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Intro |
Points Of View |
North |
South |
Highlands |
Midlands |
East |
West |
Conclusion
Points Of View: Heaven Or Hell?
Other people may define us by where we live as well as
by our age and our personal appearance - so the fact that you live
in the town or country may incur the approval or disapproval of
the person talking to you. You may love living in the town and yet
a country dweller may pity you living in such a crowded polluted
environment. You may think the countryside beautiful but ignore
the area's suffering from unemployment.
We all view the world differently. Your idea of a heavenly
place could be another person's hell. Similarly, you may think the
place you visit on holiday is perfect but if you lived there all
year round you might discover disadvantages.
The place you live in seems different when you are away
from it. You may not think it is wonderful when you live there but
you may miss it when you leave. When you are homesick you may imagine
it as perfect.
Individuals are made up of multiple facets, each of which
comes to the fore in certain circumstances. For example, a person's
partner, her children, her friends and colleagues will all view
her in a slightly different way. This multiplicity of identities
extends to the character of places, which can be perceived in different
ways by different people.
We are now going to explore the British countryside to
discover how heaven and hell can be much more closely connected
than we might expect. After you have considered the six areas presented
in A Picture of Britain think about your own area. Does it seem
more like heaven or hell to you? Have you, consciously or not, turned
it into one more than the other? Discuss with your friends and family
how they see your area. Now see how by drawing or writing about
it you may be able to transform it in your mind.
- Have you ever been homesick? What did you miss about home?
- Do you live in the town/country? If you live in the town what do you think about the country? Would you like to live there? And what do you think about the town if you live in the country?
- Do you like/feel you belong in the place you live in now? Do you think that is because it is beautiful (or ugly)/the people you live with are nice (or horrid)? Do you wish you lived somewhere different?
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- From the selection of images provided find your dream holiday site. Now try to put yourself in the shoes of someone who lives there. Can you guess what disadvantages there might be to living there all year round?
- Which images in the selection would be most difficult to promote as a tourist attraction?
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 Enlarge Image
JMW Turner
Shields, on the River Tyne 1823
© Tate 2005 |
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Enlarge
Image
John Glover
Thirlmere circa 1820-30
© Tate 2005 |
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Enlarge Image
William Dyce
Pegwell Bay, Kent - a Recollection of October 5th 1858 ?1858-60
© Tate 2005 |
Enlarge Image
John Crome
Yarmouth Harbour - Evening circa 1817
© Tate 2005 |
Enlarge Image
George Howland Beaumont
Waterfall at Keswick 1803
© Tate 2005 |
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