45 and 47 Stella Street and Everything that Happened
The children’s novel ‘45 and 47 Stella Street and everything that happened’ (Honey, 1995) written by Elizabeth Honey is a novel aimed at pre-adolescent girls. However in saying that boys around the same age would also find this book enjoyable. The story is told from the perspective of Hinni who is an 11 year old girl. It is about her and her ‘Gang’, which includes her best friend Zev, Her sister Danielle and Frank, Zev’s 6-year-old next-door neighbour who resides at 47 Stella Street. The book tells of their efforts to expose the “Phonies” and their secret life. It is evident through analysis of the book that there are sly implications toward enforcing the concepts of masculinity and femininity on young readers using the strategies of narrative theory.
Narrative theory consists of three key strategies, the point of view/focalisation, reader positioning and closure. The point of view or focalisation is always biased. When watching a film or reading a book you are always watching or reading it from someone or something’s perspective. In Stella Street it is Henni who is telling us what is happening, you only see things from her perspective and therefore you tend to side with her. Reader positioning is very important and very similar to that of point of view and focalisation. Readers or viewers are positioned so that they have a positive response toward some characters and a negative response toward others even though both parties may be both in the wrong on some occasions. The readers of 45 and 47 Stella Street are positioned so that they hope for the Stella Street’s gang to succeed over the Phonies. Closure is how the story concludes, who ends up succeeding in the end and who doesn’t. Once again in 45 and 47 Stella Street it is the Stella Street gang who triumph over the Phonies.
It is evident that the men in 45 and 47 Stella Street hold masculine qualities whilst the women hold feminine traits. In terms of power it is the men that hold this control as
Narrative theory consists of three key strategies, the point of view/focalisation, reader positioning and closure. The point of view or focalisation is always biased. When watching a film or reading a book you are always watching or reading it from someone or something’s perspective. In Stella Street it is Henni who is telling us what is happening, you only see things from her perspective and therefore you tend to side with her. Reader positioning is very important and very similar to that of point of view and focalisation. Readers or viewers are positioned so that they have a positive response toward some characters and a negative response toward others even though both parties may be both in the wrong on some occasions. The readers of 45 and 47 Stella Street are positioned so that they hope for the Stella Street’s gang to succeed over the Phonies. Closure is how the story concludes, who ends up succeeding in the end and who doesn’t. Once again in 45 and 47 Stella Street it is the Stella Street gang who triumph over the Phonies.
It is evident that the men in 45 and 47 Stella Street hold masculine qualities whilst the women hold feminine traits. In terms of power it is the men that hold this control as