Memories...

Hello to you all

I'm waiting for a copy of the novel to arrive - it may take a while, but in the meantime, I'm going to try to remember some of the key elements.

One of the things I remember asking the group to consider is some of the main themes; memory and perception. Consider whose eyes you are seeing things through, and whether or not that changes the reader's perception. Consider the childlike ideals and ideas and whether we can or cannot trust the narrative voice.

Look closely at some of the language - key words, phrases and recollections and what they say about the narrator. Also consider the contrast between him narrating in the present and of the past and differences.

Focus on the key scenes between the two lead characters and consider the status of each of them. It may be worth doing an 'emotion graph' or something like that to look at their relationship. Do this for several key points during the novel (along the horizontal axis - can't remember the maths term for that), and you can chart how their relationship evolves and use it to analyse why.

Also the politics of friendship - the nuances and subtleties of how quickly things change.

I found a website which has a very basic scheme of work on it which is actually for students a lot younger (I don't think it's appropriate for younger students actually), but that may get you thinking. Go to http://www.heinemann.co.uk/shared/Resources/NonSecure/00000001/Spies.pdf

to have a look.

Going back to themes, look at this list, and consider them as you work through the novel:

Englishness, Deception/betrayal, Power, Memory, Friendship, Identity (national, family etc), Male identity,Perception/how we interpret the world, Conformity/individuality,Innocence and experience, Bullying, Sexual awakening, Storytelling/fantasy,Childhood, Belonging, The class system, Making sense of the past, Language and meaning, Alienation/dislocation, The role and place of women.

I hope this is enough to be going on with. Lots of people tend to think of this book as a bit 'ploddy' and dull, but I think it's definitely a case of scratch beneath the surface and it gets a lot more interesting.

Take care - let me know if this is ok.

Miss T