Essay Good
Discuss how characters may act as vehicles to explore different ways of seeing the world:
Between 1969 and 2001, 3526 people were killed as a result of the Troubles in Ireland. Set in the town of Drumleash, Northern Ireland, Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd (2008) describes the life of Fergus McCann as his brother joins a hunger strike in an attempt to regain political prisoner status. Fergus’ journey takes many unexpected twists and turns as he becomes more involved with the Provisional IRA in the attempt to save Joe’s life and finds a two thousand year old body in the bog. Fergus explores many views on his world through his adventurous relationships with characters that challenge his beliefs regarding the political turmoil and the evolving environment.
Through the exploration of Mel’s world, Fergus discovers the beauty of nature in contrast to the chaos of populated Ireland. As the novel progresses, Fergus and the reader become empathetic to “the child that time forgot” as he creates a narrative entailing the details her life before the bog. Mel’s story displays the importance of sacrifice through her selfless decision to save her family at the expense of her own life. This story develops concurrently to Joe’s hunger strike and is a metaphor expressing Fergus’ gradual acceptance of Joe’s martyrdom. Mel’s narrative also allows Fergus to view the bog as beautiful rather than a monotonous environment that takes children’s lives. The commencement of the novel portrays the bog as brutal and comfortless through the description of the soil as “foaming peat” rather than earth. During his morning runs, Fergus develops a passion for the environment as he becomes more involved with the chaotic Troubles. This is illustrated when “he whooped out loud at the joy of being above it all”. Through Mel’s story, Fergus recognises the serenity of the bog land as he “sees the land… through her eyes”. Fergus’ interpretation of Mel’s life allows him to see the natural world as “beautiful: a
Between 1969 and 2001, 3526 people were killed as a result of the Troubles in Ireland. Set in the town of Drumleash, Northern Ireland, Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd (2008) describes the life of Fergus McCann as his brother joins a hunger strike in an attempt to regain political prisoner status. Fergus’ journey takes many unexpected twists and turns as he becomes more involved with the Provisional IRA in the attempt to save Joe’s life and finds a two thousand year old body in the bog. Fergus explores many views on his world through his adventurous relationships with characters that challenge his beliefs regarding the political turmoil and the evolving environment.
Through the exploration of Mel’s world, Fergus discovers the beauty of nature in contrast to the chaos of populated Ireland. As the novel progresses, Fergus and the reader become empathetic to “the child that time forgot” as he creates a narrative entailing the details her life before the bog. Mel’s story displays the importance of sacrifice through her selfless decision to save her family at the expense of her own life. This story develops concurrently to Joe’s hunger strike and is a metaphor expressing Fergus’ gradual acceptance of Joe’s martyrdom. Mel’s narrative also allows Fergus to view the bog as beautiful rather than a monotonous environment that takes children’s lives. The commencement of the novel portrays the bog as brutal and comfortless through the description of the soil as “foaming peat” rather than earth. During his morning runs, Fergus develops a passion for the environment as he becomes more involved with the chaotic Troubles. This is illustrated when “he whooped out loud at the joy of being above it all”. Through Mel’s story, Fergus recognises the serenity of the bog land as he “sees the land… through her eyes”. Fergus’ interpretation of Mel’s life allows him to see the natural world as “beautiful: a