The Machine Gunners
The Machine Gunners English Essay During his lifetime, Robert Westall has published over thirty books. His first book, The Machine Gunners won the Carnegie Medal in 1975. The author grew up during the Second World War also the book's setting so his novel, "The Machine Gunners" echoes the author's experiences and feelings of the war but the book's plot and location are fictional. The book and plot are based around the finding of a spoil of war, crashed among a German's plane ruin, a boy named Chas discovers a machine gun. The book follows Chas and his friends as they cleverly outwit their families and the law. Their maturity in their decisions and a sense of realism grips the reader. The book's plot outlines Chas's schemes which start when he finds a shot down German plane complete with a working machine gun. Chas's idea of turning this against the Germans leads him to steal the gun and build a fortress with it. Then come the clever plans to gain allies and a location for their haven. Whilst this, they (Chas and his friends) also outwit the police who are suspicious of their activities. The plot twists as a German survivor is found, clues linking them to the machine gun are found and a possible invasion is imminent. The author's skill in the description of action scenes is particularly attractive. The way he cleverly uses metaphors casts a effective image inside the
Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time
How far do you agree that "Curious Incident" is a traditional murder mystery, discuss?, Now on first look basis, i'd say not very, i wouldn't describe it as a traditional murder mystery for the due fact that it's not in every novel, were offered such a deep insight into the life and daily processes of a "Aspergers" sufferer that one would never deem such a story "traditional", would they ? In Personal Opinion, Christopher's book begins as a mystery novel about the murder of his neighbor's dog, but as Christopher's investigation progresses, it comes to represent Christopher's search for the truth about his mother and father. As Christopher searches for clues about Wellington's murder, he finds evidence revealing that his father has been lying to him about his mother's death. Investigating Wellington's murder becomes an excuse for Christopher to uncover the secrets that Father has kept from him, and Father's deception acts as a crime in itself. Ultimately, we learn that Wellington's murder and Father's deception constitute separate parts of the same investigation. Father lied to Christopher in large part because of the feelings of loss and anger he felt when Christopher's mother left him. When Mrs. Shears broke off her affair with Father, those same lingering feelings of loss and anger caused him to lose control and kill Wellington. Christopher's search for the truth about
In death, Carlo is described as 'the perfect figure of the perfect man.' To what extent do you agree with this epitaph?
In death, Carlo is described as 'the perfect figure of the perfect man.' To what extent do you agree with this epitaph? The word 'perfect' is defined in the Chamber's Dictionary as 'complete in all essential elements...faultless.....flawless.' When put into the context of 'the perfect man', we are immediately presented with a problem; ideas as to what characteristics represent the 'complete' man vary throughout history, between cultures and between classes within some cultures. 'Captain Corelli's Mandolin' is set in a Mediterranean culture mediated through the perspective of a late twentieth century English novelist. Mediterranean culture, even now, when we have extensive global communications, remains significantly more orientated towards a 'traditional' ideal of male perfection: the male as provider, defender, ruler - both of the family and of society, physically strong, fearless and courageous. In contemporary Britain, the influence of feminism and social trends have eliminated the image of the dominant male, and ideas of perfection would tend to focus more on moral courage and sensitivity. There is therefore an inherent tension between the way in which an individual character in the novel would be perceived by his contemporaries and how the author and we, as readers, filter our preconceptions. One crucial implicit assumption common to both periods is that the majority
Compare Junot Diaz's use of narrative techniques to present the alienation of the characters in the collection of short stories Drown and the novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
Compare Junot Diaz's use of narrative techniques to present the alienation of the characters in the collection of short stories "Drown" and the novel "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" In the novel "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao" and the short stories in "Drown", more than anything, Diaz creates a strong sense of alienation within his characters. Everything in the world he creates feels somehow detached from the characters, leaving an overwhelming feeling of 'otherness' for both the characters and the reader. Both of these semi autobiographical texts chronicle the lives of Dominican Americans as they struggle to find their place in society, offering honest glimpses into the self and the immigrant experience in the USA. The novel " Oscar Wao" details the family history of the main character, Oscar de Leon, from his grandfather's years spent under the dictator Trujillo in the Dominican Republic, to Oscar's days as an alienated "ghetto nerd at the end of the world" in Washington Heights, New Jersey. The loosely structured stories in "Drown" collectively tell the story of Yunior de las Casas, spanning across his childhood in the impoverished barrios of Santo Domingo, the immigration of his family to the USA, the setting of his troubled adolescence and isolated adulthood. One of the ways in which Diaz presents alienation within his characters is through his
Examine the theme of loneliness and isolation in M.R James stories
Examine the theme of loneliness and isolation in M.R James' stories In the early 20th Century, the Edwardian era was coming to an end, but the wealth and affluence of the upper classes still remained. With very little contact with the outside world, the rich became complacent and arrogant. Political tension was increasing in Europe, but the well-off took little notice, concerned exclusively in their own affairs. With plenty of time on their hands, people could indulge in the study of science, or spend long periods of time shut up in antiquarian libraries, devoted to furthering their intellectual prowess and pride and becoming self reliant. When not in the library, they had the time to go off on private walks, do independent field research, or any other solitary pursuit, as their pride meant that they did not need anyone for guidance. The affluent were slowly becoming less religious, as their new found passion for science led them to rationalise everything and deny spiritual existence, and their prosperity meant that there was little to look forward to in the afterlife. This also meant that certain people no longer had God to turn to, further isolating themselves. The effect of these changes in society was that scholarly men would spend long hours in loneliness and isolation, and this fact is what M.R. James utilizes to great effect in many of his stories, not only to make the
Describe How Frayn Presents Women In Spies
Describe how Frayn presents women in the text Those women who feature in Michael Frayn's 'Spies' are predominately presented to us through the eyes of the adolescent protagonist; Stephen, whose conflicting feelings relating to them are representative of his evolving maturity. His confusion is intensified by the fact that the women he encounters throughout the novel do not wholly conform to the social expectations one might assume of a 1940s wartime setting. We might also suppose that some degree of his ignorance toward the opposite sex is due to the lack of presence or least; acknowledgement, of his own mother whom he describes as 'so hopelessly ordinary'. Stefan ponders whether Stephen's dismissal of his own mother explains or even excuses his burgeoning adoration of Mrs Hayward, 'would he have perceived the grace and sincerity of Keith's mother quite so clearly if his own hadn't spent most of the day in a faded apron, sighing and anxious...?' Whilst it is clear from his initial references to the Hayward's that he considers them to be the quintessential family type, it is Mrs Hayward to whom he pays particular attention, his respectful appreciation soon developing into a lustful fixation. He dwells upon such details as her 'perfectly plucked eyebrows' and an impression is created of her as the alluring yet unattainable older female. This comes in stark contrast to the
regeneration coursework
Regeneration coursework-1006 words "When did your voice come back fully?" Samuels shrugged. "When did you realise you could communicate by speech?" Samuels shrugged. "Not sure." His voice was understandable enough, yet strange to River's ears. He sounded lost. "Why did you join the army?" Samuels shrugged. Rivers sighed. He had hoped that once Samuels got his voice back he would find out what had happened to him to shock him so. He had little hope of ever receiving his file; considering the circumstances. He could either not remember, or was unwilling to share his experience with him. Samuels had been at Craiglockhart for 4 weeks. For the last 2 weeks Samuels had been making little improvement with speech. The two weeks before, all he could muster were little oohs and occasional eek. "Sister Rogers tells me that you were screaming in your sleep last night, were you dreaming again?" Another shrug. Samuels was staring into the corner of the room, eyes stony, refusing to look at Rivers, barely acknowledging his presence. "Can you remember anything of why you came here?" Silence, then "I don't want to talk." "Samuels, I... " "May I leave? I don't want to talk." Captain Rivers walked into his room around 10:30pm, after finishing his rounds. He started to run his nightly bath. He found it impossible to relax without them. He walked into his office and set down
In A Passage to India the Marabar Hills and Caves possess a powerful symbolic force and resonance. Forster believed that they would have a central place in the novel. They were something to focus everything up. In light of this a
In A Passage to India the Marabar Hills and Caves possess a powerful symbolic force and resonance. Forster believed that they would have "a central place in the novel. They were something to focus everything up". In light of this assertion, examine the significance of the Marabar Caves. Forster's novel A Passage to India is based on his experiences of India during two visits he made: the first in 1912 during which he wrote the first seven chapters; the second in 1921 when he completed the novel. During the interim the First World War had taken place, which undoubtedly affected Forster's view on life and therefore the rest of the novel that includes the events in the Marabar Caves and the effects they have on the characters in the novel. After this war the Indians became more vocal about removing the British from India and resented them. India had been under British colonial rule for around one hundred and fifty years. It was during the latter part of the 19th century that a push was made by the Indians towards independence. As far as the British were concerned, the Indian people were an inferior race and should know their place in the British Empire. Forster was not a religious man; he believed in the importance of the human spirit and human relationships. His view, as he later expressed in 'Howard's End', was that human beings should "only connect." It was with this
What do you find noteworthy about the narrative voice in Spies?
Harry Elletson L6 HJC What do you find noteworthy about the narrative voice in Spies? The narrative voice in Spies has many different, stylistic and significant features about it, and changes a lot in the novel. The voice usually uses a lot of descriptive and suspenseful language, which often shapes the events to come. It's form, as I will discuss in the essay, changes from first person to third person quite regularly and finally, the structure of the novel is born out from the use of the narrative voice. There are four main features in which I take great interest that will be the focus point of my essay. These are the use of dual narrative, the use of the unreliable narrator and the continual use of irony. The dual narrative is a device used in which it includes both first person and third person, which of course is the form in which the novel takes. The novel begins with the use of first person, 'I have a feeling that something, somewhere, has been left unresolved', which clearly here is very basic and very common. The language he uses here is very mysterious and gripping, which continues in this chapter with, 'If I only I knew' and 'perhaps I'm the only who remembers'. In the second chapter, we are introduced to the third person narrative, with the narrator now referring to himself as 'Stephen Wheatley', which in my opinion, is a very unique way of constructing his
Analyse Barkers presentation of the love between men in the novel Regeneration.
Analyse Barkers presentation of the love between men in the novel 'Regeneration'. 'Regeneration' is a modern war novel written by Pat Barker and set in late 1917. The novel focuses on relationships at Craiglockhart hospital and follows the recovery of various officers including a range of fiction and non-fiction. One main theme that the novel focuses on is love between men as well as love between men and women during the war and suggests that the war allowed relationships between men to become closer whereas the relationships between men and women grew weaker. Barker uses a variety of characters to help the reader understand the change in relationships between men during the war and tackles the controversial issue of homosexuality at the time. Homosexuality plays an important role in 'Regeneration' and as it was not legalised until 1967 it was a very controversial issue at the time the novel was set. Homosexuality is candidly discussed in conversations between Rivers and Sassoon and Sassoon and Graves and seems to be a recurring theme throughout the novel. Barker uses Sassoon to present the key issues of homosexuality during the war and how it created a barrier in some peoples lives and was something that men had to hide throughout there life. She also uses him as a vehicle to explore how homosexuality was treated The way Barker presents