- Quote: “Joe was thirteen, and his father broke his arm.. throwing him… where he hit the kitchen bench with a crack”
- Techniques: Visual imagery and onomatopoeia, it illustrates the extend of Dad’s abuse and its impacts on the family
- Scene: Miles describing the last time Joe stays with them before he leaves.
- Quote: “blood where he’d fallen,, drops of blood. And there were drops of blood near his face”
- Techniques: Visual imagery and repetition of ‘blood’ emphasise the danger the brother are in, and revealing the irresponsible and abusive characterisation of Dad
- Scene: When Jeff forces Harry to drink alcohol and attacks Miles
What is Dad’s characterisation within the novel?
Parrett has revealed his as an abusive, malevolent, and irresponsible father.
What are the impacts of the collective experience of abuse for the brothers?
- The impacts of collective impacts is revealed through each of the brothers individual experience.
- Joe: Moved out
- Miles: Forced to obey Dad and look after Harry
- Harry; Seeks comfort from his brother’s and George, and avoids his father
- Quote: “Dad telling from the inside. Yelling at them, at everyone. Yelling at no one… “I never wanted you””
- Techniques: anaphora of ‘yelling’ and a metaphor it reveals Dad’s dysfunctional behaviour and the
- Scene: After the incident with Jeff and Dad, Miles and Harry decide to run away
What is an anomaly present in the theme ‘Family Dysfunction’?
The anomaly of Miles’ role and characterisation in the novel. Despite being a little older than Harry and being a sort of friend to him; Miles is illustrates as a caretaker who looks after Harry.
- Quote: “There was still no bread… sometimes Dad ordered bread when he remembered about it”
- Technique: confessional tone and negative connotations reveal the irresponsibility of Dad
- Highlights the anomalies and paradoxes of Dad’s role as he fails to uphold the typical roles of a father figure
Where is family dysfunction present in the novel?
In the Curren family, their home, and everyday life
How does Mum contribute to the human experiences of the brothers, particularly Miles?
Mum contributes to the present experiences of the brothers as they reflect on past experiences of her to cope with the present, such as the dysfunctionality of their home
What is the quote of Miles with Mum at Cloudy Bay?
“he saw her standing there on the sand all golden in the sun. He waved to her. And she waved back”
What techniques are in the quote: “he saw her standing there on the sand all golden in the sun. He waved to her. And she waved back”
- Visual imagery shows the serenity and freedom Miles gained
- Metaphor illustrating her as ‘golden’ demonstrates her pure nature
What techniques are in the quote: “the sound of the car and the sound of the radio and with Mum’s voice singing along”, and what do they represent?
- Sibilance asserts the qualities of the scene
- Repetition facilitates the atmosphere and peaceful, auditory environment
After the incident with Jeff and Dad, Miles has a dream about Mum. What does it include?
“the sound of the car and the sound of the radio and with Mum’s voice singing along”
How does Mum represent family dysfunction?
- As the brothers seek comfort from the past as they cannot achieve the same level of security with the current state of their family relationship, particularly with Dad.
- This emphasises the instability and chaotic nature of their family relationships
