However, Kate overcomes her fears and tries to become brave, driving the bus away from the bridge she thinks that she is going to get away until she stalls the bus. After failing, Kate starts to give up and when she hears the noise of a gun being shot at Raymond is when she really turns to a side where there is no happiness. After she heard the shot, Kate kept repeating herself, for example, “Something, something else. Yes, yes. But what else? Nothing, nothing else. It was a gun and Raymond is dead.” This shows that Kate is in shock and is very disturbed.
Kate also had a caring side. Although Kate was not brave and could not stand up for herself, she still tries to protect and care for the children throughout the heart pumping experience. The chapter where Artkin was talking to Raymond about going for a trip outside, just for a walk to get some clean fresh air, Kate knew what was going to happen to Raymond, She knew they were going to kill him so Kate steps in the way and tries to defend the boy,” Take me instead, me. Not him.” This shows the reader that Kate is trying to be brave and caring by sticking up for the defenceless boy.
It has said that when Miro first meets Kate, he thought as her, as a, “Blonde, slender girl with hair like honey syrup.” This is a hint to the reader that Miro is developing some feelings for Kate, but Kate does not feel the same way back about Miro. Throughout the book, Miro keeps saying little things that tell the reader that Miro loves Kate. For example, “I’d expected sorry at least or some other time (after all, she was supposed to be in love with me, wasn’t she?)
Kate, even though people think that she is a dumb blonde, she is very smart. When she was planning to drive the bus away from the bridge, she tricked Miro into opening the bus door, “Couldn’t you open the door for a while? It’s getting a bit stifling in here.” When Miro pulled the key out of his pocket, he placed the key into the lock, turning it to unlock the bus. After Miro decided to take a walk quickly. He stepped outside. Took one slow pace after another then stopped. Kate quickly shut the door, ripped off the tape off the front window, took the key out of her shoe and turned the key to start the bus. Placed the gearshift into reverse and pressed her foot down on the accelerator as hard as she could. The whole plan was devious and cunning. Something you would not expect from Kate.
At the end of the novel, Kate dies. But it’s the way that Kate dies that really brings the book alive. Again we come back to the point of Kate’s bravery. At the chapter where Miro digs a gun into Kate’s chest to protect him, Kate struggles to save her life. She tries to talk Miro out of it by telling Miro That Artkin was his real father, “Artkin, He was your father, wasn’t he?” She said watching him closely, gauging his reaction.
“What makes you say that? You know nothing of us.”
“You look like father and son”
Sophie McGann
