because it is the start of the children’s adventure in the open
sea in the Goblin although they didn’t mean to go to sea. Their planned sailing trip with Jim ends in
with their going over the North Sea in terrible stormy conditions and ending in Holland but without
Jim. They have a harrowing experience but all of them survive and learn a few life’s lessons of love
and support. If they have not met Jim that morning on the river, they would not have gone to sea
and have such an adventure.
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Question 3
Based on the novel, We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea by Arthur Ransome, write about a moral lesson
you have learned from the novel. Provide, evidence from the text to support your answer.

Based on the novel, We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea, by Aurthur Ransome, a moral lesson that I
have learnt is teamwork is the key to solving challenges in life. The Walker children find themselves
sailing out to sea unintentionally. They are supposed to have a calm easy sailing trip along River
Orwell and not go out to sea. When they are in the ship waiting for Jim to return with petrol, the
weather becomes foggy and the tide rises. The anchor chain becomes too short for the rising level of
water, so the Goblin pulls the anchor out. The ship drifts out in the direction of the sea and they
encounter storm, heavy rain and strong winds. The strong waves endanger the ship especially when
they are in an area of shoals and sandpits.

The children feel helpless without a captain or an adult. It is a tremendous challenge. But, an
unspoken team spirit prevails and they each do their part willingly and uncomplainingly to face up to
the challenge. John takes over command of the ship and while trying to stabilise the ship with the
anchors, loses them to the sea. None of the others blame him knowing he has done his best. Susan
does her part preparing meals for them and taking over the steering whenever necessary. Roger is in
charge of the foghom, a small but important task as sounding the horn warns other ships of their
presence. Titty does not complain about anything as she knows her elder siblings are doing their best.

So, based on their roles, I feel the best moral lesson 1 have learnt is teamwork is the key to
solving challenges in life.

Question 4
Challenges make us a better and stronger person. How is this true of the novel, We Didn‘t Mean to
Go to Sea? Provide evidence from the text to support your answer.

Based on the novel, We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea, by Aurthur Ransome, this novel truly shows
that challenges can make us a better and stronger person as without meaning to the Walker children
find themselves going out to sea. This unintentional sea trip is a challenge right from the beginning
to the conclusion of the story.

The Walker children enjoy being out on the water and they are in a rowing boat along Orwell
River. Jim Brading, captain of the yacht, Goblin plans a two-day sailing trip for the children in his yacht
within the Harwich harbour area. When Jim goes ashore to get petrol, he is involved in an accident
and the children have to fend for themselves when the Goblin is taken to the sea by bad inclement
weather- fog, rain and strong winds during a stormy night. John remembers Jim’s advice about being
out at sea as the best way to be safe from shoals, so he takes the yacht out to sea although he has
not steered a yacht before. He accepts the challenge knowing that it is a situation of do or die. Susan
does her best to face the challenge too although she does whine now and then by reminding them
of their promise to mother not to go out to sea. The two younger siblings face up to the challenge by
not giving any trouble although they are scared too.
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Although Jim missing from the main action, faces the challenge of having to look for his ship
and the Walker children. He is relieved to find them but he is unable to face the challenge of
explaining to Mother about the children being out at sea. Commander Walker takes on the challenge
of meeting his children unexpectedly very calmly and taking them back to England. His status in the
eyes of his children increases ten-fold.

So, facing challenges whether planned or unplanned do make us stronger and a better person.

Question 5
There is a common saying that promises are made to be broken. Is this true of the novel, We Didn’t
mean to Go to Sea by Arthur Ransome? Explain what you understand by the expression and relate
it to the novel. Provide evidence from the text to support your answer.

A promise means giving an assurance to another person or party that a particular thing will
happen. The assurance is made because the party making it expects something in return. Based on
the novel, We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea, by Aurthur Ransome , Jim Brading and the Walker children
are supposed to take a sailing trip for two days on the river around the Harwich Harbour. Mrs Walker
gives permission for the children to go on the trip but they have to promise her a few conditions. The
Beach End buoy marks the end of the harbour and the beginning of the sea. They promise not to go
beyond the buoy or out of the harbour. They also promise to return the day after as Commander
Walker is due to return home on that day. Mrs Walker does not want them to missing meeting their
father. The children promise to keep the date with Mrs Walker. Jim also promises to make sure they
are there at Pin Mill on Friday in time for ten. So, after making the promise the children go on their
trip. They also promise to telephone Mother at Alma Cottage if they stop at any place.

But, they do not return on the day as promised although they make a call to her from Shotley.
They are out at sea in stormy weather although they have promised not to do so. So, are promises
meant to be broken? When the children and Jim make the promise to Mother, they are sure they will
keep the promise. But, due to unforeseen circumstances they do not keep their promise. They are
out at sea. The North Sea and ends up at Holland making a trip which will have shocked Mother if
she had known.

Nine out of ten times, most promises are broken. In the case of the Walker children, it is
circumstances and not their personal wish to break that promise to Mother.

Question 6
Based on the novel, We Didn‘t Mean to Go to Sea, describe a character who plays a secondary but
important role. Provide evidence from the text to support your answer.

Based on the novel, We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea, by Aurthur Ransome, all the characters are
important in their own ways. The main character is John Walker and the character who plays a
secondary but important role is Susan Walker.

Susan has admirable character traits. She is obedient and considerate of mother’s feelings
about their going out to sea that she in keeps insisting that they turn the yacht round and sail against
the tide. She does not like the idea of breaking the promise they have made to their mother. She
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does seem to be whining whenever she brings up the matter of their promise but it is because of her
love for Mother. She does not want her to worry about them. On board the Goblin, Susan prepares
the meals and makes sure they eat well. She takes care of the two younger siblings well. When John
almost falls into the sea while fixing the mast, Susan worries about him. She is like the mother to all
of them. Even when she is seasick. she put that feeling aside and does what John instructs her to do.

She is clear-headed and remembers what Jim told them about having to pay a lot of money if
they need help at sea. So, they pretend there are adults on board when the rowing boat with a pilot
approaches them. This stands them in good stead as the pilot is fooled for a while. He is impressed
and does not want any payment from them.

Although John does all the physical work and makes the decisions, Susan provides the support
and holds the siblings together so they do not crack under the stress of sailing in the storm. She may
be the second character but she does play an important role.

Question 7
Based on the novel, We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea by Arthur Ransome, write about the theme of
mutual love and support among family members. Provide evidence from the text to support your
answer.

Based on the novel, We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea, by Aurthur Ransome, a few themes are
portrayed and one of the themes is mutual love and support among family members.

The Walker children are keen on sailing and have been in rowing boats most of the time. They
have not been in a ship or boat in which they can sleep in. When Jim Brading invites the children for
a two-day sailing trip, the children are very keen but they need Mother's pemission. Knowing that
the children are keen and not wanting to forego an opportunity to make them happy, she agrees.
She lays down certain conditions to which the children and Jim gladly agree. They have a leisurely
ride until circumstances change. Jim goes ashore to buy petrol and the fog, rain and strong winds
force the Goblin to go out to sea. Face with uncertainty and inexperience, the Walker children show
mutual love and support to survive and overcome the challenge of an uncertain trip. John has learnt
the ropes from Jim so the others follow his lead and do what they need to do to help man the ship.
When they reach Holland and meet up with Commander Walker, the latter is calm and accepts their
story. There is no anger or disappointment that they have broken their promise to Mother. Later,
when they return to En land and meet Mother, she does not tell them off too.

The story portrays the theme of mutual love and support among family members very well.
They understand each other’s needs and situations and offer support and encouragement all the way.

Question 8
Experience is a good teacher at all times. How far is this true of the novel, We Didn‘t Mean to Go
to Sea by Arthur Ransome? Provide evidence from the text to support your answer.

Based on the novel, We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea, by Aurthur Ransome, it truly shows that
experience is a good teacher at all times. The Walker children with no experience of sailing in any
other boat except for a rowing boat find themselves in a yacht owned by Jim Brading going to sea
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and getting caught in a storm at sea. With no experience of such extreme weather in the open sea,
they survive and arrive in Holland. Then they return in England unscathed with Commander Walker.

As the saying goes, experience is a good teacher at all times. Jim and Commander Walker
have experience with sailing in the open sea in all weather and environmental conditions. The things
they teach and show John stands him in good stead when he is caught in the open sea with his siblings.
An incident that shows the importance of experience is when Roger tied the rope from the Goblin
safely to the buoy. He has been taught by Commander Walker. Jim wants John to learn the ropes of
handling the yacht and so John spend an hour or so putting up the mainsail and bringing it down. He
begins to understand how everything works. Thus John is able to handle the Goblin later in the storm
knowing when to use the mainsail. Jim has experienced avoiding the shoals during his trip from Dover
to Harwich harbour. So, he shows John the locations of the shoals and how to avoid them. Hitting
one of them could result in the ship running aground. Jim also warns John that when it gets dark or
foggy, the only safe place is to get out to sea and stay there.

All this experience of Jim is a good teacher to John at all times especially when they are caught
in a storm out at sea. He manages to take the Goblin safely out to sea and does not hit anything or
damage the ship. If he has not learnt anything from Jim, they will have ended up with a lot of trouble.

Question 9
Based on the novel, We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea by Arthur Ransome, write about an incident you
find appealing and wish you can be there to witness it. Provide evidence from the text to support
your answer.

Based on the novel, We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea, by Aurthur Ransome, the incident I find
appealing and I wish I can be there to witness when the Goblin with the Walker children drifts to the
sea from Harwich harbour and ends in the open sea outside of Holland. They put up a flag -a blue
and white square flag - a signal asking for a pilot to come on board. A Dutch pilot answers their call
and boards the ship.

I find this incident appealing and wish I have been there to witness it. The incident is appealing
in the way the two parties attempt to convey and impress on the other. The children, knowing they
do not have enough money to pay the pilot and that they have no captain, pretend to have a party
to impress on the pilot there are adults on board. The pilot insists on meeting the captain of the ship.
But John is unable to produce the captain. Meanwhile, the other three are in the cabin making noise
and playing the song Swanee River. The pilot is impressed that their captain has sailed across the sea
in the storm in that small ship. When Commander Walker joins them and the pilot realises there is
no captain, he is even more amazed about their trip. He finds it incredible that the four children
manage to make the trip in the small ship in stormy weather across the North Sea. He is so taken in
and impressed by their success that he gets a group of Dutch children to see them off on the return
journey to England. He shakes hands with all of them but twice with John to show his respect for
John’s leadership and courage.

I find this incident appealing as it brings out the fact that courage in facing challenges makes
one impressive. I wish I can be there to witness the reaction of the Dutch pilot.
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Question 10
‘To be forewarned is to be forearmed'. Explain the saying and relate it to the novel, We Didn't
Mean to Go to Sea by Arthur Ransome. Provide evidence from the text to support your answer.

The saying to be forewarned is to be forearmed means prior knowledge of possible dangers

Jim Brading tells John to learn the ropes of handling the yacht. John learns how to put up and
bring down the mainsail and about sailing in the wind and against the wind. He learns about the ropes
and other tactical things until he understands how everything works Knowledge about the sails and
sailing with or against the wind is like being forewarned because when the weather changes, one
may need to use a different sail or adjust the sail accordingly. So to be forewarned is to be forearmed.

Jim also informs John about the dangers of sailing near shoals, their locations at the end of
the harbour and the need to get out to sea in foggy weather or when it gets dark. Apparently the
safest place to be then is to go out to sea and stay .here. He informs them about having to pay a pilot
if they use his services.

All this knowledge is important to John when they drift out to sea and he has to take steps to
ensure the safety of the ship and his siblings. So to be forewarned is to be forearmed.