Hannay describes his life differently when he goes on the run, he is forced into a life where he is in conflict with society. He has had to adapt to this way of life or face being charged with the murder of a British spy called Scudder. Buchan describes Scudder as a “slim man, with a short brown beard and small gimlety blue eyes.” This was a look that Hannay found “funny”, but he later found out it was a disguise. He told Hannay of a plan to kill a high rank politician, and then on returning home one day found Scudder “skewered to the floor with a long knife.” The word “skewered” suggests just how vicious Scudders enemy actually was, and this made Hannay feel insecure. Knowing he will be next on the killer’s list, he runs away into the “wilderness” of the Scottish Highlands. He has clues to who and why he is being chased, and who and why the politician is to be killed.
He has a small notepad he found on Scudder. It read:
“10:17, The 39 Steps”
Having little chance of the police believing him, he had to become a fugitive and abscond. Society becomes his enemy, as he knows he cannot trust anyone. This conflict becomes a main part of the story as it means there is no one who will believe him. Thus, Hannay is in solitude, and is an individual in conflict with society.
Hannay is the protagonist, the reader likes him, and therefore supports him and hopes that he will outrun his followers. Hannay has many tricks to prevaricate capture. For instance, he can take on various different identities from a “spectacled roadman” to a “milkman”. The reader also admires his bravery, for instance when he blows himself out of a cellar to flee from the Germans, and when his conflict with society ends, he confronts his enemies. A symbol of Hannays vulnerability is that of a circling monoplane, it is searching for him, and seems to always be following. “I did not like this espionage from the air” emphasises the reality that Hannay always had the threat of being caught.
The way in which we feel towards the other characters is also a main aspect of the story. With every story there is normally a villain the reader does not like. The head of the German spies is that character, he is only featured for a short time, but the anger and fear the reader feels towards him is incredibly strong:
“I found the card in my letter box, it bore the name of the man I least wanted to see on God’s earth.”
The German spies have already murdered Scudder. It is only when the reader comes across this dreaded man that they finally realise that everything said about him was true. This is when Hannay walks directly into the enemy’s hands.
“There was something about the old gentleman which puzzled and rather terrified me. He had been too easy and ready, as if he had expected me. And his eyes were horribly intelligent.”
This oxymoron shows how smart and dangerous the spy is. He was posing as a member of society-the old man who Hannay stayed with. The word “horribly” emphasises that the man is a grim enemy, and the word, “intelligent” highlights that he isn’t only deadly, but is smart and quick.
Hannay realises at this point what he is up against. He has been in so much of a rush to get away from his civilian pursuers that he has been skilfully fooled by the man who could “hood his eyes like a hawk”. The image of a hawk is effective as it builds up the idea that the German spy is very clever and astute, as he can hunt out his prey with ease from great distance. Hannay, in this instance, being the prey.
The setting of the story is also effective in the way that the reader sides with Hannay. The description of the Scottish highlands is as precise as one could get and the way that Hannay escapes over the mountains, putting enemies on false trails makes excellent reading.
“I pretend to retreat over the skyline, but instead I went back the way I came…from the ridge I had the satisfaction of seeing my pursuit streaming up the hill at the top of the glen on a hopelessly false scent.”
This gives the sense that he is being hunted down. Hannay manages to fend for himself in the Scottish wilderness. This is surprising given that he is being pursued the entire time, he can’t trust any one in society, the German monoplane is constantly following, and the fact that he is always on the move. Without Buchan’s descriptive writing, the novel could have never have been what it was. It was as if the setting as well as society was an enemy against Hannay.
Although, Hannay always managed to find a way out of danger because of the setting, and because he was always one step ahead of the others. There is an ironic, yet not surprising twist, that society later sides with Hannay. The theme also changes. Society is against against the Germans, and the police side with Hannay.
The novel of “The 39 steps” by John Buchan develops the theme of an individual in conflict with society. The first person narrative, the characters, and the setting all contribute to this theme.
A number of key themes are successfully conveyed in this very thrilling novel. Through his characterisation of protagonist Hannay, and clever use of setting, and point of view, John Buchan has, in “The 39 Steps”, given me various reasons to read more of his novels.
