“Father taught us how not to love” begins and ends Maurice Gee’s Blindsight. Narrated by Alice ferry, a retired scientist, we look back over the mistakes of her families past. This novel revolves around the mysterious relationship of Alice and Gordon who are supposedly sent in “divergent ways” due to their “father’s greediness in love”. Alice introduces Gordon as smart and motivated kid who had “come top in every subject” but becomes derailed as he enters secondary -Alice blames this on puberty- and then diminishes into an old homeless man.
This novel pivots when a young man called Adrian, claiming to be her grandson, shows up on her door step. Alice, horrified but overjoyed, refuses to reveal the relationship between her and Gordon at first glance, but after confessing Gordon as her sibling, she rejects the fathering of any child and pretends Gordon is dead. However as the book closes to an end, Gordon is revealed to Adrian as Alice informs him she is behind Gordon’s fragile state. Maurice Gee’s habit of sensationalist twists in the last five pages has once again come alive in Blindsight.
He presents the novel in a first person narrative where Alice whisks back into her childhood and tells us how she and her brother have “come together”. Maurice Gee successfully uses first person narrative to help Alice clearly speak to the reader and become the characters confidant. Alice mentions many circumstances to us but never goes into specific detail. She clearly believes that we will “learn them when the time is right”. It’s clear she has things to hide, though whether from us, others, or from herself is an open question.
The Essay on Alice Men Father Wife
Kindred Writing Activity The fire, page 36: "I could literally smell his sweat, hear every ragged breath, every cry, every cut of the whip. I could see his body jerking, convulsing, straining against the rope as his screaming went on and on. My stomach heaved, and I had to force myself to stay where I was and keep quiet. Why didn't they stop!" In the middle of the night, four white men storm into ...
As she tells Adrian of Cyril Handy death, she says “I had troubles of my own” when asked why she didn’t comfort Gordon. “Troubles” is all she says however she doesn’t explain them. As a first person narrative, Alice clearly dictates what is revealed to the reader and therefore she is free to lie to us. Despite first person narrative revealing the inner thoughts and feelings of Alice, as a reader we cannot perceive anything outside her, including other characters thoughts. Nonetheless Maurice Gee successfully weaves first person narration to demonstrate Alice’s misunderstandings and misinterpretations.
At one point Alice judges Gordon’s Girlfriend (Marlene) as a “forlorn” and criticizes everything about her. Even though Alice accepted that when she was “judged, it maddened her”, she constantly scrutinizes everyone else (e. g. Cyril Handy, Bets, Marlene etc).
Looking back she personally believes she was “wrong” and that she was “stupid and a snob”. This introduces Alice as neither likeable nor easy to keep up with. Gee clearly excels at describing social relationships and issues, especially as they were in the New Zealand of his childhood and youth, ie. he 1930’s and 40’s.
Pre-war and Post-war attitudes were demonstrated throughout the book and served as way for younger readers to capture the novels brilliance. Pre-war sexual customs such as buying “frenchies” were referenced to when a gang of teenage boys hang around outside the chemist shop and tease the customers. Other sly references to sexual customs include a pharmacy customer who regularly buys “wife’s friend pessaries”. These customs places the reader in a society where only the very young and the very old live in.
During the 1930 to 1940’s there was little education about the dangers of smoking and therefore it proved a social trend that many obliged to consuming. Alice, even though she’s young, “grabbed the cigarettes from the bench and lit it up”. Personally I believe Alice’s behaviour towards the cigarette links to teenagers today and their sense of needing to belong. However I found it shocking that the only hesitation provided by her father was a shake of the head. Nonetheless I do see that education about the dangers plays a crucial role in our behaviour and attitude.
The Term Paper on Bell Jar Plath Father Reader
Sylvia Plath+s complex relationship with her father is revealed through imagery used in her writings including the poem and book "Daddy" and The Bell Jar. Plath developed as a writer with an individual style. She used diction, in her writings, which give the reader a very distinct understanding of what she is trying to imply. Plath, also, sets a tone in her writing that is very distinct amongst ...
Gee also uses “Adultery” to help the readers place themselves in a different society to the one they are living in. Alice’s father engages In Adultery when he has sex with another woman (Mrs Imrie).
Alice’s father believes his behaviour was due to the sorrow he felt for Mrs Imrie as she was being “beaten and slapped”. For me “Adultery” seems to indicate the inhumanity of the society at that time. Humans believe that we possess a dignity and worth that are absent from other forms of life; the worthiness of distinguishing right from wrong.
So it was interesting to me that Alice’s father would sleep with another woman even though he had a sick wife and kids to take care of. Alice’s father surrendered his ability to distinguish right from wrong and only looked out for himself. He lost his consideration for his families’ health and therefore he lost a part of his human identity. A part of this lose possibly could’ve lead to the minimal hesitation of letting Alice smoke. Personally I believe that everyone experiences misunderstandings and its complications. One of the biggest misunderstandings seems to be that we are to take what they say and swallow it as truth.
News is a great example as it plays a huge role in our daily lives, and we as society tend to believe the news report as the whole truth and nothing but the truth. However we only hear one side of the story and therefore shouldn’t make judgements on what is right and wrong based solely on News. Misunderstanding in Laws is also visible in society. “A homeless man gets 15 years in jail for stealing $100 however a CEO gets sent to prison for only 6 years due to a $3 billion fraud”. It saddens me that society continues with this sort of misunderstanding and that who you are effects what kind of punishment is laid on you.
Blindsight as a first person narrative clearly tells us Alice’s point of view however Maurice Gee purposely uses it to demonstrate the huge amount of misunderstandings that arise due to only one side’s story. She believed she was right and that what she saw and heard was the truth. She misunderstands Cyril Handy and this eventually leads to his death. She believed that all she saw was all that was there to know. From his smell and his look she immediately criticises every action by Cyril (just like Marlene).
The Essay on Oedipus Rex Hamlet Father Truth
The Birth of Kings Two plays, "Hamlet", written by William Shakespeare and "Oedipus Rex", written by Sophocles share a common bond of illusion and innocence. The protagonists in both plays appear at the beginning only to have changed so that reality has broken through the illusion with less than desirable results for either. In these two plays, two kings must leave their innocence behind as the ...
I can reflect the situations that arise in blindsight clearly towards school and my surrounding. As a year 12 and a teenager I see the conflicts and violence brought upon by misunderstanding of a situation. For example students are excluded out of a group when they don’t follow the trend or are behind. They are judged and misunderstood and clearly stand out in school. I believe that individuality is diminishing as more teens don’t show it in fear of being casted out. Murder, complex family relationships and social commentary provides the base for yet another Maurice Gee’s stunning novels.
Alice, a jealous ambitious sister narrates and tells us the story of how her and Gordon went through their lives. Gordon, a helpful yet damaged brother whose image is derived from a local in Wellington called “the bucket man”. His tattered clothes and his trademark bucket which holds his few possessions are reflected in Gordon. It is clear that Maurice Gee intended to borrow his image and succeeded in educating readers about the homeless recluse. As a young reader it educated me about society and its mistakes through a completely different and yet horrible perspective.