The Illustrated Mum
Programme 2: Part Two

Aims

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Outline

Series Outline

The four-leaf clover Dol gave to Marigold brings her luck in the form of Micky, Star's dad. Marigold meets him at a concert: the love of her life, Micky, enters their lives. The only person who isn't pleased at his arrival is Dol. How can anyone who disappeared before Star was born possibly make a good dad?

Why does Marigold never mention Dol's dad? Micky and Star's relationship is exclusive and the bond between them grows deeper, as he takes her out and buys her things. But Micky rejects Marigold, shattering her dreams of a life together and sending her into a downward spiral. Marigold's denial of this reality becomes too much and Star, desperate for normality, moves in with her dad. Dol feels betrayed by her sister as she is left precariously trying to hold the pieces of her life, and her mother's life, together.

Programme 2: Outline

'The Illustrated Mum' raises awareness about a person's capability for love and forgiveness, even in the face of hardship and instability.

Centring around the life of young girl Dolphin, it is a remarkable coming of age story, filled with pathos and humour, which won Jacqueline Wilson the 1999 'Guardian' Prize for children's fiction. This drama is very closely based on the book narrative. At its core is an intimate exploration of what happens when children are forced to take on all the roles that parents are usually expected to deliver – nurturing, emotional and financial support, feeding, clothing, compassion and discipline.

Deep down Dolphin knows the truth about her mother, Marigold: she suffers from a mental illness that makes her different from all the others mums at school. But it's just that difference, the magic and wonder that Marigold brings to life, which makes her really special. If only Dol's big sister, Star, still believed in Marigold – then nothing would ever have to change…

What happens to Dolphin is extraordinary and requires great courage, but the experience of a parent who doesn't live up to a child's expectations is something that many children can relate to. In varying degrees, most children will be forced to confront the fears and realities of a parent who fails them – either by accident, design, or, in Marigold's case, by the unpredictable chemistry of her inner being and the outside world.

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Curriculum Relevance

Key Stage 2, 3

Ages 10-14, Scotland: 5-14, English Language: Writing

4Learning's dramatisation of the award-winning book by Jacqueline Wilson offers 10-14 year olds the chance to read for enjoyment and information, as well as deepening learners' understanding of themselves and others. It also offers useful material for media studies and may be used to provide opportunities for:

• insights into the author's craft; how they convey setting, mood and character; the structuring of text
• exploring the Citizenship and PSHE themes of growing-up, family relationships and mental illness
• applying a context in which to compare the differences between first person book narratives and third person film narratives
• responses to an on-screen text, interpreting actions, characters and events; illustrating how meanings are changed according to different media
• encouraging writing skills and confidence
• supporting drama techniques
• promoting speaking and listening, reflection and discussion
• encouraging the use of print and Internet resources for research purposes

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Background

Tattooing

The tattoos found on Egyptian and Nubian mummies suggest that the art of tattooing was practiced around 2000 BC. As the Egyptian empire grew, so did the use of tattoos. The Ancient Greeks used tattooing for communication among spies; the Romans used tattoos to mark criminals and slaves, and in 1500 BC, Polynesians starting using tattoos to mark tribal communities, families and rank.

The Ainu people of western Asia also used tattooing to show social status. The Ainu are known to have introduced tattooing to Japan where it became a religious and ceremonial rite. As with the Romans, tattoos were also used to mark criminals in Japan. Tattooing also has a long history in Europe; the Danes, Norse, and Saxons tattooed family crests on their bodies. During the eighth century, however, Pope Hadrian banned tattooing as barbaric. Roughly four centuries later, Captain Cook returned from Tahiti with news of an operation called 'tattawing'. The word tattoo, therefore, comes from the Tahitian word 'tatau', meaning 'to mark something'.

Tattoos grew in popularity in England when English sailors began making trips to the Orient, but they became particularly fashionable when King Edward VII (1841-1910) expressed a liking for them. What stopped tattooing from becoming more widespread was the slow and sometimes painful procedure involved - each puncture of the skin was done by hand.

It wasn't until 1891, when the Irish American Samuel O'Riley designed the first electric tattooing machine, that the tattoo became popular again. Based on Edison's electric pen that pierced paper with a needle, O'Riley's machine meant that anyone could get a reasonably priced tattoo. By making the process easier, the tattoo became common and the upper classes shunned it. By the turn of the century, tattooing had lost a great deal of credibility. Tattooists worked in the sleazier sections of town, while heavily tattooed people travelled with circuses and freak shows.

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Activities

1 Micky's Diary

Add a diary entry in your journal. Write a diary from Micky's point of view describing what it was like for him when he met his daughter, Star, for the first time.

2 Discuss and debate

Look at these two points of view. They both describe Dol. Which one is true? Debate each point of view.

1. Dol is weak. She doesn't stand up for herself in school and never says a word in her own defence. She just pathetically puts up with it all!
2. The story is realistic. Despite having to support her mother without a word of thanks, Dol appears to show no anger or loss of self-control. She learns to cope and get by. She's a symbol for all good and humble people. She knows that real love - like the love of her mum, is strong. It's all part of her growing up and learning that as well as unfair people in this world, there are friendly helpers around. This kind of story tells me to 'hang on in there', for true happiness is something that's deep inside.

3 Star

Read the chapter about Star on page 75 of 'The Illustrated Mum' (1999, Corgi) by Jacqueline Wilson. It starts off with the words … 'Star seemed turned into stone …'. Why does she do this? What do you know about Star from reading this chapter? Is she really 'hard' and uncaring?

4 Role play

Choose one scene from Part 2.

In pairs, improvise the conversation that a film director might have with Jacqueline Wilson about how any particular scene in Part 2 should be filmed.

(Note: film-makers often treat scenes differently from the writer's original vision!)

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Links

This web page contains links to other websites that are neither controlled nor maintained by Channel 4 Television. Channel 4 Television is not responsible for the content of these sites and does not necessarily endorse the material on them.

www.channel4.com/bookbox
www.write4gosh.nhs.uk
www.storiesfromtheweb.org/stories/wilson/index.asp
www.literacytrust.org.uk/rif

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