How does Robert Swindells make you feel sympathetic to the situation that homeless people find themselves?

The book makes you feel sorry for Link because at the start it shows you how he had no choice but to be homeless because of his stepdad Vince. At the start it showed you how nobody cared about him and how he couldn’t help for help or support. At first you think everything will be ok because his sister Carole helps him but the cliff-hanger makes you feel sorry as in the end he was still let down. You can also see how upset he was when he received a sleeping bag as it was a sign from his family saying he’s homeless.

The ending is quite sad because you feel upsetting knowing that most of the homeless will never get any better. I think he uses a bad ending to make people be more “aware” of the homeless and to make you even more he used a murder story. There’s also another bit at the last moment to make you so sympathetic when he finds out that Gail’s really a journalist.

In the book it shows how hard it is for Link to get a job. Its shows each day go past making you feel sorry he’s living rough because he’s waiting for a job opportunity. In the end he can’t find any and it shows him begging for money and how hard it is to encourage people to give and he describes them as: head-shakers, pocket-patters and shruggers. You feel sympathetic as these words are used.

Showing the publics opinion makes you sad as they have a negative opinion about the homeless. The author is trying to show you what you might be like and trying to give you a positive opinion about the homeless. He also tries to show that it’s very hard to ask for help as it’s like he’s “invisible”.