A2 French coursework - Un Sac de Billes

Hey,

I could really use some help from anyone who did 'Un Sac de Billes' by Joseph Joffo for their A2 French Coursework.

I had a hard time picking out a title - i've now been given something like 'How did the war affect the life of Joseph Joffo', I have to have a plan by the end of this week, and I really don't know where to start. Anyone have any ideas to get me started?! Even particular parts that would be relevant? The question seems very broad. I would really appreciate it :smile:

Reply 1

generalebriety

It does seem very broad, and, although I'm not too familiar with the style of coursework questions, it really doesn't seem a well written question. :confused:

Still... hmm. Well, it taught him how to fend for himself. It taught him that he couldn't make it on his own (help from Maurice, the prêtre, the comte de V., even random people in the train station he doesn't know in order to fool the SS), taught him how to make money (mostly through Maurice, but later through the librairie), and generally taught him a lot of life skills. On the other hand, it deprived him of a large part of his childhood - I remember having the impression he felt he'd grown up too fast ("c'en était fait de l'enfance"), although I haven't read it for a while and I can't remember why I thought that. :p:

Certainly he lost most of his secondary school life. You might also like to mention that he was incredibly naive before having to run around France ("j'étais blondinet, moi, avec les yeux bleus et un pif comme tout le monde. Alors c'était simple : le Juif c'était pas moi", "Qu'est-ce qu'il a mon tarin? C'est pas le même qu'hier?"). He learnt to lie (not admitting he was a Jew, then agreeing a story with Maurice about where they'd come from; he picked a lot of this up from Maurice, e.g. when Maurice pretended not to understand the German the SS said: "'Das ist falshe!' ... Je n'admirerai jamais assez le réflexe du frangin: 'Chic, vous allez nous libérer alors?', or when he exchanged - was it 20 bottles of Cognac, 19 of which were actually just weak tea? - for something or other else, details escape me).

I have a feeling I haven't been very helpful here. :p:

My teacher wasn't great and we rushed through it at an incredible pace, so I'm afraid I don't know it that well myself, but I hope I've helped somehow. :smile:

Reply 2

Killgirl Powerhead

Thankyou, there are actually a lot of useful ideas there, I should get started on this stupid plan. This coursework is so daunting! I already did a piece on 'La Gloire de mon Père' by Marcel Pagnol, did you read that one?

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