Spies CourseWork: (1000 words)
Q) It has been suggested that Frayn was interested in exploring the ‘shift’ from childhood to adulthood in Spies. Explore this view with close reference too the language of the text.
Michael Frayn (the author of ‘Spies’) explores the ‘shift’ from childhood to adulthood, in the novel ‘Spies’ through understanding, maturity and love. We see the protagonist, Stephen, remembering his childhood through his adult eyes, looking back on his actions, as well as his understanding and the perspective of the world. ‘Spies’ is a bildungsroman, and so the story is orientated around the concept of Stephen’s progress in maturity and the change in his perspective of the events that happen within the novel. ‘Spies’ main idea …show more content…
One example is through the difference between the understanding Stephen has as a child of himself and those around him, compared with what he knows by the end of the novel. This is also the same for the reader, as the reader only experiences what Stephen reveals. At the beginning of the book, Stephen has less of an understanding, but is curious and enjoys pursuing his game; ’I’m going to have to follow her. Through the tunnel, on my own’. This shows that Stephen is beginning to become more independent, and that his curiosity is leading him to go on his own. The comma before ‘on my own’, places impact on the idea of Stephen going out and following Mrs Hayward through the tunnel alone. Stephen’s curiosity throughout ‘Spies’ is usually what leads him to better understanding. A common theme throughout some of the novel is ‘x’. Seeing the letter ‘x’ in Mrs Haywards diary leads Keith and Stephen to the rest of their discoveries in the rest of the novel. ’On it is written one single familiar letter: x’. This shows that ‘x’ is common now that Stephen knows where to look, and that the letter has some significance. The colon before ‘x’ places impact on the letter, furthering it’s importance. The word ‘familiar’ shows that the letter ‘x’ is a common occurrence. By the end of the novel, Stephen is back to the present, and has full understanding of what happened, despite a few memories he can’t reach. ‘Everything is as it was; and everything has changed.’ This phrase is repeated throughout ‘Spies’, and at the end of the novel the reader fully understand what Stephen means by this; the same events happened, but are different depending on what perspective he has when
Q) It has been suggested that Frayn was interested in exploring the ‘shift’ from childhood to adulthood in Spies. Explore this view with close reference too the language of the text.
Michael Frayn (the author of ‘Spies’) explores the ‘shift’ from childhood to adulthood, in the novel ‘Spies’ through understanding, maturity and love. We see the protagonist, Stephen, remembering his childhood through his adult eyes, looking back on his actions, as well as his understanding and the perspective of the world. ‘Spies’ is a bildungsroman, and so the story is orientated around the concept of Stephen’s progress in maturity and the change in his perspective of the events that happen within the novel. ‘Spies’ main idea …show more content…
One example is through the difference between the understanding Stephen has as a child of himself and those around him, compared with what he knows by the end of the novel. This is also the same for the reader, as the reader only experiences what Stephen reveals. At the beginning of the book, Stephen has less of an understanding, but is curious and enjoys pursuing his game; ’I’m going to have to follow her. Through the tunnel, on my own’. This shows that Stephen is beginning to become more independent, and that his curiosity is leading him to go on his own. The comma before ‘on my own’, places impact on the idea of Stephen going out and following Mrs Hayward through the tunnel alone. Stephen’s curiosity throughout ‘Spies’ is usually what leads him to better understanding. A common theme throughout some of the novel is ‘x’. Seeing the letter ‘x’ in Mrs Haywards diary leads Keith and Stephen to the rest of their discoveries in the rest of the novel. ’On it is written one single familiar letter: x’. This shows that ‘x’ is common now that Stephen knows where to look, and that the letter has some significance. The colon before ‘x’ places impact on the letter, furthering it’s importance. The word ‘familiar’ shows that the letter ‘x’ is a common occurrence. By the end of the novel, Stephen is back to the present, and has full understanding of what happened, despite a few memories he can’t reach. ‘Everything is as it was; and everything has changed.’ This phrase is repeated throughout ‘Spies’, and at the end of the novel the reader fully understand what Stephen means by this; the same events happened, but are different depending on what perspective he has when