The novel A Cage of Butterflies by Brian Caswell explores how social norms and stereotypes isolate and ostracise people who don’t fit societal standards, through false preconceptions that prevent communication and the immense pressure to conform to societal conventions. Through his characterisation of the think-tank children and his depiction of their treatment from those outside the facility, Caswell successfully communicates the importance of listening to others and overcoming preconceptions to connect with others, and sends a message of hope to teenagers who don’t fit society’s conventions.
The preoccupation with oneself due to social stigma and awkwardness as a barrier to communication is an important issue explored within the novel. Self-centredness often leads to the avoidance of those who are different in order to avoid awkwardness, preventing the connection of people and creating an unbreachable divide between them on the basis of lack of communication. Greg’s crippled legs in the novel show how preconceptions create an immediate barrier to communication that can stop a conversation before it even begins. In, “How many people looked past the crutches [...] to the person inside? How many people [...] missed the warm intelligence in that face?”, rhetorical questions and the use of anaphora evoke thought and emphasise how a focus on self blinds people to Greg’s personality, ostracising him from society as he is increasingly avoided by his peers. The social stigma surrounding Greg’s …show more content…
Caswell encourages his readers to shed their preconceptions about people who are different, and provides hope for teenagers who don’t fit social norms by creating characters who stray from the conventions but are intelligent and unique all the
The preoccupation with oneself due to social stigma and awkwardness as a barrier to communication is an important issue explored within the novel. Self-centredness often leads to the avoidance of those who are different in order to avoid awkwardness, preventing the connection of people and creating an unbreachable divide between them on the basis of lack of communication. Greg’s crippled legs in the novel show how preconceptions create an immediate barrier to communication that can stop a conversation before it even begins. In, “How many people looked past the crutches [...] to the person inside? How many people [...] missed the warm intelligence in that face?”, rhetorical questions and the use of anaphora evoke thought and emphasise how a focus on self blinds people to Greg’s personality, ostracising him from society as he is increasingly avoided by his peers. The social stigma surrounding Greg’s …show more content…
Caswell encourages his readers to shed their preconceptions about people who are different, and provides hope for teenagers who don’t fit social norms by creating characters who stray from the conventions but are intelligent and unique all the