Hangman and Relatives

Like Hannah, I am posting my responses separately (though not as I read the chapters, I would just rather have them broken up a little). I plan on posting the next three chapters shortly, but I'm a bit behind and I want to finish reading Spooks before I do.

Hangman

I really enjoy that in this chapter, we are given a new understanding of Jason. The first chapter seemed to be shrouded in a sort of mystery and there were several things which were unexplained. In this second chapter, I find quite the opposite. I feel as though the mood has changed quite a bit. We are now privy to Jason’s hangman problem and exposed to the ways in which he handles his shortcoming.

There is a line in this chapter that makes me question everything that Jason says. I spoke last week about Jason as a narrator and questioned whether or not he was reliable. He calls a metronome a Metro Gnome and tries to explain away why it’s referred to as a gnome. This tidbit brought questions of his reliability to mind because of his ignorance of the device’s correct name. Suppose Jason was ignorant to other goings-on about which we, the reader, are misguided. In other words, could it be that Jason is reporting to us his perceptions through (dare I use the cliché) rose-tinted glasses?

This point in particular could be a nice starting point for a class conversation about narration. I remember having philosophical debates in many of my college classes regarding a narrator’s reliability (or lack thereof). Showing a simple mistake to an English class regarding the Metro Gnome/metronome idea could possibly help them to bring other parts of the text in question. We know now that Jason had dreamed the occurrence at the House in the Woods. As readers, how do we trust that Jason won’t recount other situations that he has daydreamed? How will our students know whether or not to trust Jason?

Relatives

This chapter opens up discussion about the class system. The class system is still largely intact in British society (even more so during the 1980s when the story takes place). There is some semblance of a class system in the US as well. I particularly like the discussion of how Jason’s family got ready for their visitors. It showed the family getting ready and using their nicest things for company. I felt that those scenes are easy to relate to. How many times have our own families had company when we were children and we were told to be on our best behaviors?

I enjoy that we get to see a bit more of Julia in this chapter. In some of the previous chapters, she seemed more of a bully. In her exchange with Brian, however, we can see that she is strong-willed, quick-witted, and intelligent.

I could find this chapter useful in a discussion of inequality. When I was reading this, I became disgusted with Uncle Brian because of how he looked down on the universities that Julia had chosen. The bullying that he displayed perhaps parallel the bullying seen later between Hugo and Nigel. I’m sure students in an ELA classroom wouldn’t be hard-pressed to find their own examples of bullying in their lives.

I find that there are several points to which students in an ELA classroom might relate. I feel this is important when trying to keep students engaged in a novel. For me, each chapter has seemed relatable, yet it doesn’t rest on a particular topic for too long.

Also, speaking of inequalities, there are again strong notes of homophobia in this chapter. I am speaking to the scene with the darts where Hugo belittles Nigel and sends him away in tears. There have been moments like these sprinkled throughout the story thus far. It makes me think that perhaps Jason will have some sort of encounter of his own.