School in the 1960’s is very different to the way school is in the present day. Billy was treated just as unfairly at school as he was at home even more. Billy was an intelligent young boy but was treated as a failure by pupils and teachers. Billy did find it hard to read and write, however when he wanted to read he could real perfectly. As he stole a Dandy magazine and read it without help ‘ Dan is going to a wedding. His nephew and niece are helping him get ready’ I believe the pressure of having to be good at reading and writing at school made him appear as though he was a ‘failure’. Also because nobody gave him a chance to show that he can read and write and just classed him as one who isn’t capable. Yet Billy was able to read a book on falconry and use the knowledge that he had learnt and put it all into teaching a falcon ‘Its smashing! I’ve been reading it all afternoon; I’m nearly halfway through already’. If there was a GCSE in falconry Billy would have been awarded an A grade, which would of really helped him in confidence and given him a more positive self image.
Billy was bullied throughout the book as he was seen as a misfit who didn’t belong in their gang, he was as a face without a name ‘At least I’ve got a father to bring up, that’s more than thar can say, Casper’ The school made him feel different and isolated from others which could be why the children acted the way they did towards him as the teachers were looked apon as role models. He didn’t have any friends however there was someone who believed in him, Mr Farthering who gave Billy his time, and didn’t look apon him as a failure but his own person. Mr Farthering’s method of teaching was different than the other teachers he didn’t stand and look down at his pupil's but ‘perched side saddled on the edge of the desk’ this shows that Mr Farthering wants to teach them on their level and to indicate that there isn’t a difference between him and his pupils. I believe that Mr Farthering had a better response from the children this way as he didn’t come across as being patronising, they listened and respected him thus he got results from ‘failures’ like Billy ‘Come on Kes! Come on then! Nowt happened at first, then just when I wa’ goin’to walk back to her, she came’. What I found about Mr Farthering is that he generally cared about his pupils ‘Yes I know. How many this time?’ ‘Two’ ‘Sting?’ Unlike the other teachers.
In one of Mr Farthering’s lessons Billy is asked to write ‘A Tall Story’ and I found it moving as he wrote about how he wished his life would be, a mother who cared for him ‘My muther said to me heer Billy theres your brecfast in bed’ a dad who was there ‘ there was a big fire in the room and my dad came in’ and teachers who respected him ‘ all the teachers were good to me’. To most people they already had this or parts of it but Billy had nothing. Mr Gryce was the head teacher of the school and was very strict. What I found disturbing is that he seemed to get pleasure out of giving the cane and putting fear into the children ‘I’ll thrash you. You irreverent scoundrel!’ ‘He demonstrated the act twice down the side of the lectern’
It gave the imagery that Mr Gryce thought he was God in one sense but had the presents of the devil ‘It’s his favourite trick, this. He likes to keep you waiting, he thinks it makes it worse’
Even though the pupils were scared of him they still referred to him as his nickname ‘Gryce pudding’ I believe this was to lighten the mood before they got the cane and to help reassure them selves that it was going to be ok.
Gryce didn’t listen to his pupils because he felt that he was more superior than they were. The one event that really stuck in my mind is when the messenger got the cane even though the young boy tried to explain he was only a messenger ‘The first stroke made him cry. The second made him sick’
I think that quote highlights the effect of the cane and what a traumatic experience it was.
Throughout school Billy was bullied not only by his teachers, his brother but by the pupils as well. It was hard for Billy, as there wasn’t any one he could talk to. The main person who continually bullied Billy was a lad called ‘Macdowall’. He bullied Billy about anything he could however the main thing was over Billy’s family. This really got to Billy as Macdowell was ‘bad mouthing’ his mother, father and his brother. Even though Billy’s mother and brother didn’t really care for him he still defended them, which shows great loyalty ‘What is he then, my sister?’
There’s one scene were Billy and Macdowell are fighting in the yard and Mr Farthering breaks up the fight and teaches Macdowell a lesson for picking on people younger than him. This was the first time some one stuck up for Billy and showed any affection towards him, as many teachers would have sent them to have the cane. I believe Mr Farthering did this, as he felt sorry for Billy ‘I don’t know, you always seem to cop it, don’t you, Casper?’
Billy then confided in Mr Farthering about how he felt about the teachers and the way they treat the pupils ‘Teachers. They never think it might be there fault an’ all’
Billy forgets that Mr Farthering is a teacher and I believe this is because Mr Farthering has been more of a friend to Casper than a teacher ‘You daren’t say that to t’teacher though, they’d say ‘don’t be insolent boy, ’smack!’
Billy even admits to Mr Farthering that he can talk to him, and again this is one of the rare times he expresses his feelings ‘An’ anyway…I can talk to you better than most folks.’
Its clear that Billy has a lot of respect for Mr Farthering an can trust him and appreciate the interest that Mr Farthering takes in him ‘This hawk of yours, id like to see it sometime’
In the scene were Mr Farthering goes and visits Billy and the hawk it was the first time a teacher congratulated Billy and said well done for something that he did ’Marvellous, Casper! Brilliant! That’s one of the most exciting things ive ever seen!’
Compliments like this would have done wonders for Billy’s confidence. I believe if more teachers were like Mr Farthering then education would have gone further and ‘failures’ like Billy would be acknowledged for their talents. The term ‘lad’ used by the teachers is used with aggression however when Mr Farthering used it to congratulate Billy it was said with a whole new meaning ‘And thanks for the display, I really enjoyed it. You’re an expert lad.’
I think this would have shocked Billy, as he isn’t used to people being supportive or caring.
Another teacher that we meet in this story is Mr sugden who like Gryce doesn’t respect Billy and bullies him. Mr Sugden is full of his own self- importance ‘Are you trying to tell me about football’
Like most teachers he always believes he’s right and when Billy asks him what stimulating means he spells it out for him, how ever he spelt it wrong but believes he is right ‘Stimulating you fool, S-T-I-M-I-L-A-T-I-N-G, stimulating!’
Mr sugden likes to humiliate Billy in front of the whole class ’Casper you make me sick’
I feel sorry for Billy as he hasn’t done anything wrong but still gets treated as though he has. Mr Sugden shouts at him for not having his kit, he doesn’t understand that Billy and his family are poor and cant afford to buy his kit. From this Mr Sugden bounces a ball on Billy’s head ‘Mr Sugden bounces the ball on Billy’s head’
This is all unnecessary but it’s the only way Mr Sugden can feel powerful which is a shame. I also believe that the reason he bullies the pupils is because he’s insecure about himself and feels that’s the only way he can feel good about himself. Mr Sugden treats Billy unfairly compared to the others ‘Well get down then, before I come and make you red hot!’
And doesn’t seem to listen to Billy or the others.
Later on in the game a dog comes onto the pitch and Mr Sugden thinks that violence is the key to getting the dog off the pitch ‘Go and fetch half a dozen cricket bats from the game store’
This shows that Mr Sugden doesn’t have a high tolerance level and believes that that shouting and using violence will get him respect but it only creates a barrier between pupil and him as most children are too scared to disagree. I think that’s why he treats Billy the way he does as he will answer Mr Sugden back but not in a cheeky manner ‘ You don’t need cricket bats to do that, sir’
Mr sugden is very narrow minded and if some one has a different opinion to him then violence will change their mind.
Mr Sugden is sarcastic towards Billy ‘What’s the matter Casper are you scared of the ball’
Mr Sugden’s need to humiliate Billy reminds me of Macdowell in the yard. There’s no real difference between the two.
The main event that stuck in my mind was when Sugden made Billy take a cold shower because he missed saving a goal ‘The cold water made Billy gasp’ he also had three boys to block the entrance so he couldn’t escape ‘Hey up, shift let me out, you rotten dogs!’
Mr Sugden took away any dignity that Billy may have had when he did this; the whole class was laughing at him. I believe that this scene would have made the audience want to go and grab Billy out of the shower and put Mr Sugden in it.
The boys who are blocking the entrance begin to think they should let him out, however Mr Sugden disagrees ‘Can we let him out now, sir?’ ‘He’ll get pneumonia’
I though the imagery of the shower scene was very dramatic and showed just how far Mr Sugden would go. This scene really moved me and I felt sorry for Billy in having to be put through that experience.
The scene with the youth employment reminded me how much his mother didn’t care for him or his future as there was a boy sitting next to him with his mother who was nagging him about his tie ‘An’ straighten you tie.’
The boy wished his mother would stop nagging ‘I wish you’d stop nagging’
Whereas Billy would appreciate it if his mother gave the time to nag him because to Billy it would show him that his mother cared.
The first thing the employment officer said to Billy was ‘Well come in, lad, if your coming, I haven’t got all day.’
This doesn’t set a good impression or any mutual respect between Billy and the officer. Billy expresses an interest in working in an office ‘I’d be all right working in an office, wouldn’t I? I’ve a job to read and write’
Then at the end of the meeting the officer hands him a leaflet to read which shows that he wasn’t paying attention to Billy and didn’t really care. Billy’s skills go unrecognised.
Overall there were similarities between Billy’s home life and school life as they were both just as hard and he was mis-judged. However there was one main difference, which was someone, did care about Billy at school, Mr Farthering, who gave him time and attention. This helped Billy’s confidence and gave him a friend to confide in.
Billy discovers a new passion in life when he finds Kes, a kestrel hawk. Billy identifies with her silent strength and she inspires in him the trust and love that nothing else can. Kes is the only thing in life that makes him want to exist in this cruel society that he has been bought up in. He relies on Kes as his escapism to get away from the world. Kes has become a close friend of Billy’s, His only friend, he confides in him about school and home ’He’s allus after me …allus has been. Like that day last summer when I fetched you, he was after me than’ When talking to Kes its like the build up of emotions has burst and he lets out what he is feeling freely. This is unusual for Billy has he finds it hard to express what he’s feeling. Even though Billy doesn’t receive any love or affection he still knows how to give it to others which shows that his mother and brother haven’t ruined his emotional status completely. The writer was very descriptive when writing about Kes and Billy to show the reader how immersed he is with her ‘The hawk flapped her wings and fanned her tail, her claws still gripping the glove’
Throughout the story Billy only seems happy when he’s with his bird. Kes is his only enjoyment in life, his only luxury. It seems that when he’s with Kes to him its like living in rich mans world for once. He feels safe and secure.
In a sense I feel that the bird is seen as an image of Billy’s dad because when Billy found out that Kes was dead he had flashbacks of his dad. It infers that losing Kes was like the loss he felt when his dad was no longer around ‘Where are you goin’ dad?’
The writer compares the loss of the bird and Billy’s dad in detail and uses flashbacks to show the reader the comparison between the two.
The language Hines uses creates a more realistic image of Billy and his life. He uses slang ‘shit’ to make it more personalised and to make the reader feel as though they are they’re with Billy through the story. Hines uses detail when writing about Billy’s more happily times like when he is with Kes and when he refers to his dad and the ‘tall story’. Hines uses a Yorkshire accent to make it more real ‘t’day’, which helps create a more defined image of the characters. The whole novel is based on just one day in Billy’s life Hines does this by using flashbacks to show in depth what the characters are like so that the reader has a better understanding of what the character’s personalities really like. Hines uses short sentence to create effect and emphasise the normality of Billy’s daily routine ‘Billy left the shop.’
Therefore I conclude that living in poverty does have an effect on peoples attitudes and how they respond to others, the harshness of their lives portray in their behaviour to others. This book really shows how much teaching has changed, I believe for the better, since the 1960’s. As in the school life we see in this book the teachers enjoy the power and humiliating the children, whereas nowadays most teachers aim in their career is to make a difference and to help as much as they can. I believe that Hines shows how harsh and cold life can be and can make us more fortunate people appreciate life more and not take food and people’s kindness for granted.
