Nicole

Specialist Study -‘The Comfort of Strangers’
By Nicole Grantham

On holiday Colin and Maria meet a strange man who has an unusual story to tell. The significance of the novel is not immediately obvious however the significance of the title ‘The comfort of strangers’ becomes clear as their holiday unfolds into a fantasy of aggressiveness as they are drawn into the trap. This study will examine how Ian McEwan uses narrative structure and the significance of the title.

‘The Comfort of Strangers’ was written by the author Ian McEwan which centres around the criminal mind of a stranger. The significance of the title and the narrative structure plays an important part which will be studied in more detail throughout the essay.

The choice of the title is not immediately obvious at the beginning of the novel so makes the reader question themselves as to what happens? And who is the stranger? By providing this odd title this questions the readers mind from the start making an interesting development of the plot. By having the words ‘comfort’ and ‘stranger’ in the same phrase, this indicates an extraordinary and unfamiliar setting as people are usually not at ease with strangers who they have never met before.

The title is highly personally to the protagonist as the protagonist is a stranger however he is also a stranger to the other characters. The protagonist is a stranger and murders and drugs the other characters. ‘‘He whispered he was going to kill me, but he’d said that many times before.’’ The title begins to gain a deeper meaning of the characters, setting and plot. This makes the title become more significant as Colin and Maria start to become suspicious of Robert and his wife ‘‘At breakfast Maria had repeated her story about the photograph, she did so without speculation, simply the facts in order they had presented themselves to her’’ this shows that Colin and Maria are not starting to speculate if Robert has been taking pictures of them.

The first impression of the title is that it is about people who are unfamiliar to each other but seem at ease as the title says ‘The Comfort of Strangers’ which suggests this idea of calmness however we later learn that there is a lot of violence ‘‘I blocked out with the pain. My back was broken and I was in hospital for months.’’ so the title suggesting something different from the actual story. This gives further support of the choice of the title and how significant it is to the overall impact of the novel.

The specificity in the title and the main focus of the novel allows progress of the characters and meaning of the title. The reader becomes aware of the relevance of the title as events are revealed in bits which keep the reader hooked. Dramatic effect is created by the title however the meaning is introduced more suddenly than the reinforcement for the initial beginning of the title presented at the end of the novel.

Characters lives in the novel give an initial meaning by the title as Robert tells the characters about his early life were he was brought to fear his father, ‘‘I believed he knew everything like god’’ suggesting that Robert murders Colin due to his childhood experience. The relationship between the title and the story becomes clear upon examination of the novel.

The text is told by the author using the third person and is written in a chronological structure. The word ‘stranger’ used in the title is symbolic to Robert as he meets Colin and Maria unplanned and persuades them to visit his flat even though they are complete strangers to each other. The novel is apparently set in Venice but is not named throughout the whole novel. This is symbolic as the landscape is full of tourists such as Colin and Maria; it is fee from traffic suggesting no signs of modern living and instead an older world. Roberts stories about his early life of fear and violence ‘‘My sisters! They hated me’’ help to convey the narrative as he is basically doing the same as his father and following in his footsteps. The only description of any of the characters in great detail is Colin. This suggests that he will be the main victim later on in the book. This results in Colin being murdered and Maria drugged.

The end of the book becomes significant to the title because as the narrative builds up it relates to the irony of the title as it is not calm and at ease when you first meet a new person who you do not know. The novel ends with Maria wondering why all of this has happened and leaves the reader slightly confused however overall the title adds to the impact of narrative structure and becomes clear to the reader why this is the title.

Grrrr!!!

Right, you horrible lot. A word of advice. When writing about either "The Trick is to Keep Breathing" or your specialist study, don't call them a book! Use the term novel. It shows that you know what type of book you are writing about! This is very important in the exam and not just one of my silly pet hates!!!

Callum

The novel “Things Fall Apart” by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe follows the life of Okonkwo and his family in their village in Lower Nigeria. The book is set in the 1890’s and the novel depicts the colonisation of Africa by the European Settlers and it focuses on individual members of Okonkwo’s tribe. Throughout the book we see Okonkwo’s life follow its path and we see the things happening around him. Is Okonkwo destined to his fate or was his inevitable downfall in his own hands? Throughout this essay I will try and answer this question by examining the characters the author has created and the theme of the text.

Some of the major characters created by Achebe are Okonkwo, Nwoye; Okonkwo’s eldest son and Mr Brown/Reverend Smith.

Okonkwo is plays a major role in the novel and is a very powerful man. He achieved fame in his and the surrounding villages by throwing Amalinze ‘the Cat’ in a wrestling match. He achieved this fame, as Amalinze had not been beaten for several years. Okonkwo’s greatest fears are that he will end up like his lazy father and he also fears that his son Nwoye will end up like him as well. Throughout the novel Okonkwo pursues achievements to make up for the shame that his father brought on him and on the village. He achieves great success becoming a warrior, a farmer, a Clansman, a husband to three wives and a father to several children. However Okonkwo is not the man he wants to be as he has his weaknesses and it is these weaknesses that destroy everything he has created for himself. He is determined not be seen as weak and internal and external forces drive this determination. His behaviour is often rash and impulsive usually involving violence and it is this behaviour that makes him break the ‘Week of Peace’, which is sacred in his village. “The evil you have done can ruin the whole clan. The earth goddess whom you have insulted may refuse to give us her increase, and we shall all perish.” A priest who is angry with Okonkwo for breaking the sacred week of peace by beating his wife says this quote. It lets us know that what Okonkwo did was wrong and that in his village everything is fair. It is his carelessness that results in his banishment from his village for seven years, and it is his fiery temper which makes him kill a white man and then pushes him into taking his own life. Okonkwo is a ‘tragic hero’ whom is superior to other characters however his temper and his actions lead him to destroy himself.

Okonkwo’s eldest son is called Nwoye and he lives in the shadow of Okonkwo. Okonkwo has high hopes for Nwoye as he hopes that when he dies Nwoye will be a strong man who will be able to run his fathers household when Okonkwo is dead. Nwoye however has different ideas and his interests are more similar to his grandfathers rather than his fathers. This earns him many beating from Okonkwo, as he is adamant that he will grow up to be a strong man. When Ikefuma arrives in Okonkwo’s house Nwoye takes a liking to him and treats him as an older brother who he looks up to. With the influence of Ikefuma, Nwoye much to his fathers delight begins to become more masculine. Okonkwo backs off Nwoye not beating him and Nwoye begins to win Okonkwo’s approval. Even with this masculine influence Nwoye Is still in conflict with himself. He makes a point of scorning feminine things to please his father however secretly Nwoye misses his mother’s stories. When Ikefuma is killed Nwoye misses him and retreats into himself becoming more and more alienated and wrapped up in his own thoughts. He begins to question some of the tribe’s customs and when the missionaries arrive he finds himself drawn to them despite his fathers hatred towards them. Nwoye’s joining of the Christians could be seen as a rebellion towards his father as he seems to find peace once he has left his father. Okonkwo disowns him and curses himself for giving birth to such an ‘effeminate’ son.

Mr Brown is the authors attempt to create a balanced colonial presence in Okonkwo’s country. Mr Brown is a friendly white man who listen to the villagers stories, beliefs and he listens most importantly to their opinions. This is how he succeeds in winning a large number of converts. Mr Brown accepts any coverts unconditionally and this shows his sympathetic nature towards the inhabitants of the villages. Mr Browns name hints at the fact that he can successfully navigate between the racial differences between the white people and the villagers. Mr Brown however is replaced with Reverend Smith who despises the villagers thinking that they are inferior to him and the coverts. Reverend Smith is the complete opposite to Mr Brown and he lets the coverts do whatever they please to annoy the villagers. Reverend Smith is a small-minded character and some of the things he says about Mr Brown after Mr Browns leaving illustrate the colonial’s intolerance towards any sympathy shown towards the villagers.

The text has two major themes, which are ‘the struggle between tradition and change’ and ‘varying interpretations of masculinity’. These play an important role in the novel.
The main theme of the novel is the struggle between change and tradition and throughout the novel we see how the change from their old ways of life to the new life of Christianity affects the characters. The new regime angers Okonkwo who is afraid in a way of losing her personal status that he has earned also he believes that the new religion is not manly. Many of the clan’s outcasts find that if they join Christianity they will have a new-elevated status and will not be placed below everyone else. Throughout the book the villager are caught between resisting and welcoming this new religion. Many are against this change like Okonkwo however many are for it. “Does the white man understand our custom about land?” “How can he when he does not even speak our tongue? But he says that our customs are bad; and our own brothers who have taken up his religion also say that our customs are bad. How do you think we can fight when our own brothers have turned against us? The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.” This quote appears in a conversation between Obierika and Okonkwo when they are discussing the white men. Obierika is another who believes that the new religion is bad and he talks about the impossibility’s of the Umuofian’s leaving their traditional methods of doing things for the unfamiliar customs of the white man. The new influence that the white men bring threatens to extinguish skills needed for the survival of Okonkwo’s tribe such as traditional methods of farming, harvesting, cooking and building. These skills were essential for the survival of Okonkwo’s people but now they are being eradicated by the influences of the white men.

A minor theme of the book is varying interpretations of masculinity. Much of Okonkwo’s violence came from him trying to be the opposite of his weak father. He see’s views such as his fathers to be weak and therefore he calls them feminine. Okonkwo’s clans society is very much sexist. The word for a man who has taken to titles in the clan is ‘agbala’, we as the reader are told that this also means woman. Okonkwo is so violent as he believes that anger is the only emotion a man should show and that any other emotions are feminine which is why he frequently beats his wives and occasionally threatens to kill them. We also see this in Okonkwo when he accompanies the men on the trip to kill Ikefuma, when the boy runs to him for help he cuts him down as he is afraid of looking weak. When Okonkwo is exiled he flee’s to his motherland where his mothers kin live. This is a chance for him to get in touch with his feminine side however throughout the exile he reinforces his ideology that men are better than women. Okonkwo’s feeling is that anything weak is feminine.

Was Okonkwo’s destined to his fate or was his downfall in his own hands? Throughout this essay I have looked at some of the main characters and at the themes of the novel. Okonkwo was in my opinion in control of his own life and if his temper and anger had not got the better of him or his desire to be the best then his life would have turned out differently. His fear of looking weak let to his own undoing.

Alastair

Higher EnglishWay To Go'
By Alan Spence

Alan Spence's novel, 'Way To Go', is an account of Neil McGraw's life, the main character in this novel. It is written in first person narrative in a biographical format. Throughout the novel, Spence uses techniques such as dialogue and charaterisation that allow the reader to understand Neil's changes and why he does so. These techniques used by Spence also make the reader grow to know and like this character.
The dialogue used in this novel is mainly Scottish slang with a lot of swearing. From the beginning of the book, this sets the scene and helps the reader understand the rough, environment that Neil is growing up in, in the large Scottish city of Glasgow. Although the theme of the book is death, this novel is very humerous as we soon learn Neil is a very funny character which is demonstrated in the dialogue he uses. The characterisation used is very clever as throughout the novel Spence refers to how much time has passed which makes the reader look for changes in Neil's character. Also there are a few key events that shape and mature Neil.

A lot of this novel is written using dialogue which helps the reader understand what the characters are really like. It also helps you to understand their feelings and their beliefs. At the beginning of the novel, it is clear that Neil is scared of his father who would often punish him by locking him in the coffin filled basement. His father ran an undertaking business that Neil insisted he would never join. This, along with the fact Neil's father blamed him for the death of his mother, who died giving birth to him, made this father - son relationship far from the norm. In an argument with his father after Neil had laughed at a time when his father was working, his father said, "You think death's a big joke? You think it's a laughing matter?" This was followed by a snigger of laughter from Neil which enraged his father."Right!" said his father before smacking him. This was in his father's eyes a justifiable reason to lock him down in the basement. This is a typical example of Neil's relationship with his father. At this point in the novel it is clear to see Neil's immaturity which you may expect of a school boy. Neil was obviously treated unfairly by his father which is probably why he found it difficult to socialise with people his own age. Also growing up without a mother figure is far from ideal.
When Neil finally accumulates enough courage to stand up to his father and escape from his life in Glasgow, he joins up with a group of hippies who seem to have a massive effect on his personality. Here, he becomes far more relaxed and easy going. He no longer had his father watching and punishing him. Humour is used throughout this novel and we see more signs of Neil's personality as the book unfolds. After having unprotected sex with a girl, she said, "Oh fuck!."
"Afraid we did," said Neil who goes on to tell the reader,'And inside I was punching the air in triumph, taking a lap of honour.' But then came the thought of pregnancy and disease, "I'm clean, and I'm on the pill," she said. Neil's thought: 'Yes! Wave to the main stand.' Throughout the novel dialogue is constantly interrupted by Neil's thoughts and feelings that add to the reader's like for the character.
After a few decades of travelling, experiencing different cultures on his way, Neil returns to Glasgow with his Indian wife when his father dies. Here he reaquaintes himself with some old friends and the reader really begins to notice a change in Neil. At this point he has matured and has finally found out who he really is. Despite being far more sensible, Neil hasn't lost his sense of humour which is clear to see. At a biker's funeral where their way of a good send off was to 'direct a stream of piss onto the grave.' Neil suggested to his friend and coligue," Time for a sharp exit?"
To which Des replied, "Be tears before bedtime if you ask me." This was a typical laugh between these two friends who although were never short of jokes aimed at each other, were all good at heart.
Towards the end of the novel you see a side to Neil that you certainly havn't seen before, and that is his pride for the business that he took over following his father's death. He rebuilt and reshaped the business and was adament he would never sell when a large company tried to buy the business. Neil told the company representative,"There's no point in wasting your time. I'm not interested. I've no intention of giving up our independance, being taken over by you or anybody else.....What a tosser!"

There was a few key incidents that played an important part in Neil's life that influenced his way of life. The first of which is when his father found him in one of the coffins in the basement having sex with a girl he had met. This was the final straw for Neil before heading for London. He probably felt he no longer had any relationship with his father and that nothing was keeping him in Glasgow. It turned out to be good for Neil as even though he lived with a very poor, rough standard of living in London, he was free to be who he wanted to be.
Leaving London was an important step for Neil as he never had anything going for him and was taking advantage of people's generousity. He was unemployed and unemployable and lived in a rough area where he often used illegal drugs. Not only did leaving mean he had to stand on his own two feet, it also meant he learned about different cultures which was to later come in handy.
The most important stage in Neil's life was returning to Glasgow to bury his father. He was facing up to his past that he would probably rather have forgotten about. This turned out to be a very positive move for him because he ran a successful business with the people he loved.

Neil,it would seem, never originally wanted to take over his father's business because he feared he would turn into his father. However when he does eventually take over, he shows how original his ideas are and how different he is to his father. He introduces themed funerals, something his old fashioned, steriotypically Scottish, father would never dream of. Also the fact he changed the company slogan from "Rest Assured" to "Way To Go" again symbolises his individuality.

Rebecca Carradice

The novel “The Catcher in the Rye” by J. D. Salinger is a novel, which centres around the theme of isolation. This study will examine this theme, along with the writer’s use of characterisation and setting, which help to convey the character’s eventual break down.

“The Catcher in the Rye” is a personal account told by Holden Caulfield, the narrator of the book. He recalls a weekend of his life from a psychiatric hospital, and throughout gives off an impression of his loneliness, and isolation from society. We see everything through Holden’s eyes, and so he cannot always be said to be a reliable narrator, however we still see him to have problems and so there is still room for an outside perspective.

Throughout the novel, Holden shows feelings of alienation. He says he feels trapped “on the other side” of life, and generally doesn’t feel he fits in with the world around him. He finds interaction with other people confusing and difficult, and so makes out to himself that he is above interacting with other people, and almost superior to anyone else around him. “I thought what I’d do was, I’d pretend to be one of those deaf-mutes. That way I wouldn’t have to have any goddam stupid conversations with anybody.” Holden tries to escape from social situations, as he finds them difficult to cope with and uncomfortable. However, as well as causing Holden problems, his isolation from society also acts as the little stability that he has in his life, and the only aspect he can control. As a sixteen-year-old boy growing up, these feelings of alienation could simply be seen as regular teenage emotions, however in Holden’s case his isolation eventually leads to him breaking down, and ending up in psychiatric care.

Holden is at the stage in his life where both society and his own body are telling him that he should be progressing into adulthood. He can be a very immature character, and even Holden himself realises this, but justifies it by saying he is going “through a phase.” He seems to want to resist the process of maturing, and fears the change and complicity of adult life. He enjoys the innocence, and lack of responsibility of childhood, and doesn’t want to swap this for the grown up and more serious things in life. However, Holden is attracted to some aspects of grown up life, such as independence, sexuality and alcohol. Throughout the book he experiences these aspects, but he refuses to accept the others. He believes that adulthood is full of “phonies,” and that many people around him are fake and superficial.

Having said this, Holden himself lies and deceits people throughout the story. He tells the woman on the train that he is the school janitor because he “didn’t feel like giving her his whole life history,” and he says himself that he is a compulsive liar, “the most terrific liar one could meet.” Throughout the book though, it is unclear whether people actually believe him, and so his deceitfulness and lies could be seen to simply help his own self-delusion, and be another part of him not understanding who he is.

As Holden cannot fully accept that he is maturing, and becoming an adult, he doesn’t appear to really know who he is. He seems to be trying to find himself in the story, and is looking for direction in life. We see this when he asks people several times where the ducks fly away to in the winter. This shows that he is searching for a way to lead his life, but is not sure where to go from his current situation.

During the book, Holden stays in the same place for very little time. He moves from his school, “Pencey,” to several locations in New York, and then ends up back in his hometown. This constant change of scenery reflects Holden’s feeling of not belonging, and shows that he is struggling to find his place in society. While at Pencey, Holden does not get on overly well with his classmates. After being thrown out of many schools previously, Holden is asked to leave Pencey, and so goes to New York City hoping to find something to do with himself. While in New York, he visits many places such as pubs and clubs. These places are usually seen to be for adults, and more mature people and so they act as a contradiction to Holden’s feelings towards adult life. While in the clubs Holden can experience the only aspects of adulthood that he is willing to accept, and so he goes in order to drink and meet new people.

After being in several places away from home, at the end of the novel Holden returns back to his hometown. Originally Holden’s intentions are to move away, and live away from his parents. However after speaking to his younger sister, he decides that he will stay at home. This shows that he is finally beginning to accept that he has to face up to real life, and deal with the things that truly matter such as his family. It is ironic however; that it is after talking to his younger sister that he makes this decision. She manages to convince Holden to stay put, and it is when watching her on the merry-go-round that he finally breaks down into tears and realises what is happening to him.

Holden does not finish the story, but ends it here, only going on to say that he is now in the hospital. While in the hospital it seems that he has had time to reflect on what happened to him, and possibly think about who he is as a person. After inventing his own fantasy of adulthood, full of superficiality, he must realise that all of his presumptions are not necessarily true and that he himself has been behaving in an unrealistic manner.

The character of Holden could be seen simply as a troubled teenager, however it is made more believable that the character does in fact have mental problems, having ended up in a psychiatric ward. “The Catcher in the Rye” raises issues of isolation and how Holden as a young individual deals with it. J.D. Salinger expresses very well how the character struggles to cope with life; its effects on him and the way he ends up, using the technique of setting and the development of Holden as a character.

Over the Weekend....

Okay. Well now that you have posted up your specialist studies you are going to do a little bit of peer marking. Once you know whose spec. study you are looking at I want you to make the following comments:

1. Have they answered the question that they set themselves?
2. What point/paragraph was their strongest?
3. What point/paragraph was their weakest?
4. Did you understand what the story/novel was about based purely on this essay?
5. Has he/she included enough textual evidence? (Remember Statement, Quotation, Analysis)
6. Has he/she explained his/her quotations fully?
7. Did you enjoy reading this?
8. Any points you would suggest for the next draft?

Remember to put your name at the end of the comment. This is only because I may add some comments too and the person needs to know who has written what comments.I am looking forward to reading your responses to one another!

Scott Leslie (Soooooooooooo Tired)

“Complicity” By Iain Banks

Statement of Intent
The novel “Complicity” by Iain Banks has a definite turning point and decisive moment.
This study will describe what happens at this point and will explain why this is so integral to the plot.
This study will refer to the characterisation, setting and plot building up to this moment.



“Complicity” tells the story of Edinburgh journalist, Cameron Colley and the situation he finds himself in, when what he thinks is a lead for a “juicy” article turns out to be part of a plot to frame him for a series of murders. An anonymous informant sends Cameron all over the country on various pretexts and calls him at pay phones with the next piece of information on the supposed “scoop”. The locations are actually the perfect cover for the real serial killer to put Cameron in the right place at the right time to look suspicious. Cameron is actually completely innocent but so much evidence is stacked against him that he is arrested and questioned. He realises that whoever is framing him has access to a lot of information about his present and his past which narrows the field. For example there is a note in his handwriting at one of the murder scenes and many of the victims were featured in an article produced by Cameron that was very much against them and what they stood for. “Introduce a real avenger…Somebody who’ll give people like James Anderton, Judge Jamieson and Sir Toby Bissett a taste of their own medicine” Two more victims are mentioned in this article and it begins to read like a hit list. Cameron wracks his brain and finally realises his childhood friend Andy is behind the murders. The reason Andy is never suspected before is because Banks “tricks” the reader into believing he is dead. This is because a man is described being murdered in Andy’s bed, in Andy’s house and then set on fire. The body is so badly mutilated that it is never identified but he is believed to be dead by both Cameron and the police, thus eliminating him as a suspect. This is the turning point on which this study will focus.

Banks uses two narratives within the novel. A first person narrative is used for Cameron’s side of the story, where he is the narrator. A third person narrative is used for the section describing the gruesome murders taking place, for example “You took the gun out once, reaching under your thin canvas jacket” This is why the turning point is so unexpected because the reader sees the man murdered in Andy’s bed and as the reader has no idea who the murderer is, automatically assumes Andy is dead. This moment sees the whole book turned round as it now becomes a hunt for Andy, before he strikes again. This keeps the reader in suspense to see if Andy is eventually caught.

The following three sections will look at the characterisation, setting and plot building up to this point.

This section will be directed towards how the characters are portrayed through their thoughts, dialogue and actions. It will also look at how Cameron sees his childhood as an almost idyllic period of his life. Cameron also has some very contrasting moods.

“I’m tempted to call in at the paper and pick up a copy fresh off the press” His story has made the front cover and he takes great pride in this. “It’s as bad as that television piece you did last year.” This shows his work is not always up to standard and is told to rewrite a piece. This is in contrast with the piece that made the front page as he can’t have taken pride in the article he has to rewrite.

“I dream of Strathspeld, and the long summers of my childhood passed in a trance of lazy pleasure.” He looks back on his childhood as heavenly and idyllic which contradicts the fact that Andy almost died, Andy is sexually assaulted and they murder his attacker!

The setting is integral to the plot because Cameron is in this situation because of his locations at the time of the murders. Banks also uses descriptions to vividly set the scene throughout the book. The fact that the book is set in Scotland, especially Edinburgh, will allow Scottish readers to identify places within the text.

“tour of Stockbridge by night looking for a parking place”, readers who know the area can identify with the fact that the streets are always packed with cars and that Cameron has to drive round the whole place to find a space.

“Eddie is sitting on – no; housed within – a throne of a chair, all black carved wood and buttoned red leather” This paints a vivid picture in the reader’s mind that Eddie is sitting in a very grand and imposing chair, to represent his authority as the editor of the newspaper.

“The mountaintops are smothered, black crags violent spattered marks against that blankness.” This describes the snow covered mountains with rock formations poking through as if they have had to fight their way through the snow.

The plot is what makes this book so clever and enjoyable. Almost everything that happens has some significance in the case. The reader takes on the role of the detective and is given small clues to the killer’s identity throughout the novel. Allowing the reader to become involved in the text, keeps them interested throughout. It also keeps the reader looking very closely for anything that could help to reveal the murderers identity. One of the biggest clues is when Cameron has a very strange phone conversation with Andy in which Cameron phones him but Andy claims to have phoned Cameron. It turns out that Andy was murdering one of his victims and it was a recorded message that Cameron was talking to, this provided Andy with an alibi. At the end the whole plot links back together and you realise how important all the things that happen are; in relation to finding the killer’s identity.

To conclude, the novel is very unpredictable and this adds to the reader’s enjoyment as you can never be sure which way the plot will turn. Many readers will also enjoy the fact that they can take on the role of detective. Banks is also very clever in the way he ties together the plot in the end. The way Banks “tricks” the reader and turns the plot around, means the reader is kept guessing all the way through the novel.

Rebecca Davidson =]

''The Collector,'' by John Fowles includes two main themes which are of love and obsession which are influenced by the overbearing mind of the character Ferdinand. This essay will explain how his love and obsession led him from collecting something simple such as a butterfly to something much more sinister, while also looking closely at characterisation and structure.

From the beginning of the novel Ferdinand's obsession which a young, beautiful art student named Miranda is very clear to the reader. His love for her grows to be an obsession. He begins to stalk her, recording the days he sees her and admiring her from a distance, ''I marked it in my observation diary, at first with X, and then when I knew her name with M.'' Ferdinand dreams or her as if they are lovers and sees her as the perfect women, even though they have never truly met and she does not know him at all, ''It seemed like we became more intimate, although of course we still did not know each other in the ordinary way.'' He has such high hopes for the life they could have together.

A chance pools win allows Ferdinand to collect and buy all the items he would need if himself and Miranda were together. He buys a house in a quiet area which contained a secluded that he seen as perfect to keep her in. Some of the plans he makes seem to happen without him fully realising what he is planning to do as if they are in his subconscious. He does not realise what he shall eventually be capable of, ''Of course, I thought it was only pretending''.

The novel is separated into two main chapters. Chapter one is told from Ferdinand's point of view, detailing all his deep and loving feelings for Miranda and his hopes for their relationship, ''The very first time I saw her, I knew she was the only one.'' Chapter two gives the reader and insight into Miranda's struggles as a captured woman in a diary which she kept secretly during her captivity, revealing also her past.

This structure is very important to the story and to the characterisation in the novel as it allows the reader to look closely into both character's and understand Ferdinand's obsessive behaviour, which helps the reader to see properly into the shocking ending.

One night Ferdinand follows Miranda and covers her mouth with a rag soaked in chloroform which knocks her unconscious. Ferdinand places her in the back of a van, whilst still being careful not to cause her any more harm, ''I heard her say under the cloth, no, no, it was horrible, but I made myself do it.''

Characterisation is also a key factor of the novel. Ferdinand does not treat Miranda as his prisoner many times throughout the story. He treats her like a queen or his wife by buying her everything she could have wanted, except her freedom which is what she wanted most, whilst hoping that she would like him more because of it, ''She liked it and so me for buying it''.

Ferdinand is the opposite of the stereotypical kidnapper, his love for her is clear throughout. Miranda is ironically the strongest character. She refuses to call Ferdinand, Ferdinand and instead refers to him as the much more sinister name,''Caliban''. Miranda wishes to be seen by, ''Caliban'', as strong minded but desperately needs him company to protect her state of mind. She begins to downgrade him by harshly analysing their conversations, describing him as being, ''pathetic''.

She tries to regain her freedom by making several escape attempts all of which are unsuccessful. These attempts reach their climax when she resorts to trying to seduce Ferdinand in the hope that he would then set her free, ''I will not give in, I will not give in''. Towards the end of the second chapter Miranda becomes sick, her diary entries begin to get shorter and her sentences a lot blunter, until they stop altogether.

Ferdinand sees Miranda to be very similar to the butterflies which he collects, ''And her hair in a long pigtail. It was very pale, silky like burnet cocoons.'' He sees her as a beautiful object which he can keep for his own pleasure. When Miranda dies Ferdinand quickly erases her memory and moves on to admire another girl from a distance and making plans, just like Miranda. Miranda was once his whole world and now she has became as insignificant to Ferdinand as one of his bad butterflies.

Polly

Specialist Study
“Brave New World”

“Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley depicts a sterile and loveless future in which there is no such thing as an individual and human beings are bred, not born, to fulfil specific roles in society. Set in London six hundred years in the future, Huxley’s “brave new world” draws the reader in as if they too are trapped within this inescapable future in which no one person has an identity of their own. But how does the author’s use of setting in time and place impact on the reader’s appreciation of the text as a whole?
The book is set in London in the year 632 A.F, or “After Ford”. Ford is the original creator of this “World State” which the Earth has now become, and is considered to be the equivalent of a God as there is now no religion in the new world. London has changed a lot in 600 years - Charing Cross Station is now the “Charing T Rocket Station”, Big Ben is now better known as “Big Henry” and Westminster Abbey is now a nightclub - the “Westminster Abbey Cabaret”. By referring to familiar landmarks and how much they have changed, the reader is able to build up a picture in their mind’s eye of London in this strange future and relate to the setting more.
Huxley describes in depth the extent to which the world has modernised. Now when you go to the cinema, not only do you watch what’s going on but you can feel it as if you are actually in the movie yourself. Also, rather than the car, the main form of transportation is now the helicopter.
However, by far the most noticeable change in this new world is that humans are no longer born but created and grown in laboratories and modified whilst still developing as foetus’ to have all the skills necessary for carrying out their future roles in society, whether they be in the lowest caste of “epsilon semi-morons” or the highest caste of “alpha plus’”. As infants, they are taught that “everyone belongs to everyone else” - already being discouraged to show any individuality - and that sex is the best form of entertainment possible. Emotions are discouraged - there is no such thing are love, marriage or commitment, and, if things get too intense, there is always the recreational designer drug “soma” distributed to everyone by the government itself. This civilisation is designed to be a utopia in which there is no disease or aging and death is just another part of life to be ignored, but ironically the scene that Huxley sets creates the complete opposite effect, making this “Brave New World” seem like a cold, heartless place where it is impossible to be your own person and you are punished for any self expression or if you resist to conform. It is as if everybody is a prisoner on their own planet, and yet so many are completely oblivious that this is so.
During the novel, two of the main characters, Bernard and Lenina, visit a “Savage Reservation”. The people who live in these reservations are known as Savages because they are still actually born, not grown, have parents and families, believe in religion and commitment, and lots of other completely normal morals that we ourselves are encouraged to abide by in this day and age. However, because of the surge of technology in the new world, Savages are primitive even to us and are thought of as disgusting by ‘civilised people’. On arriving at the reservation, Bernard and Lenina are reminded that the inhabitants are - “absolute savages” that “still preserve their repulsive habits and customs”. It is as if they see them as animals rather than humans. At this reservation lives John, a young man whose parents both originally were from the new world, yet he himself has grown up as a savage. His character says a lot about how times have changed in that the reader can relate to his beliefs as they are the most like those in present society. John himself is keen to visit the new world, in fact it is he who refers to it as a brave new world in the first place - “O brave new world that has such people in it…”. This shows that his view on the world outside the squalor of the savage reservation is that of an exciting, modern place full of new opportunities. John Savage is probably the most touching character in the book as he is depicted as a complete innocent who is totally overwhelmed by the new world. Tragically, he kills himself at the end of the novel, unable to cope with the corruptness of society. Therefore, this idea of a “new world” is heightened by the fact that the character most like the reader commits suicide showing that this so-called “Brave New World” is so terrifying that we, as savages, so to speak, in the present day, wouldn’t be able to survive it. His character is an effective comparison between our world and this future - even the term “savage” shows that how most humans live their lives today would be considered savagely in this new society. However Huxley’s storytelling portrays the opposite idea to the reader - the customs of those in the World State come across cold and emotionless: perhaps it is they who are the savages after all.
All of this, in a way, makes the Brave New World, the setting itself, the main character in this novel because everything links back to it and it’s impossible to escape, as if it is some sort of domineering dictator, enslaving a race of people, most of whom are completely oblivious.
This future seems particularly terrifying because anyone individual enough to want to escape this apparent nightmare of a world is silenced meaning humans are trapped in this setting, this ‘brave new world’, causing the reader to think about their own society and the role that they themselves choose in life, as well as what it really means to be human.

Polly Davidson
5G2

Michael M's spec study- Way To Go (might be a bit too long!)

Way To Go
Specialist Study
Michael Mackenzie

The novel "Way To Go" by Alan Spence is a novel which centers around the themes of death, fate and spirituality. The book has been structured in certain ways which reflect the themes of the novel and also contribute to our feelings toward the main characters. It is the story of a young boy named Neil who is the son of an undertaker and becomes fascinated with death and searches for the duration of his life to find the answer to the ultimate question, "What happens when you die?". This study will focus on how the themes of the novel are conveyed through structure and also how this is conveyed through characterization.
This novel has been written with a lot of dialogue which is in strong Scottish. Because of this there are many short sentences throughout the novel which also comprise of minor sentences. This is used as it creates a formal tone toward the reader. The reader therefore feels more involved in the story and shares Neil's interests in his search for the truth. But these short sentences also create a sense that the story is moving very quickly and that Neil's life is going to be shown as being quite short. This is also true between chapters as it seems a lot of Neil's life has been skipped. At the end of one chapter, Neil is starting secondary school, but the start of the next says, "I got out as soon as I could. The week after I left school." which adds to the point that life is short and death could come at any point.
Perhaps the most relevant parts of the book which regard Neil's fascination with death are the segments at the end of each chapter written in italics. These are all stories or poems which are linked to death in some way. They focus on Eastern culture and attitudes towards death; Neil has been intrigued by the Eastern ideas ever since an indian girl at school told him about Karma. These are included at the ends of the chapters as they show Neil's changing views on death after each section of his life. The first two are from when he is still at home, so what he knows about death he has learned from people around him. They are not very spiritual in any way, they are about funerals and famous last words, " Dying is a dull, dreary affair," showing his attitudes at this time are negative. But then as soon as Neil moves to London where he gets a new perspective on life, these segments change their tone. One talks of Zen masters and nuns who can predict their own deaths and wish to leave the world in a dignified way, without worrying about the afterlife. This shows Neil's new interests in different cultures and that he believes there is a more spiritual side to life. This theme continues with more discoveries of celebrations to death and cultures which accept it without grief. Then towards the end of the book, it is clear that Neil has again changed his perceptions on death. It seems he is comparing himself to a Zen master. "He felt no grief, just stood there and watched. He saw it was like seeing a sword being drawn out of its sheath. The sword was still the sword as before, its blade shining. Nothing had happened to it. And the sheath lay there empty." This is included to show that Neil believes that when you die, your soul is set free and people should not grieve. The "sheath lay empty" is similar to what Neil has been told by his father earlier in the book, saying that a corpse is no longer that same person, its just "stuff". But then at the end of this certain story it says, "But the next day he returned to the house and was overwhelmed by a sense of grief and loss...Ramakrishna had to understand both sides. Both true." We see that Neil is understanding why people didn't celebrate death in Scotland as much as in other cultures. He realizes from his years of traveling why people see death in different ways; it is more complicated than it seems. This is brought on by the threat to his own life from cancer.
Two of these stories are linked; one about Japanese haiku poets and the other about him after his death. Because this link is here, we can see that all of these segments can be related back to his own life in some way. It says the haikus were written, "looking at things for the last time, with a clear eye." His own haiku is the very last thing written in the novel which shows that there is an afterlife for Neil, as his final look at the world is after his own death. This is an effective ending to the book as we see that death is not the final part of out lives, Neil's journey continues.
The theme of fate is also important in this novel (it is referred to as 'Karass') not only because death is our ultimate fate but because a lot of things happen to Neil which he sees to be part of his Karass. Phrases often appear in the novel like, "Almost like it was meant." or, "There you go. Small world." and because these comments are included the reader understands how Neil thinks and why his beliefs are as they are. The fateful incidents are often emphasized with the word 'Karass' written in italics, on a line by itself so it stands out, which shows his thoughts toward every day events. The most fateful incident in the novel is probably when he meets Lila. It says, "...there was more, something I recognized but couldn't name. It felt as if I knew her and always had." At this point in the novel, Neil seems to be at his peak of spirituality as he has been traveling for a long time now and experienced many cultures. We see that Neil's Karass has guided him toward Lila and he believes her to be his soul mate. This "something" which draws Neil and Lila together and quickly leads to their marriage is conveyed through the characterization in the novel. Both characters are instantly attracted to each other and Lila repeats Neil's thoughts in a conversation with him, "I saw you sitting there. Just sitting there. And I don't know, there was something...you looked familiar, like i knew you." The repetition of this phrase is trying to show that Neil and Lila are in fact soul mates which backs up Neil's beliefs about Karass and spirituality; it is clear by this point that there will be an afterlife for Neil. We also see that their conversations can last a very long time, completely different to any relationship he has had before, like him and his father. The contrast between Lila and his father emphasizes his need to be with her as he had needed to get away from his father. When he returns to his old house after his fathers death, Neil finds it distressing at first, "And I suddenly felt claustrophobic, overwhelmed, had to get out." but then eventually gets used to it with help from Lila.
Neil as a character is always making mental comments to what people do or say, particularly at the start of the novel, which pokes fun at his fathers views of death and makes him seem like a ridiculous man. In a small argument with his dad he says:
"'Thought you were supposed to be studying?' An accusation.
'I was. I am. Just taking a break.'
'Aye. Well.'
'So. Is that it?'
'No. I came to tell you something. I just picked up a body from the mortuary.'
So what else is new?"
We see that the father and son have quite a hostile relationship which justifies why he would leave home, leaving only a note to tell his dad he was gone. But we see by the phrase in italics, that he doesn't agree with his father on a lot of things and as a result seeks a different approach to death all together from him. This is also because of the bad treatment he gets from his father as a boy, locking him in a room full of coffins as a regular punishment. Through Neil's thoughts in the book, his character develops as you read and changes slightly in each chapter as he is influenced by his surroundings. We understand why he wants to 'rebel' against his dad and a lot of his opinions.
Throughout the novel, death and fate are mentioned frequently as these are always on Neil's mind. He makes jokes of death as an easier way to deal with the concept as a young child. His curiosity on the subject is caused by growing up with death all around him. But there may be another reason; guilt. Neil's mother died in childbirth and his father resented him for it, calling him "the child in question". This is a very impersonal thing to call his own son and it is as if he is treating him as a dead person, just 'stuff', by speaking to him like this. The phrase "the child in question" appears many times in the novel as is he is being subconsciously reminded of his involvement in his mother's death. His father has made him feel really guilty for what he has done so Neil feels he has to find out what really happened to his mother. The phrase is used much less toward the end of the novel, as he believes he knows what happens when you die. The final haiku,
"After the fireworks
cold and still
the moon"
refers back to the death poems previously in the book. we see there is no part left of him on Earth anymore and that he is now at peace from a life which has been "fireworks". He is now in a place where he is content and his life's searching can now end. The main message being: We will find what we want in the end.

Alex McKay

“The Handmaid’s Tale” – Margaret Atwood


“The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood is a disturbing and powerful story of a young woman trying to survive in a completely totalitarian society. The novel’s main character, Offred, is also the narrator so the reader is open to her thoughts and feelings throughout the text. The novel is set in a futuristic America where the government has completely taken over and controls every aspect of everyone’s life. This study will show how Atwood creates this dystopian civilization as a warning against a male dominated society through her clever use of characterization and setting.
At the very beginning of the novel there is a quote from the bible:
“And when Rachel saw she bear Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.
And Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel; and he said, Am I in God’s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?
And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may have children by her.”
The quote captures the belief of the government that a woman’s one purpose in life is to bear children. Offred plays the part that Bilhah does in this extract, she is to be used for her womb. In this new society woman are categorized and are seen as inferior to men in every way. Every woman is tested for fertility and health. If a woman is infertile then she is no longer a woman and is therefore punished, they are sent to work on islands that are full of radiation where they are sure to die. If they are found to be fertile they are sent to be handmaids, this is what Offred has become. Men dominate this new society and it is run much like the army. There are commanders and generals and inferior guards and soldiers. The commanders are allowed wives but if they are unable to conceive a handmaid is assigned to them. A handmaid lives with the couple for a certain amount of time until she falls pregnant, if she fails to do so she moves onto a new couple. She is given three chances before being sent away.
Offred is a very strong and passionate character yet she has been taken away from her husband and child and stripped of her identity, she has no freedom, no rights and no choice but to do whatever she is told to do. She is very bright and strong willed yet this new religion ignores these qualities, to them woman have no qualities. Women are not allowed jobs or any kind of social lives except the wives of the commanders who have only some privileges. Even the names the Handmaid’s are given have men’s names incorporated into them: Offred, Ofwarren, Ofglen, Showing men’s ownership of woman. Offred’s name is also important because she is unable to conceive, so the name off red, red being the colour of a handmaid whose one purpose is to have a child, is quite ironic. Offred has a lot of emotion to deal with throughout the book yet she stays strong even though her desire to find her child, to be with a man, to break free is unbearable. Women are supposed to be weak and inferior yet here we see a very courageous and determined woman.
In comparison to Offred’s strong will we have her Commander who is stereotypically meant to be the man in charge and strong character, yet it is him who is weak. The Commander orders Offred to visit him in secret, which is completely illegal, and persuades her to have a sexual relationship with him, he needs Offred. We see this lack of willpower in the commander which makes him seem much more inferior than Offred.
Another main character is the character of Serena Joy, the Commander’s wife. She despises Offred as she is jealous of her and resents her being part of her life even though she could, in theory, bear her a child. Serena used to be a very glamorous TV presenter before the regime took over but now she is just another wife wearing the same colour as all the rest, she has lost her individuality. All the women are the same, as are most of the men; there is no way to express yourself. She is deeply affected by the regime, like Offred, and has lost her glamorous lifestyle and her personality.
The novel is set in the Republic of Gilead, a very regimented and terrifying place. Atwood has created a society where no one can live there own lives, they are assigned tasks that become their sole purpose, they have no choice in the matter. It is not your right to be happy or content. It is part of society that women are inferior to men and they are treated so. The city is run like an army barrack with no compassion for human nature. Everyone must have ID badges and there are guards, fences, walls and barricades everywhere. Atwood has used this surreal setting to shock the reader into thinking could life one day be like that, if men are allowed to dominate society?
Atwood’s use of characterization and setting really convey the chilling idea of a male dominated society. She shows how much an oppressive regime can affect any person, man or woman. The reader really empathizes with the women in the book and their lack of rights and freedom. It acts as a very severe warning that society could easily end up like that if left in the hand’s of the wrong people or, as Atwood suggests, left in the hand’s of men.


Alex McKay 5G2

Michael Thomas or "Micahel" Thomas..

“The Acid House” by Irvine Welsh

“The Acid House” by Irvine Welsh is a book with many short stories in it dealing with different stories. The two short stories “Granny’s Old Junk” and “Where Debris Meets The Sea” deal with stereotypes and expect the unexpected. I plan to show how Welsh plays with our stereotypical expectations of the social groups in these short stories.

Irvine Welsh plays with our expectations of stereotypes in the short story “Granny’s Old Junk” as we see a young man with a beaten appearance who we find out is a drug taker, going to visit his grandmother. A frail old woman that reminds him of a “wizened puppet” and is a very nice person. She lives in a Sheltered Housing Scheme that she has lived in for the past 5 years and her grandson has not been to see her. He is going to see his Granny for one reason, Money. He reminisces of when he was a child and seeing is Granny’s shortbread tin filled to the brim with money and peeling off a few notes each birthday or Christmas to give to him for a present. But the money was to feed his drug habit now and didn’t care what the “auld doll’s” plans were to do with it. They talk about what Graham, her grandson, has been doing and she tells him that his mother told her that he has been up to no good and has been doing drugs. Naturally, Graham denies this accusation so his Granny is not disappointed with him. So he keeps her talking then eventually goes to the toilet to look for the money,. He finds the shortbread tin under her bed and without warning Granny kicks and punches him to get him away from it and the frail old Granny turns into an evil swearing old woman completely contrasting with the idea of the Granny we were originally introduced to. She claims there is no money in the tin but Graham opens the tin anyway and is shocked to find a large bag of cocaine. Granny asks if he has got works and tells him to cook up a shot. This is a complete change of the first Granny we were introduced to, The stereotypical Granny, old, short, and grey with a nice attitude and loves her younger relatives with a passion and like to look after them with all she has however when Graham finds her “stash” she turns into this cocaine addict that swears and lashes out. Through Welsh’s Characterisation we see how he changes the stereotypical Granny into an evil and law breaking Granny which completely throws you and you do not expect to be the outcome.


In “Where Debris Meets The Sea” we are given the image of the star studded area of Santa Monica where four women relax in the coolness and shade of their large room. A pile of magazines are on the table with titles such as “Wide-o”, “Scheme Scene” and “Bevvy Merchants”, not the titles of magazines you would expect to see in a large Santa Monica house. The names of these women are Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Victoria Principal and Kim Basinger, yet when they speak they speak with a broad Scottish accent and drooling over men in the magazines with names like Deek Prentice and Dode Chalmers, which suggests these mean are common and not in the same league as people with names such as Madonna who is one of the most famous pop stars of all time. The woman watch Scottish television such as The Jimmy McGilvary Show, and talk about getting into the men’s “kek’s” that are being interviewed. They also talk about going on holiday to Leith some day, which is an area in Edinburgh, completely different from where these women live and they talk about how they want to go into rough pubs and find some “cock”. This behaviour is not at all expected from these women and shows that these women are not to be put in stereotypical categories as they are completely different from their public persona’s.

Welsh plays with our stereotypical expectations in both short stories by using every day names and characters such as a grandmother or a famous person and has completely flipped round the view we have upon them to symbolise that people are different behind closed doors and to expect the unexpected from people. He does this by making Granny a drug dealer showing there may always be an evil side to a person or a side to a person that is not what we know. And in “Where Debris Meets The Sea” he uses household names such as Madonna and Kylie Minogue and has given them a broad Scottish accent and has given them a completely different persona to the famous pop singers everyone knows which continues with the theme that people are not always what they seem and may be different behind closed doors.


Michael Thomas 5C2

Kirsten McGill

Kirsten McGill 'The Abortionists Daughter' by Elisabeth Hyde.

Elisabeth Hyde's novel is about characters seeking the truth, avoiding the truth or hiding the truth. This study will examine the extent to which characters actions help to convey the theme of truth and how the author uses the situation to reveal important aspects of the characters.

Elsabeth Hyde's novel, the abortionist's daughter is set on a mid-december day in Colorado. Dr Diana Duprey, an abortion doctor is found dead in her swimming pool. Due to her pro-abortion and pro-choice stance, Diana has made many enemies, thus making the investigation into her death much more difficult in obtaining the murderer. Intertwined in the novel are family secets, dark passion and a fatal obsession, which all contributes to finding Diana's killer.
Perhaps the character to hide and avoid the truth most relentlessly throughout the novel is Bill Branson, a former boyfriend of Diana's daughter, Megan. Bill suffers much emotional pain after Megan ends their relationship and his obsession with her makes him grow closer to Diana, who offers much emotional and mental support to him as his lust turns to obsession. However, Diana grew tired of his constant whimpering and self-pity of his break-up. "Leave her alone. Leave me alone. If you can't do that, then we'll get a restraining order." Still, it appears that Bill is aiding the police with their enquiries when he answers all their questions, provides them with information and reveals the dark secret of Diana's 'drug problem.'
"She was a 24/7 kinda gal and guess how? Pharmaceuticals"
However it was later revealed that Bills aegations were false and that he had lied to the police to hide his own involvement into Dr Duprey's death. Mr Branson's actions, however, only lead the police more towards him, as his constant lying and over-helpfullness in the case only conveys his need to hide his crime and deflect the the investigation from himself.
Furthermore; the actions of the other characters also lead the authorities to the truth of the murder. Frank Duprey, Diana's husband lied about his events on the night of Diana's death. He failed to mention that he had had an argument with Diana on the night of her death as he was discussing some photos he had found of Megan in a sexually provocative manner. "...the fact was he did blame Diana for what he had seen online." He did not want Megan to find out these had been published on the internet and so did not tell the police . However, Megan did not know this and when she found out that her father had not been honest with her, she found herself wondering whether or not he could kill his own wife.
The main investigating officer into Diana Duprey's death was Huck Ledger, during the course of the inquisition into her mother's murder Megan finds herself growing more and more fond of Mr Ledger. Over time their mutual feelings of desire develop into a sexual relationship. " Huck looked at Megan, who was lying on his sofa, curled up with her head in the crook of her elbow....He knew this was against everything he'd been taught, but something told him it was going to be necessary to break the rules here." Continuing their relationship, as Huck knows, puts the case and his job in jeapordy, as Megan is still a suspect in her mother's death. However, neither can stop the relationship and it continues throughout the course of the novel.
In addition to Frank Duprey's sketchy alibi, there was still the possibility that Diana's death could have been committed by an anti-abortionist. Dr Duprey's work as Director of 'The Center for Reproductive Choice' plagued her with may enemies. There were constant protesters, obscene phone calls and death threats; almost daily. One such extremist was a father who begged Diana to perform a termination on his daughter, Rose, as she was only fifteen years old and the baby's father was a Reverand. However, Rose insisted to Diana that a termination was not what she wanted to do and so against her father's pleas Diana refused to end the young girl's pregnancy. "I don't push women into having abortions.....I just push the reset button but only if they need me."
Throughout the case of Diana Duprey's death and the development of the characters lives, it is revealed that Bill Branson murdered Mrs Duprey as an act of revenge to punish Megan for the end of their relationship and to berate Dr Duprey for ending his 'friendship' with her. "...Her legs floated away from her. Her arms dissolved. Bullets sprayed from her eyes as he yanked hard, one final time. The last thing she saw was the water, sparkles above her head, the color green, columns of bubbles rising away from her."
Hyde's careful use of sentence structure conveys the pattern of Diana's death. The two short sentences convey the panic and desperate fight for survival, where the final long sentence with much pausing portrays the end of hope and the slow passing of her life. Ironically, considering the brutality of the way Diana was murdered "he grabbed her ponytail and whipped her around....he gave her kneck another snap with enough force that the back of her head hit the side of the pool...he held her under while she flailed around gasping for air" Hyde manages to make her death peaceful almost calm with the use of words such as "sparkles... green...bubbles." Perhaps the attitude that Hyde displays towards Diana's death is a reflection on the way Diana herself viewed death. She does not go into great detail to Dr Duprey's murder and describes it a soothing manner as opposed to the morbid nightmare it is often depicted as.
In conclusion, The Abortionists Daughter discusses, in detail many issues all plagued with the under-lying themes of truth and deception. Diana Duprey is a character who forces the reader to evaluate their own views about abortion and whether they agree or disagree with the use of terminating surgery. Hyde's use of language and sentence structure displayed to reflect the situation makes the book a gripping and emotional read. I would definately recommend this book to people who like a compelling book, as it is not only enjoyable but thought - provoking as well.

Class Trip

Looonndddooooonnnnnnnnnnnn BABY!







Essay will be with you momentarily...maybe.

Graham

Lord Of The Flies – William Golding

“Lord of the Flies” by William Golding centers around a conflict between two of the main characters, Jack and Ralph. This essay will look at how the conflict eventually ends in tragedy for most of the people on the island, using the writer’s use of symbolism and the characterisation of the two characters.


The novel tells the story of a group of English schoolboys whose plane crashes on an uninhabited island whilst being evacuated from England. The boys elect Ralph as their leader, and Jack and his choir as hunters. Some of the younger boys worry about a beast which they claim to have seen in the trees. The group start a fire to attract attention from passing ships, however, it burns out of control, killing one of the younger boys. Ralph sees a ship on the horizon one day and runs up to the top of the mountain to find that the fire has gone out. He is angry at the hunters because they were supposed to keep the fire burning, but they were too busy hunting pigs.


One night, Sam and Eric are keeping the fire burning, when they hear a noise in the trees. It is a dead parachutist that has landed on the island, but because it is dark, they do not know this and think it is the beast. They go back to the camp to tell the group and Ralph, Jack and Roger go off to find it.


The group eventually splits in two. Jack and his hunters, along with a few other boys, set up camp on the rocks, whilst the rest of the group stay at the beach. The hunters attack Piggy and steal his glasses. In an attempt to get them back, Piggy is killed by a rock which Roger pushes off the cliff above him. Ralph runs back to the beach to find a naval officer who has come to rescue them.


Golding uses lots of symbolism in the novel, and many of these symbolic objects are related to the conflict. Firstly, the conch is the shell that Ralph uses to call meetings. At these meetings, only the person holding the conch can speak, so it symbolises order, democracy and leadership. “I’ll give the conch to the next person to speak. He can hold it when he’s speaking.” Jack and Ralph are fighting for leadership in the novel, fighting for control of the conch. This conflict is the starting point for the chaos which leads to the tragedies.


Piggy’s glasses are used to start the fire. “His specs – use them as burning glasses!” Without these, there would be no fire, meaning no food and no rescue, therefore meaning survival. The fire is what cause the first death on the island; the death of the boy with the birthmark. After the boys split in two, Piggy’s glasses are stolen by Jack’s group so they can use them to light fires. This leads to Piggy’s death when he tries to retrieve them. His glasses therefore symbolise life and death.


The “beast” and the pigs head – or Lord of the Flies – both symbolise power and the veil that is present in all of us. Simon talks with the Pig’s head as if it understands him and talks back to him, and realises that the boys are scared of the beast because it exists in all of them. “There isn’t anyone to help you. Only me. And I’m the beast. Fancy thinking the beast was something you could hunt down and kill! You knew didn’t you? I’m part of you?” It’s this evil in the boys which leads to the chaos that results in the deaths.


As the story unfolds, the conflict between the two main characters intensifies, eventually ending in them leading their own separate tribes.
Ralph is a kind, fair-minded character, who immediately takes the role of leader. “We’re having a meeting. Come and join in.” This is not because he wants to boss people around, but because he knows that if they are going to be stuck on the island for a long time, there will need to be some order and authority. “We ought to have more rules.” This shows he is doing all he can to retain peace and keep everything running smoothly.


Jack is quite the opposite of Ralph. He is arrogant and violent and it would seem that Golding has created Jack with the intention of making the reader dislike the character. He is the leader of anarchy on the island, and the leader of the savage tribe which hunts the pigs. “He swung back his right arm and hurled it with all his strength.” This shows he is really determined to make his first kill. At the first meeting, he wants to be leader, but when Ralph is elected, “the freckles on Jack’s face disappeared under a blush of mortification.” This suggest he is probably used to being a leader, as he is head boy at his school, and does not like it when someone has more power than him. The fact the he feels power when he has a weapon in his hand shows that he a violent character. “Slammed his knife into the trunk and looked around him challengingly.”


At the start of the novel, Jack and Ralph seem to get along quite well, and work as a team. “Jack and Ralph smiled at each other with shy liking.” However, as the story goes on, the difference in personality becomes apparent. The first sign of conflict between the two comes when Ralph and Simon are building shelters at the beach, and Jack is out hunting pigs. Ralph is annoyed that nobody is helping them with the huts and confronts Jack in a very civilised manner. “You wouldn’t mind helping with the shelters, I suppose?” Jack however, replies in a very violent aggressive manner. “Suddenly Jack shouted in rage “Are you accusing me-?”


This clash in personality between Jack and Ralph is the main cause of the conflicts and Golding has used symbolism and characterisation very well to convey this idea.

"Jane Eyre"

Higher Specialist Study
“Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Bronte

“Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Bronte is a powerful and passionate story about a young woman’s search for independence and a chance to find true happiness. Her relationship with her master, Edward Rochester is central to the story. Their passionate love for each other is `effectively shown by Bronte’s use of beauty. Neither Jane nor Rochester are physically attractive. This is crucial to the story because it allows the reader to become completely absorbed in the characters emotional and internal feelings. It truly allows the reader to understand the deep, passionate love that these people have for each other without differing to their physical beauty. It also raises the theme that internal beauty is more important than external. Bronte effectively achieves this by her use of characterisation, plot and settings.

Jane Eyre is an incredibly kind character who has a strong sense of duty and pride. However, Jane herself is not physically attractive. She describes herself as “poor, obscure, plain and little.” She has a beautiful heart though which allows her to look beyond the physical beauty and see inside a person’s soul. As the book is written entirely through her perspective Bronte captures the pure love that Jane has for Rochester. We can see her immediate reactions when she sees him: I did not think I should tremble this way when I saw him- or lose my voice or power of motion in his presence.” Bronte manages to show the depth of Jane’s love for her master. As he is not handsome, we are never under the illusion that Jane is attracted to him because of his looks. It is his kindness, passion and soul that attracts her and makes their love even stronger. A perfect example of this is when she is commenting about his physical appearance: “were not beautiful according to rule, but they were more than beautiful to me: they were full of interest that quite mastered me.” Here, Jane is able to find the beauty in Rochester that others would never notice. This also shows how perfect Rochester and Jane are together. Her reaction to her own external beauty also changes when Rochester proposes to her. The happiness she feels inside is reflected in her face: “it was no longer plain: There was hope in its aspect and life in its colour.” Her complete happiness is shown in her rise in self esteem. Another beautiful trait of Jane’s is that never changes herself. She resists Rochester’s attempts to glamorise her insisting “jewels for Jane Eyre sounds unnatural and strange.” Jane’s turning point in the story is her decision to flee Thornfield. An important part of Jane’s internal beauty is her passion. We are shown her powerful struggles with her passion and conscience. When Jane tells Rochester of her decision to leave the powerful struggle is shown so effectively that the reader truly believes Jane will abandon her moral convictions and run away with him: “physically, I felt, at that moment, powerless.” However Jane stays true to herself and leaves. This is another sign of Jane’s beautiful nature. She is strong willed and is influenced by no-one. “Jane Eyre” effectively shows the life changing journey of this young woman. Bronte uses beauty to show the passion of Jane’s heart and her innermost thoughts and feelings. Jane is the most perfect example of showing that inner beauty is more important than external.

The other main character in “Jane Eyre” is the dark and mysterious Edward Fairfax Rochester. His character changes throughout out the novel which also increases the reader’s appreciation for the text. When Jane first meets him he appears to be vain, asking her if she thinks he is attractive. He is a broken and lonely man and it is through his pure love for Jane that he returns to the man he once was. However, even when they are engaged, Rochester doesn’t fully understand the true beauty of Jane’s heart. He still focuses on the physical side to her by trying to make her look more attractive. He believes that spoiling her will increase her love for him because he himself is not physically attractive. Despite Jane’s resistance “he would yet see me glittering like a parterre.” He believes he has the power to change Jane. Rochester’s actions towards Jane and Bertha can be condemned but Bronte uses his passionate love for Jane to redeem himself. His explanation for his actions allows the reader to fully understand how much he loves Jane and how much he risked to have her: “Every atom of your flesh is as dear to me as my own.” In an ironic twist, it is only when Rochester loses his sight that he can fully see the beauty that is inside Jane. He can’t believe that Jane would still care for him and would want to marry him: “A crippled man, twenty years older than you whom you will have to wait on.” Rochester is a perfect example that beauty does not bring you happiness. His first wife had great external beauty but she was deceitful, insane and brought him tremendous hardship. It is only when he meets Jane that he realises what true happiness can bring. He is a better and more contended man disabled because he now sees the true merits and beauty of his love. The reader’s appreciation of the novel is greatly increased because it shows the internal transformation of a man who managed to look past what he saw on the outside and to feel the beauty of people on the inside.

The plot in this novel also explores the idea of beauty by introducing characters who have external beauty but who are cruel. Blanche Ingram is a rival of Jane’s for Rochester’s affections. She is the complete opposite of our heroine. She is stunningly beautiful: “The noble bust, the sloping shoulders, the graceful neck were all there.” However she has no internal beauty, being spiteful and arrogant. She is used by Bronte to show one of Rochester’s faults- his love of external beauty. We are led to believe that Rochester has fallen in love with Blanche, while all the time it was only Jane he truly loves. Miss Ingram also shows Rochester’s arrogance as he believes he can prove that Jane loves him. At this point in the novel we are seeing the beginning of a change in Rochester but it also shows that he is not yet Jane’s equal in internal beauty. He fully redeems himself in his action towards the Thornfield fire. It showed his lack of selfishness and his loss of arrogance. When Jane leaves Thornfield she also grows as a stronger person. Her time with the River’s family allows her to grow in independence and confidence therefore when she returns to Rochester she is now his match is power and passion. Bronte uses Jane’s departure from Thornfield to further the internal characteristics of our lovers. Their internal beauty is now equal and they are able to appreciate and love each other more.

Another technique that Bronte uses to personify the theme of beauty is the settings of “Jane Eyre”. Jane’s feelings about Thornfield and Moor House show another characteristic of her beautiful nature. Thornfield Hall is described by Jane as a “gentleman’s manor.” However for such a young age, Jane is not fazed or intimidated by living in such grand surroundings. This shows her maturity and confidence. It is only until the arrival of Mr Rochester however that Jane feels any warm appreciation of the house. When he leaves she feels sadness towards the place: “vague suggestions kept wondering across my brain of reasons why I should quite Thornfield.” This is a crucial point in the story because it is the first sign of Jane’s feelings towards Rochester. It also shows that the inside of the house is more important the its external appearance. Thornfield Hall may be grand and attractive but the inhabitants are unhappy. The point is further highlighted by Jane’s attitudes towards Moor House. Another characteristic of Jane’s beautiful nature is that she doesn’t care about style or riches. She is comfortable in her new home. This is shown when she says “a charm both potent and permanent.” This quote shows she enjoys the simpler pleasures in life and she can’t be bought by riches and jewels- another beautiful characteristic.

Charlotte Bronte has successfully convinced the reader of Jane and Rochester’s love by her use of beauty. We do not pay attention to their physical appearance but are drawn and become fully connected with their internal feelings. The lack of external beauty in our lovers is extremely important because it leaves their raw emotions completely exposed. Bronte also manages to create an inspirational role model in her heroine. She shows that in being true to yourself, happiness can be achieved. She didn’t have to be stunningly beautiful to capture his heart and it is all the more satisfying when she can finally say “Reader, I married him.”

By Katie Nicol 5M3

Jonathan Holt

The Bell Jar Critical Review Jonathan Holt

“The Bell Jar” by Sylvia Plath was originally written under a pseudonym in 1936. This book follows a young woman named Esther Greenwood through her unsteady life and takes you through an “emotional rollercoaster” as you become more intrigued by Esther and her strange thoughts. The novel is one which centres around a personal and emotional journey. This study will examine how the author’s use of aspects such as structure helps to convey a journey taking place.


The structure used conveys the state of mind of the main character. Throughout the text Sylvia uses a stream of consciousness narrative, a form of first person narration. This allows the reader to see the whole novel through our protagonist’s perspective, Esther Greenwood. This is portrayed within the structure of the novel. Esther skips from talking in the present tense to talking in the past tense, “Buddy Willard was a hypocrite. Of course, I didn’t know her was a hypocrite at first. I thought he was the most wonderful boy I ‘d ever seen.” This shows the reader that Miss Greenwood is somewhat living in the past, reliving her life with each thought that she has. This continues throughout the novel until Esther realises that she is fortunate to have overcome her deep state of depression and she begins to live each day as it comes. This transformation shows that Esther is realising the value of life and day by day a journey is taking place.

Throughout the novel Miss Greenwood’s life changes immensely and the factor which overcomes the biggest change is her outlook on life as a whole. At the beginning of the novel Esther feels that she is wasting many opportunities and feels that she has no power to change this, “I guess I should have been excited the way most of the other girls were, but I couldn’t get myself to react.” This shows that Esther is realising that she isn’t enjoying he experience fully but she fails to repair that downfall. “But here I was, sitting back and letting it run through my fingers like so much water.” Once again Miss Greenwood realises that she may be wasting one of the biggest opportunities that she is ever going to get but she still fails to repair her pessimistic attitude towards life.
By the middle of the novel Esther becomes very depressed and she even becomes incapable of doing day to day activities, “I can sleep. I can’t read. I tried to speak in a cool, calm way, but the zombie rose up in my throat and choked me off.” This quote shows that Esther is starting to understand that her life isn’t normal and she wants some type of help but something inside her is stopping her from getting it. During her deep state of depression Miss Greenwood sees many doctors, “I hated him the minute I walked in the door.” By passing her judgement so quickly, Esther shows that she isn’t willing to give anyone the chance to give her any type of aid, confirming that she feels that no one can do anything to help her and that she knows best.
By the end of the novel Miss Greenwood realises that she cannot recover from depression on her own and is admitted into a mental asylum. Throughout her time there here negative, depressive attitude changed into one which was happy and somewhat optimistic. Whilst in the mental asylum Esther realises that it is winter and she makes the comment, “The heart of winter,” which shows that she is looking at things in a positive manner. Whilst having a conversation with her old friend Buddy she says, “Oh Buddy, I laughed, I’m alright,” showing that she is on the road to recovery and is embracing it. Esther also shows that she is her own person and no one can interfere wither her life when she says, “I was perfectly free,” showing that she is in charge of her own well-being. The reader knows that Miss Greenwood has made an amazing transformation when she says, “There ought, I thought, be a ritual for being born twice,” proving to the reader that she feels like she is getting a second chance in life and she is embracing it with open arms. This immense change in her attitude from the start of the novel to the end shows how far Esther has come and shows the reader her long, hard journey to recovery.

In the novel there are many references to graphic imagery which shows the reader how Esther deals with the many problems which occur throughout her life. These mainly occur in the middle of the novel when Esther is dealing with her depression. The very first graphic references that Esther uses are fairly mild, “I thought drowning must be the kindest way to die, and burning the worst.” She uses these remarks when she is interacting in everyday conversations and they get worse as the book goes on, “If you were going to kill yourself, how would you do it ?” This simple question escalates out of control and Miss Greenwood puts it into use when she begins to self harm herself, “I had locked myself in the bathroom, and run a tub full of warm water, and taken out a Gillette blade.” She takes her self harming to the next level when she tries to take an overdose of pills, “I unscrewed the bottle of pills and started taking them swiftly, between gulps of water, one by one.” The reader then realises that Esther is deeply suicidal and begins to fear for her health. When Esther finally allows doctors to intervene the disturbing graphic images which she used to have slowly began to disappear and by the end of the novel they disappear completely. This shows the reader that mentally Miss Greenwood has overcome so much, and has taken a mentally straining journey.

When it came to Esther’s illness, she felt rather embarrassed about asking for help and this is shown through the conversations in the novel. This is shown when Miss Greenwood is requesting some more medication and she fails to give each character a title, showing the reader that she is there in body but not in mind,
“You say you want more sleeping pills ?”
“Yes.”
“But the ones I gave you last week are very strong.”
“They don’t work anymore.”
This quote also shows that Esther is using the pills as a “security blanket”, as if they will solve all of her problems which is not the case. By the end of the novel Esther shows that she is comfortable with her illness whilst having a conversation with a close friend, “Oh Buddy, I laughed, I’m alright.” This shows the reader that Miss Greenwood had noticed that her illness is a part of her and she is doing all that she can to overcome it, so there is no need for any embarrassment. This shows a personal journey taking place one which is both metal and physical.

Throughout the novel the reader becomes very attached to Esther and feels as if they know her personally. The journey which Miss Greenwood takes is both mentally and emotionally straining for her and the reader admires her great transformation from a girl who was once very pessimistic and felt that she could do nothing to change her life for the better, to a strong young woman who by the end of the novel has gained much admiration from the reader. The transformation made by Esther no doubt helped her everyday life but it made her a stronger person and someone who appreciated life and the people around her.

Steven Thomson

The full text of 'The Time Machine' is available here, for anyone who wants to read it - The Time Machine







‘The Time Machine’, by H G Wells, is a novel with a dramatic and unexpected ending, one which was created using unusual methods of narration and characterisation. This essay will explain how the dramatic effect was achieved with reference to the aforementioned methods.


The opening chapter of ‘The Time Machine’ begins with the narrator talking directly to the reader, introducing the character of ‘the Time Traveller’ and his intention to travel through time. At this point, the only character with a name is one of the associates present at the meeting, an ‘argumentative man with red hair’ known as Filby; all others present are referred to by their job titles (‘Medical Man’, ‘Provincial Mayor’, ‘the Psychologist’) only. No information is given by the narrator about the characters, and only their words and actions during the meeting are available to the reader to formulate opinions on these characters. This style of narration continues up until the third chapter, with the narrator’s thoughts visible to the reader, and descriptions of peoples’ actions as they go about their business.


At this point, the narrator is sitting in the Time Traveller’s house, waiting for him to begin his tale. From this point, until the twelfth chapter where this story ends, and other than a brief moment in the seventh chapter where the Time Traveller provides his listeners with what he believes to be proof, the narrator simply relays the words of the Time Traveller to the reader; no extraneous thoughts or actions are present, and the text presented to the reader is solely comprised of the Time Traveller’s words, his description of what he said, how he felt, what he did and what he saw during the eight days he had lived while the others in the room had traversed a mere few hours. During this section, the narrator is still talking to the reader, and the Time Traveller is talking to the narrator. Since this section is so long, however, and without anything to act as a reminder of the existence of the narrator, the reader inevitably forgets, and thinks of the Time Traveller as narrating the tale, and talking directly to the reader. When the Time Traveller finishes telling his tale, the narrator reverts back to conveying his own thoughts to the reader, and then, almost without warning, the book ends, leaving the reader with very little time in which to remember that the narrator, not the Time Traveller, is the one telling the tale, and enables the ending to catch the reader unawares; after hearing the Time Traveller’s tale in its entirety told from the perspective of the Time Traveller himself, the last thing the reader expects is for the ending to reveal that the Time Traveller’s fate is unknown, and that he ‘vanished three years ago. And, as everybody knows now, he never returned’.


Having so casually revealed (or not, depending on the point of view the reader chooses to adopt with reference to the subject matter, which is very much an individual preference) the fate of the Time Traveller, the narrator closes the novel with a brief epilogue, during which he influences the reader’s perceptions with some of his own opinions and questions on the fate of the Time Traveller, and his own disposition towards the idea of travelling through time. It is at this point that the reader glimpses the narrator’s personality; before this point in the novel, the narrator merely relayed the words and actions of others to the reader, seldom pausing to relay his own philosophical views, and instead choosing simply to describe the actions happening in the room around him, describing the opinions of other listeners present in the room and often neglecting to inform the reader of his own opinions, and so there is not a great deal of evidence on which to base any assumptions about his personality. In contrast, the Time Traveller himself provides much of the evidence needed to make assumptions about his personality through the way he tells his tale, and the actions and thoughts he describes throughout. Together with the brief descriptions and inferred information about him, the Time Traveller’s own tale helps to build up his character substantially, as the narrative makes it seem as though the Time Traveller is talking directly to the reader during the section where he tells of his experience; this provides a connection with the reader, and the reader sympathises with the Time Traveller, and wants him to emerge triumphant, and his obvious talent and intelligence to receive the recognition that it deserves. Instead, his tale is ridiculed by a series of disturbed men who would rather live a lie than put in the requisite effort to progress their understanding of the truth; the reader sympathises with the Time Traveller as his hard work is rejected, again strengthening the bond between the Time Traveller and the reader. This sense of sympathising with him is helped by the narrator’s own opinion that the story was plausible, subtly influencing the reader to believe the same thing.


In conclusion, the ending takes the reader by surprise, and the sense of having the Time Traveller tell the story is heightened by the lack of details given about the extraneous characters, such as the Editor, and the Journalist; the only character whose personality is explored in any great detail is the Time Traveller, and as such, the only character who the reader feels any form of emotional bond with is the Time Traveller; leaving his fate unknown is a cliffhanger of sorts, and is a completely unexpected twist to a tale in a world in which the hero/heroine almost always surmounts insurmountable odds with seemingly no effort required on their part. It’s far from predictable, and provides a genuinely shocking twist to the tale that provokes thought on the reader’s part, and raises all sorts of questions about the nature of that elusive illusion known as time, as well as delivering both a message and a warning of the future; even in a future where humans no longer exist, and ‘when mind and strength had gone, gratitude and a mutual tenderness still lived on in the heart of man.’

Danielle Malinen

“The Wasp Factory” By Iain Banks

Statement of Intent:

This study will examine how the story’s twists ensure that your interest is held until the end, and how this leads to a deeper appreciation of the text as a whole, by discussing the writer’s use of structure, characterisation and theme.

“The Wasp Factory” By Iain Banks is a gripping and unforgettable story, written in first person narrative and told from the perspective of sixteen year old Frank Cauldhame. The story is set over twelve days and each day is dealt with in separate chapters. There are many twists in the novel including the major twist at the end which ensures the readers interest is held until the end.

Throughout the book Banks deliberately leaves key points out so as the reader is left wondering things about Frank and it does not all come together until the end. For example in the novel Frank is always referring to an accident he had when he was a child, but the reader doesn’t find out until midway through the book. Then we find out that Frank had is genitals bitten off by a dog, earlier on in the novel he says: “I hate having to sit down in the toilet all the time. With my unfortunate disability I usually have to, as though I was a bloody woman, but I hate it. Sometimes in the Cauldhame Arms I stand up at the urinal, but most of it ends up running down my hands or legs.” Banks often leaves it to the readers imagination to come up with a scenario for what the problem may be, by dropping subtile hints thoughout the novel. He does this to keep the reader engaged in the novel and urging them to read on to find out the truth.

After reading the novel, all of the pieces of the puzzle come together, when the reader finally finds out the major twist in the novel. That Frank is actually a girl and his father used her for a scientific experiment to prove that people can swap genders. Which is a huge shock because at the start of the novel Frank makes it clear to the reader his hatred towards women, which is extremely ironic as he turns out to be one. The structure of the novel is an important part of ensuring the reader is kept in the dark. Throughout the novel Frank receives phonecalls from his brother Eric who has escaped from a mental hospital. Every phonecall ends leaving the reader hanging, you never find out too much information in these calls: “Hello, Eric. Where are you?’ ‘Here! Where are you?’ ‘Here.’ ‘If we’re both here, why are we bothering with the phone?’ ‘Tell me where you are before your money runs out.’ ‘But if you’re here you must know. Don’t you know where you are?’ He started to giggle.” But they encourage the reader to read on hoping they will find out something important in the next call.

The character Frank leads the reader to believe different things and also manages to hide certain things from the reader, such as the accident with the dog. The character of Frank contributes majorly to the shocking ending of the book, as throughout he is seen as a strong and powerful boy, who will not let anything stand in his way. But at the end the reader sees a more vunerable side to him after he is emotionally distraught by finding out he is actually a girl. Frank has two sides to his personality, he can be eloquent: “I told her she might get a chance, though of course I would have the ultimate control” yet on the other hand he can be rather juvenile: “I built a big kite”. Frank’s father is the least developed character in the novel and you form an opinion on him based on what Frank chooses to tell the reader about him. Banks makes the character of Eric to seem insane, but the reader is unaware as to why that is. Firstly Banks tells the reader about all of the horrible things Eric has done such as burn and eat dogs, he does this to grab the readers attention and to make them want to read on to find out why Eric is the way he is. Banks perhaps portrays Eric as insane to drift the readers mind off of Frank, so as they will not guess the twist at the end.

There are many different themes in the novel, such as identity, cruelty, secrets and the relationship between father and son. Frank portrays his father as a dishonest and ambiguous man. Banks creates their relationship as being one which is very deceptive, especially on Frank’s fathers behalf, which is one of Banks’ central themes. At the end when we find out Frank is a girl Banks forces the reader to form new sentiments about Frank. The reader only knows what Frank tells them, so we don’t know the secrets his father has been keeping from him. The reader is always aware that his father is keeping a secret but want to read on to find out what it is. Frank’s identity is crucial in the novel, as it is the major thing that is being pin pointed in the book. Initially the reader believes he is a boy then later find out he’s a girl, this is a turning point for the narrator as he has to redefine himself as a woman.

To conclude, the fact that Banks has kept the reader in the dark throughout the novel, makes it more enjoyable and contributes to my appreciation of the text because at the end when you find out that Frank is actually a girl, you realise that there have been many hints thrown to you throughout the novel but you were just to blind to see it. Banks often reveals many twists in the book, so you as the reader are not expecting anything outrageous as the main character turning out to be a girl.


By Danielle Malinen 5G1