Feet by Seamus Deane Essay Example for Free

Feet by Seamus Deane Essay The following extract is taken from the book- Reading in the Dark by Seamus Deane written in 1996. The extract focuses on one of the chapters in the book titled as Feet. The extract is based on a young boy hiding under the table viewing the death of his sister and how she is taken to the hospital. Through the style, setting and characterization, the reader is able to understand the thoughts and feelings portrayed by Deane. The extract is written in an autobiographical style, from the point of view of a young boy who narrates the story. The repetition of I gives the extract a personal touch. Using the boy as the narrator allows the writer to acquire greater intimacy and sympathy for the character. In addition, it makes the extract comic and light hearted, even though it talks about death and loss. This fusion of comedy and tragedy reflects the idea that life is a series of sorrows and joys. The extract is set under the table. Throughout the extract, the boys name is not revealed which allows the reader to explore other characters in the extract through his perceptions. The reader gets the impression that the boy is young and naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve. He is not aware of the seriousness of the situation as he loved the names of the diseases. He finds the names peculiar and compares them with Italian football players, racing drivers and opera singers. The dog is symbolic of what the boy feels. The whimpering and quivering of the dog reflects the boys inner feelings. I became deaf to their words and alert to their noise presents the idea that the boy has become like the dog, behaving in the same way. Deane mentions feet in the first line of the extract which reinforces the importance of the title. Also, the repetition of feet suggests the importance and significance of the title since the young boy sees everyone from under the table judging them only on what shoes theyre wearing. Deane uses visual and aural imagery to captivate the readers attention in line 1 and 2- I could only see their feet. But I could hear the noise and some of the talk Deane uses heavy sensory imagery to emphasize the importance of feet as the title. He describes the characters and their social status through the shoes theyre wearing. For instance, in lines 30-34, I recognized Uncle Manuss brown shoes: the heels were worn down Uncle Dan and Uncle Tom had identical shoes, heavy and rimed with mud and cement Dans were dirtier but they werent good shoes. The detailed description of the shoes allows the reader to make judgments about the characters. The description is used for characterization- mud and cement, give the reader the impression that theyre working men at a construction site. Heavy suggests that theyre strong, muscular men and develops their personality in the readers mind. But they werent good shoes suggests that theyre not very rich people. The predicament of the extract is presented through specific and short sentences. Una. My younger sister, Una. This sentence clearly brings the focus on Una, to highlight the importance of her character. The writer tells the readers that she is going to die and goes into great details describing her illness and pain. That morning, Una had been so hot, pale and sweatyshe had made me think of sunken fires her eyes shone with pain and pleasure, inflated from the inside. The coupling of pain and pleasure reinforces the idea that joy and sorrow go hand in hand. With his style, use of imagery, setting and characterization, Deane creates an intriguing story which reflects harsh ideas of death and reality through the innocent, happy world of a young, naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve boy.