I’m the King of Castle is a gothic novel about ‘a victim and a tormentor’. Two boys, Edmund Hooper and Charles Kingshaw, were forced to live in an isolated castle together by their single parents. To a great extent, Susan Hill makes main characters difficult to admire, especially Edmund Hooper and Mrs. Kingshaw who is the mother of Charles. In the novel, Hill focuses on establishing Edmund Hooper’s sociopath and Mrs. Kingshaw’s poor parenting and superficial and self-centred behaviour.
Susan Hill make Edmund Hooper difficult to admire because of he is a sociopath and he reveals self-centredness and cruelty from his monstrous personality. Since Mr. Hooper only has one son, Edmund is permissive but also detached from others. Edmund is educated …show more content…
Kingshaw is difficult to admire because Hill makes her be an irresponsible and insensitive parent. Susan Hill uses dialogues in the line ‘Oh, that is a wicked, wicked way to talk, whatever can you be thinking about? Whatever can poor Edmund have done to you?’ when Mrs. Kingshaw warns Charles stop saying bad word to Edmund when Charles said directly that he hates Edmund. This shows Mrs. Kingshaw completely ignores the bullying between two children and feelings of Charles. She was being subjective to judge the problems between two boys so she thought there is no big deal as they are still young. Also she said before ‘I shall not make a favourite of my own child’ when Edmund pushed all the responsibility onto Charles after they got out from Hang Wood. Susan Hill uses interior monologue here to convey that Mrs. Kingshaw believes the lies that Edmund said about Kingshaw pushed him down to river. This shows that Mrs. Kingshaw does not relate to her son. As a parent, she should know Charles is principled and impossible to hurt anyone. This also conveys that she only thinks for her future of ideal family, so she has to treat two children equally that Mr. Hooper would accept her as a wife. Through these examples, Susan Hill clearly demonstrates the insensitive and irresponsible impression of Mrs.
Susan Hill make Edmund Hooper difficult to admire because of he is a sociopath and he reveals self-centredness and cruelty from his monstrous personality. Since Mr. Hooper only has one son, Edmund is permissive but also detached from others. Edmund is educated …show more content…
Kingshaw is difficult to admire because Hill makes her be an irresponsible and insensitive parent. Susan Hill uses dialogues in the line ‘Oh, that is a wicked, wicked way to talk, whatever can you be thinking about? Whatever can poor Edmund have done to you?’ when Mrs. Kingshaw warns Charles stop saying bad word to Edmund when Charles said directly that he hates Edmund. This shows Mrs. Kingshaw completely ignores the bullying between two children and feelings of Charles. She was being subjective to judge the problems between two boys so she thought there is no big deal as they are still young. Also she said before ‘I shall not make a favourite of my own child’ when Edmund pushed all the responsibility onto Charles after they got out from Hang Wood. Susan Hill uses interior monologue here to convey that Mrs. Kingshaw believes the lies that Edmund said about Kingshaw pushed him down to river. This shows that Mrs. Kingshaw does not relate to her son. As a parent, she should know Charles is principled and impossible to hurt anyone. This also conveys that she only thinks for her future of ideal family, so she has to treat two children equally that Mr. Hooper would accept her as a wife. Through these examples, Susan Hill clearly demonstrates the insensitive and irresponsible impression of Mrs.