THE MARK
CHAPTERS 15 - 18
Grade 10
English
2
THE MARK CHAPTERS 15 - 18
COMING UP
1. Summary Chapter 17
2. Key Question Chapter
17
3. Summary Chapter 18
4. Key Questions Chapter
18
CHAPTER 17
Summary
CHAPTER 17 SUMMARY
• Handler Xavier has come to Number 3 to deliver a message to
Madam Merriem - her sister, the Orphan Warden, is dying.
• It becomes clear that Handler Xavier and Mistress had a romantic
past, but were separated when they were set up with their
fate-mates.
• The Orphan Warden has become ill because she consumed poisoned
food with rumoured origins in the Laboratory.
• We hear that there has been unrest at the market and that the
Locusts have been more active and vigilant.
• Madam Merriem confesses that Mistress once became pregnant
with Handler Xavier’s child who asked The Orphan Warden for help.
She intended to dump the baby, but Mistress Hadeda prophesied
that this child is “the one”. Madam Merriem reveals that the child is
Ettie.
• Ettie visits Reader, who is living in terrible conditions.
KEY QUESTIONS:
CHAPTER 17
1. This chapter illuminates the fact that
it is not only the residents of Slum
City that suffer under the harsh
control of the Mangerian government.
How has Mistress’s life been affected
by the Mangerian regime?
2. We finally learn the truth about
Ettie’s parents. Who are they? Is the
truth of who they are vastly different
from what you expected when you
read the first part of the novel?
11
CHAPTER 18
Summary
CHAPTER 18 SUMMARY
• Little Miss’s procedure will be done at home, because she is too scared to go
back to the Laboratory.
• The rioting continues in Slum City.
• The nature of the experiments being conducted in the Laboratory is revealed:
“Savage gene here. Savage gene gone. Perfectly safe”.
• Bartholomew says that a “vaccination festival” will be announced. It will
be advertised as a vaccination against the food virus (which we now
know was intentionally caused by the Mangerians) in a further bid to
control them.
• Master wants Little Miss to also receive the “vaccination”.
• Ettie and Nicolas meet to discuss their plan - Nicolas is clearly in love with Ettie.
• On the day of Little Miss’s procedure, Kitty arrives as a “volunteer”.
• Ettie devises a plan to allow Kitty to escape - they trade places as prisoner
and drudge.
• The doctors prepare Ettie and Little Miss for the procedure. Ettie's hands are tied
above her head and her ankles are strapped to the gurney. As they are about to
give Little Miss her savage vaccination, there is an explosion, a flash of light, and
the chapter ends.
KEY QUESTIONS:
CHAPTER 18
1. Consider the theme of
oppression vs rebellion. How is
this theme realised in this
chapter?
2. How do you think Master
Hylton feels about his own
daughter? Create a character
study by writing down Master
Hylton’s characteristics.
3. This chapter ends abruptly
with an explosion right before
the procedure can begin.
What do you predict will
14
happen in the next chapter?
15
THE MARK CHAPTERS 15 - 18
THANK YOU
Please post all
questions on the
discussion forum.