“ You shall have and Aspirin dear. Mrs. Kingshaw jumped to her feet. I shall not make a favorite of my own son, she thought, especially as all the blame lies with him.” This quote shows the shallowness of Mrs. Kingsaw she believes Hopers lies because Kingshaw revolts to them which makes the incredible credible. Throughout the book Mrs. Kingshaw relationship becomes infertile and cold. Such as in the final chapter “ Now, it is all right Edmund dear, it’s all right, Mrs. Helena Kingshaw put an arm out towards Hooper and held him to her, You mustn’t look and be upset, every thing is all right.”
Mr., Hooper wanted a companion for Hooper, he thought it would make his childhood better than his own. As his own relationship with his father was cold, his father was unloving so Mr. Hooper is incompetent to look after his son. This is shown in the passage in Chapter four when he is unable to talk to his son on the train. We have sympathy for Mr. Hooper due to his past experiences but deep down we give him some of the blame for Hooper’s actions. Mr. Hooper does not know how to provide him with the attention, as other wise Hooper would be able to accept Kings haws warmth.
Your immediate reaction to the question is that Hooper contributed mostly to the final tragedy. I think this is true as Hooper acts like a virus; he picks on certain aspects of Kingshaws personality and attacks them until they shut down. Hooper refuses to respond to Kingshaws warmth, which makes Kingshaw feel intimidated. Hooper is a cold boy, he is unhappy so to find enjoyment he picks on Kingshaw, making the smallest inciedent such as the one in chapter two involving the crow, a powerful bulling scheme. When they are at Warnings Hooper is in his castle, you notice that his power is strongest in his own surroundings. In the beginning of the book Hooper climates any chance of them ever becoming friends with the small spiteful not dropped from the stairs reading” I did not want you to come here,” from that point on Hooper begins to follow the role a bully. Hooper is not an experienced but he enjoys learning his role because Kingshaw accepts to be the victim. Hooper is mad, the lack of love from his father has turned into hate, which he thrives on; in the last chapter when Kingshaw is found dead he enjoys the moment and feeling of Victory runs through him”. It was me, it was my fault.” Hooper also lies, his lies are so incredible but because Kingsaw revolts to them the parents believe Hooper. Such as after the episode in Hang wood, Hooper lies and says that Kingsaw pushed him into the pool “ “ It was him he pushed me!”
“ Don’t lie you baby.” The parents believed Hooper; their actions made Kingshaw feel even more unwanted. By chapter eleven Hooper has become addicted to bulling it has reached a new powerful level as Kingshaws isolation reaches a zenith. Hooper has finds new ways to trap Kingshaw in his own insecurity. “Hooper is born evil.” I think this because he truly believes he is not doing wrong as he becomes too addicted to break away. Hooper enjoys the bulling to such an extent because he himself is unstable and insecure and like many bullies, you can tell he is insecure because he has physical fears such as the fear of lighting, he becomes dependent, such as in Chapter seven in Hang wood Kingshaw becomes in control due to Hoopers fear.
Kingshaws death was his choice to help other and it was not his fault he had to make this decision. Due to Hopers bulling and his superficial mother he becomes isolated. Kingshaw is not a weak boy and even though he had the power to end the bulling the parents and the children inhabited two different worlds. Maybe Kingshaw thought that because he is only the housewife’s son and Hooper is the young master of the house he had to accept his role as the victim. Also because of the great amount of pressure that Mrs. Kingshaw places on him about her situation he may think that he does not have a right to complain. If you go back to the roots of the parents it shows that they both have not had a partner for a long time and a happy life. Mr. Hooper did not have a stable up bringing so there fore he is unable to provide one, or detect Hopers cry for attention. Mrs. Kingshaw is frightened of her own situation and wants to become further engrossed in her relationship with Mr. Hooper than the one with her son. I think Hooper contributed mostly to the death of Kingshaw even though the fault of a child really lies upon the parents. Hooper could have tried to make friends with Kingshaw but all he really wanted was some fun, Victory and attention. The parents were too shallow to realize this because they are to warped up in themselves. This lead to the final tragedy of |Kingshaws death.