Objectives

• Analyse how Johnston uses a retrospective first-person frame narrative in Chapter 1 to create dramatic irony and control the reader's sympathy for Alec.
• Explain how Johnston presents Alicia Moore as an embodiment of Anglo-Irish class ideology in Chapters 2 and 4, using precise quotation and language analysis.
• Analyse how the friendship between Alec and Jerry in Chapters 3 and 4 functions as a structural challenge to the class and sectarian divisions of early twentieth-century Ireland.
• Evaluate how Johnston uses the institutional structures of the British Army in Chapters 6–8 to mirror and intensify the social hierarchies established in the Big House.
• Write a sustained, evidenced analytical paragraph that argues a clear interpretation of Alec's decision to shoot Jerry in Chapter 8, weighing honour, friendship, and complicity.
• Contextualise the novella within the Anglo-Irish Big House tradition and the shadow of the 1970s Troubles, explaining how context shapes Johnston's rejection of sentimentality.

The sequence

1. Lesson 1: The Man in the Cell: Voice, Frame Narrative, and Dramatic Irony in Chapter 1

   60 min · ch. 1

   Do now

   Read the opening two paragraphs of Chapter 1 — from 'I am what I am' to the first mention of the cell. Write down two observations: one focusing on what Alec reveals, and the other on what he intentionally leaves out. You have four minutes. No discussion for now.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the sentence 'I am what I am and that is not very much' (Chapter 1, opening). Johnston uses tautology and understatement to shape Alec's self-deprecating voice. The present-tense framing introduces a sense of dramatic irony; we already know how the story concludes before it even starts. Here’s an example of how to craft an analytical sentence that identifies the technique, includes the quote, and connects it to the reader's overall experience of the novella.

   Independent task

   Students will write one analytical paragraph using the PEEL structure (or a similar format) to answer the question: How does Johnston employ Alec's narrative voice in Chapter 1 to evoke reader sympathy before the story unfolds? They must include at least two quotes from Chapter 1, identify at least one technique, and discuss the impact of the retrospective frame. These paragraphs are to be submitted at the end of the lesson for teacher assessment.

   Exit ticket

   Dramatic irony in Chapter 1 refers to the situation where the audience knows critical information that the characters do not, creating a tension between their understanding and the characters’ ignorance. This knowledge prevents the reader from fully engaging with the characters' perspectives during the flashbacks, as they are aware of outcomes that the characters have yet to face.

2. Lesson 2: The Big House and the Cold Mother: Class, Power, and Alicia in Chapters 2 and 4

   60 min · ch. 2, 4

   Do now

   Take a look at the adjectives written on the board: cold, commanding, brittle, performative, fearful, and cruel. Without opening the book, arrange them in order based on how accurately they describe Alicia Moore. Be prepared to support your top choice with an example from your reading of Chapters 2 or 4.

   Teacher input

   Model a language analysis of the passage in Chapter 4 where Alicia forbids Alec from being friends with Jerry. Focus on her use of the phrase "people like that" and how Johnston presents her dialogue in short, straightforward sentences without revealing her thoughts. Highlight how this lack of inner reflection for Alicia contrasts with Alec's more complex inner voice, illustrating a technique where Johnston structurally limits sympathy for her character. Show how to annotate not only for what is present in the text but also for what is missing.

   Independent task

   Students annotate a printed extract: the scene in Chapter 2 where Alicia is first introduced in the Big House, and the confrontation scene in Chapter 4. They need to pinpoint three instances where Johnston employs language, syntax, or narrative distance to depict Alicia as a reflection of Anglo-Irish class ideology, rather than merely portraying her as a villain. They then compose a brief analytical commentary (150–200 words) detailing their three selections. The annotated extract and commentary are submitted together.

   Exit ticket

   What distinguishes Alicia's cruelty from her ideology? Use one word from Chapter 2 or 4 to support your answer.

3. Lesson 3: Horses, Secrets, and Resistance: The Friendship of Alec and Jerry in Chapters 3 and 4

   60 min · ch. 3, 4

   Do now

   Chapter 3 begins with Alec and Jerry having their first meaningful conversation about horses. Reflect on why you think Johnston opts for horses — rather than books or sports — as the common interest between a Protestant landlord's son and a Catholic tenant's son. Take two minutes to write at least one sentence.

   Teacher input

   Model a reading of the passage in Chapter 3 where Alec and Jerry ride together for the first time. Pay attention to how Johnston uses free indirect discourse to blur the lines of perspective. Notice how the physical act of riding is described in short, straightforward sentences, creating a contrast with the elaborate social world of the Big House. This stylistic shift highlights that their friendship operates in a different realm compared to the broader context of the novella.

   Independent task

   Students are tasked with writing a comparative paragraph that addresses the following question: How does Johnston depict the friendship between Alec and Jerry in Chapters 3 and 4 as an act of defiance against the class and sectarian environment they live in? They should reference at least one specific moment from each chapter, include direct quotes, and incorporate the terms 'resist' or 'transgress' in their argument. The completed paragraphs will be collected.

   Exit ticket

   Before: > Name one thing the friendship gives Alec that his family cannot. Name one thing it gives Jerry. Write one sentence for each, using evidence from Chapter 3 or 4.

   After: > Identify one benefit that Alec gains from his friendship that he doesn't receive from his family. Also, identify one benefit that Jerry gains from the friendship. For each person, write a sentence supported by evidence from Chapter 3 or 4.

4. Lesson 4: The Army as the Big House: Institutional Hierarchy in Chapters 5, 6, and 7

   60 min · ch. 5, 6, 7

   Do now

   In Chapter 5, Alec becomes an officer while Jerry signs up as a private. This rank difference introduces a shift in their dynamic, as Alec may now take on a leadership role over Jerry, potentially creating a distance between them. However, their underlying friendship remains intact, rooted in shared experiences and mutual support.

   Teacher input

   Model a reading of the scene in Chapter 6 where Alec and Jerry come face to face at the training camp, and Alec is required to address Jerry formally in front of fellow officers. Pay attention to Johnston's use of dialogue punctuation—how formal address ('Crowe') and informal address ('Jerry') coexist within the same brief exchange. This stylistic choice reflects the structure seen in the Big House chapters, highlighting a similar power gap that is now upheld by military law rather than social norms. Make sure to draw this parallel clearly on the board.

   Independent task

   Students will compose a structured comparison consisting of two paragraphs that argue how the British Army in Chapters 5–7 serves as an extension of the Anglo-Irish class system introduced in Chapters 2 and 4. In Paragraph 1, students should incorporate evidence from either Chapter 2 or Chapter 4; in Paragraph 2, they should utilize evidence from Chapter 6 or Chapter 7. Each paragraph must identify at least one structural or linguistic technique. Completed written responses are to be submitted.

   Exit ticket

   In Chapter 7, Jerry goes AWOL, a move that not only violates military regulations but also reflects a bold defiance, as it's an act only someone unbound by the institution's expectations would dare to commit.

5. Lesson 5: Shoot Him Kindly: Honour, Complicity, and Johnston's Refusal of Sentimentality in Chapters 8 and 9

   60 min · ch. 8, 9

   Do now

   Read the final paragraph of Chapter 9. Write down: does Alec feel guilty? Does Johnston want you to sense that he should? Two sentences. You must include the word 'tone' in at least one of them.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the moment in Chapter 8 when Jerry asks Alec to shoot him. Pay attention to Johnston's careful avoidance of melodrama: the use of short sentences, the lack of reported tears or hesitation in Alec's writing, and how the verb 'shot' stands alone without any adverbs. Analyze how Johnston's choice to avoid sentimental language serves as the argument itself: that the system — not Alec — is the real killer, and that Johnston highlights Major Glendinning's silence in Chapter 9 as the actual moral failure.

   Independent task

   Students will write a full analytical essay response (three to four paragraphs) to the question: 'Johnston presents Alec's shooting of Jerry not as a crime but as the only act of genuine friendship in the novel.' To what extent do you agree? Students must reference Chapters 8 and 9 in detail and may also include any earlier chapter for context. It's essential to discuss Johnston's narrative technique, not just the events. Essays will be submitted for summative marking.

   Exit ticket

   Major Glendinning's choice not to intervene in Chapter 9 underscores Johnston's argument about how complicity is influenced by social class.

Activities

Assessment

• Lesson 1 exit ticket: checks whether students can define dramatic irony and apply it specifically to Chapter 1's retrospective frame — not as a general term.
• Lesson 2 annotated extract: checks whether students can identify narrative distance and the significance of absent interiority as techniques, not just surface features of Alicia's dialogue.
• Lesson 3 paragraph: checks whether students can construct a claim about the friendship as resistance, using evidence from both Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 rather than summarising plot.
• Lesson 4 two-paragraph comparison: checks whether students can sustain a structural argument across two sections of the text, linking the Big House world to the trenches without simply listing similarities.
• Lesson 5 exit ticket: checks whether students can articulate Johnston's argument about institutional complicity — specifically Glendinning's silence — rather than reading the ending as personal tragedy alone.

Standards covered

Common Core 11 12

• RL.11-12.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• RL.11-12.3 — Analyse the impact of the author's choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story (e.g. where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).
• RL.11-12.5 — Analyse how an author's choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.
• RL.11-12.6 — Analyse a case in which grasping a point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g. satire, irony, understatement).
• W.11-12.1 — Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

AP Literature

• Literary Argumentation (LAN-1) — Explain the function of a narrator or speaker in a literary text, including how point of view shapes meaning.
• Character (CHR-1) — Explain the function of contrasting characters in a literary text and how their relationship develops the text's central ideas.
• Structure (STR-1) — Explain the function of a significant structural choice — here the retrospective frame narrative — and its contribution to the text's meaning.
• Figurative Language (FIG-1) — Explain the function of specific words and phrases, including Johnston's use of understatement and tautology, in context.
• Literary Argumentation (LAN-1.E) — Develop a thesis that makes a defensible claim about an interpretation of literature and support it with evidence.

AQA

• AO1 — Read, understand and respond to texts; maintain a critical style and develop an informed personal response; use textual references, including quotations, to support and illustrate interpretations.
• AO2 — Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology where appropriate.
• AO3 — Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written and received — specifically the Anglo-Irish Big House tradition, the First World War, and the 1970s Troubles.
• AO4 — Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation.

Leaving Cert

• Competence 1 — Clarity of purpose: students sustain a clear argument about Johnston's treatment of class and friendship across the whole novella.
• Competence 2 — Coherence of delivery: students organise their analytical response so that each paragraph advances the argument rather than introducing a new theme.
• Competence 3 — Efficiency of language use: students deploy precise literary terminology (retrospective narrator, dramatic irony, free indirect discourse) accurately and economically.
• Single Text — Students demonstrate close engagement with the language and style of How Many Miles to Babylon?, not merely its plot and themes.