The author has used several devices to evoke sympathy for Link for example; Link has stated that “the doorway is my new bedroom.” These quotes paint a clear picture in your mind of Link having just a doorway to live in. This is globally recognised as being a sign of homelessness. Secondly his own mother having known how nasty Vince is to Link she never takes any steps to do something to stop Vince being nasty to Link. These are just some of the ways that Robert swindells has made me more sympathetic to Link.
We see why it is difficult for Link because the author shows how hard is to get a job. One of Links major problems is the lack of money, he cannot claim money from the DSS because he has no address and has never worked for a penny in his life. He has “applied for loads of jobs” however he is living on the streets which mean that it is difficult for him to keep himself clean and tidy. This is shown by the phrase “looked like a tramp” and “Looked scruffy” the reason why he is in the state he is because he has been “sleeping in his clothes.” The author has obviously shown that life without having money can be very hard to survive. Link has tried to find a job wherever he can from office work to filling stations but no luck has gone his way even in a “city the size of London” he has also attended a “couple of interviews” but they all are looking for “work experience” which is impossible if he isn’t given a chance to work. The reason why he has mostly been said no to is because the way he looks scruffy and doesn’t look smart.
The reason for Link being homeless does make us readers more sympathetic to homeless people because I believe that every human should have much of a life like everyone else. Moreover it has made me more sympathetic to homeless people because living on the streets of danger and crime can be very scary. Also having to live alone and having no one to talk to and share you feelings with is very depressing. Finally the main reason why we feel sympathetic to homeless people is because they have a lack of money and can’t afford to live in house of their own and their last resort is to sleep on the streets.
The use of first person narrative means that we see from Links point of view exactly what life is like on the streets. This will give a more genuine picture of how life is like on the streets because Link will give his personal experience. He has expressed his feelings in many ways of how life is like. Firstly, for Link finding a “dry spot” to sleep at night can be very hard especially in the cold winter of London with such a rainy season. In the winter, life at some points can seem to be unbearable as your body is “half frozen” at night from the cold and rainy days. These quotes draw out a clear picture of what life is like on the streets from Links point of view. This is also why I feel sorry for Link because he hasn’t got a warm house to come to and sleep in everyday as we do which we take as granted.
In addition to that Link doesn’t get enough food to eat as he has very little money to spend on food. He has explained all the problems he gets from not having enough food like “stomach cramps” and “Headaches.” The author has visibly shown that Link is desperate for food and urgently needs medicine. The word desperate makes me feel sorry for Link because the author has shown through this word Link’s hunger and starvation. Sometimes his last resort is to steal from restaurants and café’s or beg from people who he doesn’t know.
It is not a particularly happy ending so we realise that Link’s problems aren’t easy to solve. I was hoping that the relationship between Link and Gail will advance in them getting married and trying to work together to make a life for themselves. Instead, Gail was found to be a young reporter known as Louise. She was reporting about homeless people under cover without Link knowing anything. I was devastated that Gail would do such a thing to a person who is already in a lot of pain and Link who is heart broken will find it hard to recover from as at first he lost his best and only friend Ginger and now Gail. This suggested to me that it will be hard to stop being homeless because there are not many caring people in the big world.
The person who hates homeless people the most is the mad and bad Shelter. The author makes us readers feel that he is a very cruel person towards homeless people. He has described them as “scruffy blighters.” This quote evidently shows that he thinks of homeless people are very dirty and untidy people. He is also a person with a lot of proudness because he doesn’t like to be begged for money and every time he does get asked he looks right through them and walks away as they never even existed.
In conclusion, Robert Swindells who has written this story, about a kid making himself homeless and learning how to survive on the streets of London. The author has made me feel sympathetic in a way by using first person narratives. This is a very good technique because you can understand their feelings and emotions through them giving their experience about how life is like on the deadly streets of London. That wasn’t the only technique he used but I think it is the most effective technique.
