DOUBLE S (narrator:)
Anytime I write I organise my thoughts first. I find inspiration from something that's already out there.
"My Mum's just like Lily,my Dad's just like James.It don't matter if they've both got different names.They love each otherand plus they love me too.There's nothing on this Earthfor me they would not do.Absorb a magic cursefor them to keep me safe.Knowing that one day I would find my place.So what if they're Muggles,they're magic to me.Keep all the gold in Gringotts,their love is for free.Double S."
So I was thinking about Harry Potter when I wrote this. I really love the books, and I love the films.And I know I never went to Hogwarts and I don't have a wand but I've got a mic and you do not want to clash me, trust me!I use the book as a starting point. I pinpoint all the points that I want from the book and then use bits of the story to back it up.It's like analysis, something like an essay.
"JK told the story, and it was persuasive,to appreciate my family it gave me a motiveIt does not do to dwell on dreamsand forget to live."I'm Harry Potter with the lyrics so I know what it is.
It's like that quote from the book: "It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."That's evidence of what I'm trying to sayabout magic being secondary to real life.
So I can make inferences about character. Even themes like family and self-sacrifice. I'm not making any of this up-it's all there in the book.
"I know what Rowling's saying.So despite all the magic I keep on praying.It's about grasping the momentso to live in dreams is a tragic moment.Double S."
What I love about Harry Potter, it's not the fact that he actually even does magic. It's the fact that he's this child that goes into the world and he's got so many different obstacles just around him that could bring him down. But he's just trying to find family and friends and people that love him and that brings out the best in him, just as a person. And my fans and peoplethat support me get that as well. We can communicate using JK's language. It's a simple and beautiful way to get my ideas across.
"My mum's just like Lily, my dad's just like James,doesn't matter if they both got different names…"
This KS3 English film explores how to use referencing and literature in your own work. It covers themes of using evidence, analysis, audience purpose, and organising your thoughts to make a point.
The writer and rapper, Double S, explains how he used references to J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books when writing about his own family.
He describes his enjoyment of the Harry Potter books and some of the underlying messages he feels they contain.
His explanation is accompanied by extracts from a performance of his draft and finished pieces. He compares using these references to making analytical points about a text. Key lines and vocabulary appear as captions on the screen, as he is speaking.
Teacher Notes
Teachers may find it useful to introduce the idea of 'literary allusion' to younger students.
Teachers could give students a list of all the Harry Potter references that Double S uses in the short film, eg “My Mum’s like Lily” and ask them to explain what each one tells us about the person or idea she or he is describing.
Invite students to think about the cultural significance of J.K. Rowling’s writing and the Harry Potter series in particular.
Curriculum Notes
This clip is relevant for teaching English Language at KS3 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and third and fourth level in Scotland.
More videos on creative communication and analysis:
How to be confident and effective in a debate. video
Rapper, Double S, demonstrates the qualities needed to be successful in a debate.
How persuasive techniques can have an effect in a range of texts. video
The singer Jem explores the effect of persuasive writing techniques used by advertisers and speechwriters in a song.
How to use point, evidence, and analysis to comment on a text. video
A short film showing how to make an analytical point about a text, illustrated by a song from the country and blues duo Pickering White.
