Another difference between the chapters is that things which either Joe or Jed does in Chapter 2 would be construed very differently by Chapter 7. For instance, the quotation, ‘this was when I noticed Jed Parry watching me.’ Would be taken very differently in Chapter 7 as by then both the reader and Jed understands that, ‘this glance’ was much more powerful to Joe than Jed for it was Jed’s first, ‘bloom’ of love for Joe. Additionally, Joe would have behaved differently if he had known Jed’s love too for he even goes as far as to say, ‘I felt I could include him in the self-congratulatory warmth’.
In Chapter 2 Jed’s love is just at its first stages, ‘Everything, every gesture, every word I {Joe} spoke was being stored away,’ but by Chapter seven Jed’s love has grown to a full-grown obsession.
The focus in the two chapters is different as well. In chapter 2 the focus was on the death of John Logan with the sub text pointing to the love of Jed, however, in Chapter seven the focus has changed to the relationship between Joe and Jed.
Already, in chapter 2 the reader can understand that Joe is getting slightly annoyed with Jed, ‘my silence was hostile.’ So, like Jed’s love for Joe grows through the chapters, Joe’s annoyance with Jed also grows. In this chapter too it is apparent that the two men have very different objectives. Joe was interested in John Logan and what had happened to him but Jed, ‘was more interested in me {Joe}.’
In Chapter 2 Joe is very descriptive about Jed, ‘He wore jeans and box-fresh trainers tied with red laces.’ The reader interprets this fine detail into an interest for Jed. Conversely, in Chapter seven Joe isn’t as interested in the fine details and he views Jed in a very diverse light {he certainly isn’t interested in him anymore.} ‘He appeared smaller, all knobs and bones, no longer the sleek Indian brave,’ Jed also acts a lot less confident than before. He appears fidgety and a lot less sure of himself, ‘When he {Jed} saw me {Joe} he took his hands out of his pockets, folded his arms, then let them droop.’
A last evident difference is that in Chapter 2 the reader doesn’t actually know that Jed’s interesting Joe will grow to an obsession, as there are only pointers to suggest a love, whereas in Chapter seven there is direct conversation telling us from Jed himself that he is in love.
There are also a number of similarities between the two chapters. The most ironic being that Joe misunderstands Jed in some way in both chapters. In Chapter 2, Joe doesn’t realise that Jed is harbouring a secret love and in chapter seven Joe decides that he, ‘had translated farce into indefinable menace.’ And this made Joe speak to Jed with, ‘kindness.’
An additional mistake that Joe repeatedly made was that he just couldn’t turn away from Jed. In chapter 2 he describes the fact that he has to answer Parry’s questions as, ‘irresistible’ and in Chapter seven he admits that,’ he should have walked on, but his intensity held me.’ And this is the same for Jed as, ‘He really didn’t want to let me {Joe} go.’
In conclusion, I have decided that the way Joe treats Jed from the beginning, being unconsciously kind, is tragic but not his fault. This kindness clearly fuelled Jed’s love but Joe could not have foreseen this.
In Chapter 2 there is also a sense that Joe ‘loves’ himself, ‘I read the fractional widening of the young man’s eyes as respect. It was what I felt for myself anyway’, and perhaps this is what the ‘timid’ Jed finds so endearing about Joe to start with.
