Children in the village

Key Quotations

-          “When can we say we know Mr Dickens?” – Mabel, P19 – shows the children are inquisitive

-          “Mr Watts thanked us all for turning up” – P16 – the children are quite dedicated as they still turn up for school

-          “We were amazed when he told us the truth of a rimy morning” – P29 – shows how disconnected they are and shows they are excited to learn

-          “My friend Celia asked if there were black people there” – P24 – they want hope, so ask about black people

-          “He nodded in our direction, which was a sign for us to rise and applaud” – P27 – very respectful of their elders, namely the mothers who came into school and teach, and also Mr Watts

-          “…we realised there was nothing else to do but return to our normal routine” – P31 – symbolises innocence

-          “Everyone looked so see if he was wearing his red clown’s nose”

-          “For the younger kids, the sight consisted only of a white man towing a black woman……. Us older kids sensed a bigger picture”

-          “He allowed high spirits. But when he spoke we shut up.”

-          “Mr Watts had given us kids another piece of the world”

First Impressions

-          Thirst for knowledge

-          Helpful

-          Respectful

-          Obedient

Status / Jobs

-          Most are ignorant

-          Some went to join the rebels

-          Most stayed with their mothers

Strengths

-          Hopeful

-          Want knowledge – intelligence gives them a sense of excitement

Weaknesses

-          Weak

-          Emotional

-          Slightly annoying at times

-          Blissfully unaware of the rest of the world + life itself

Significance

-          Serves as something to fight for (for the mothers)

-          Almost made out to be desperate for an education

-          Emphasise the innocence of the people on the island

-          Petrified of the war and what the future holds for the island

-          Highlight the severity of the situation they are in (the war)

-          Portrayed as immature and innocent – especially Daniel who blurts out information about Pip which leads to Mr Watts’ death

-          The war emphasises the children’s role in the story

Mothers in the village

-          Knowledgeable

-          Some trust Mr Watts with teaching their children – they like him even more when they see a relation to God

-          Not all of the mums hate Great Expectations like Dolores does

-          Very religious – it’s all they know – it’s their way of hope and escape

-          “Mr Watts kindly gestured for her to carry on” – the mums are respected and Mr Watts knows that the children could benefit from her knowledge

-          Dolores hides Great Expectations – that could have saved Mr Watts’ life but instead it got burned

-          They pass their knowledge onto the children at the school

-          They trust their instincts and the old stories that they grew up on more than anything else – they have been betrayed and hurt by outsiders already

-          Protectors of the island

-          Their purpose is to help educate the children with possibly life saving lessons – this helps because the blockade is holding medicine/supplies

-          Symbolise goodness on the island despite the terror – they pull together

-          “Why am I telling you this, children? Because its stamen makes a fierce flame and keeps away the mosquitoes” (Mrs Kabui, P27)

-          Mabel’s mum is shown as a shy person

-          Mrs Masoi educates the children on how to cook – “To kill an octopus bite it above the eyes”

-          “[Mrs Masoi] was a large woman. She came through a doorway side-on.“

-          Mothers are friendly and provide homes for the children

-          Try to stay positive through the war

-          “She spoke softly and chose her words with great care”

-          “[Dolores] wore it tight around the back of her head which was the same way the rebels wore their bandanas. Her hair was in a tight bun. It gave her an air of defiance”

-          They use the islands resources without destroying it – as opposed to the miners who destroyed the island

-          Dolores uses common disliking to gain power and enforce leadership – no one appoints her as a leader

-          Like the voice of reason on the island

-          “Mabel’s mum gave a shy smile. She stood barefoot in a white blouse and a red skirt”

-          “as soon as she smiled you forgot the tear in the shoulder of her blouse and the marks left by the grubby fingers of a child”

-          They keep the children safe and are shown as the best part of the island

Daniel & His Grandmother

Daniel

Strengths

-          Honest

-          Sweet and innocent (innocence not necessarily a strength as it eventually gets him killed)

-          Interested in life outside of Bougainville

-          Showcases vulnerability of the children

-          Learning difficulty – “simple”

-          Symbolises innocence – the children shouldn’t know these sufferings – others have seen too much – links to the children being victims

-          Eager to learn

Weaknesses

-          Can’t keep his mouth shut- doesn’t know when to shut up- he doesn’t know what he’s doing

-          Stupid – Daniel said he saw the killing of Mr Watts after the soldier said ‘did anyone see this’ – naïve + defiant – “I saw it, Sir”, “He did not know Daniel was slow”

-          Plain, simple – “Where are your imaginations” - Daniel

-          Truthful – his actions result in the death of his grandma and himself

-          “Insolent” – arrogance – tries to be the ‘hero’ but becomes a victim

Symbolic Purpose

-          Symbolises brutality of the war

Relationships with others

-          What’s It Like To Be White? – blunt, tries to be truthful

-          He is intrigued by Mr Watts and his involvement on the island even though he is white and stands out to all villagers

-          He thinks of Mr Watts as a different species because he’s only used to being around black people

Key Quotations

-          “He did not know Daniel was slow”

-          “I saw it Sir” P174

-          “It was Daniel, looking pleased with himself” P174

-          “He had beaten the class mates with his answer”

-          “…and Daniel who looked so proud to be giving the answer”

-          “Daniel led the way. He looked so proud” P84

-          “I thought [the officer] might hit Daniel for being insolent. Instead he placed a hand on Daniel’s shoulder and instructed him to go with the soldiers to fetch this Mr Dickens”

-          “’Pip belongs to Mr Dickens, sir.’ Daniel blurted out” P84

-          “Daniel was the only one unaware of what was at stake” P86

Daniel’s Grandmother

Strengths

-          Loyal

-          Protective of Daniel – she wants to go with him when he gets taken away

-          Wary of Daniel’s sanity – “Sir let me go with my grandson. Please, sir”

-          She lives for Daniel

Pip & Dickens

Dickens

-          Although he gives them hope, he also ruins everything

-          Gave the children a false hope of another island

-          Significant because he gets many people killed

-          Considered important by the children but hated by the parents

-          A God-like figure to the children

-          A kind companion to Mr Watts

-          Threatening to Dolores as he appears to be replacing God in the children’s minds

Pip

-          Acted as hope for Matilda as they both dreamed of escaping

-          He became the main reason for Mr Watts’ death: “My name is Pip” – the redskins believed that Pip was a real person and wanted to know why he was being “hidden”

-          Pip was seen as a threat to the redskins as they believed he was a spy: “The man with sleepy eyes began asking questions…… was he a spy?” P139

-          Similarities: Matilda and Pip both wished for hope – they both wanted things to change for the better

-          First impression: kind and sharing – he lets the children in on his life

-          Matilda is very taken with Pip, and thinks of him in such a light that he seems real- she creates a clear image of him

Grace

First Impressions

-          The kids laugh at her

-          “He pulled a piece of rope attached to a trolley on which Mrs Pop Eye stood…. Like and ice queen” – she seemed above them all (significant) and she seemed mysterious – the idea of the queen: shows her separation from everyone else and suggests she is more important

-          She is black like everyone else but at the same time is very different – “Every woman on the island had crinkled hair, but Grace had straightened hers.” – shows she may be rich, or more important – also shows that she isn’t a true Bougainvillian

-          “She looked so proud” – clueless to her own poverty

-          “Mrs Pop Eye held a blue parasol”

-          “Mad as a goose”

-          Acts and seems like a Goddess – “didn’t pay us any attention. We weren’t worthy of that”

Relationships with others

-          Adores Mr Watts

-          Doesn’t socialise as much as Mr Watts – almost like she is too good for them

-          She is all Mr Watts has got

Status & Job

-          Apart from all the other Bougainvillians

-          Different from everyone else on the island – “she looked like an ice queen” – cold

Significance in the story

-          She keeps the reader guessing what she is like due to her reserved appearance

-          As we love Mr Watts’ character, we wonder why he worships her and loves her so much, as she is all he has on the island

Strengths

-          She is loved by Mr Watts – she is what stops him leaving the island

-          She made Mr Watts a more caring, respectful man

-          She was very intelligent and managed to make a life on the island

Weaknesses

-          Doesn’t get as involved with the villages as Mr Watts does.

-          Seems like she thinks she is above everyone else as she hasn’t got the time of day for other villagers

-          Had an affair with Mr Watts (when he already has a partner)- as we find out later in the book from June Watts

-          She couldn’t snap out of playing the Queen of Sheba – this is what made her not socialise

-          She was in a mental hospital at one time

Symbolic Purpose

-          She was the smartest out of all the people on the island for her generation

-          She was mad, everyone saw her as mental

-          She was mysterious

-          Symbolises health and loss

-          “Mr Watts said she looked through him without a flicker of recognition” – shows hurt

Key Quotations

-          “She looked like an ice queen. Nearly every woman on our island had crinkled hair, but Grace had straightened hers….. in the absence of a crown her hair did the trick. She looked so proud, as if she had no idea of her own bare feet……” P1

-          “’Grace is not my wife’s name,’ he said. ‘Everyone here knows her as Grace of course. But she changed it. Her name is Sheba. This happened many years ago, before you were born. Because of certain events, shall we say, and at a time in her life when she needed to make changes….” P63

-          “She was Grace and black like us”

-          “I hoped Sheba might eventually grow into her name”

-          “Mr Watts and Grace looked so young… but what was strange was Grace. She was smiling. I had never before seen her smile” P208

Rebels & Redskins

Facts & Key Quotations

-          Francis Ona and his rebels declared war on the copper mine and the mining company. This brought the redskins to the island.

-          Redskins isolated the island of Bougainville – “We were surrounded by sea, and while the redskins’ gunboats patrolled the coastline their helicopters flew overhead” P8

-          Some members of the B.R.A terrorised villages

-          They were irritating to the islanders – helicopters like ‘a swarm of flies’

-          Not all redskins wanted to continue fighting: “He was tired of being who he was: tired of his job, tired of this island, and the responsibility he carried” P101

-          The rambos become like children when they listen to Mr Watts’ story: “Those rambos has not heard a storytelling voice for years. The boys sat there, with their mouths and ears open to carb every word, their weapons resting on the ground in front of their bare feet like useless relics” P141-142

-          The redskins were very ill and injured from conflict and disease: “their officer observed through…..” P172   and    “Their uniforms were torn, many of them wore bandages” P171

-          Redskins don’t care for the locals: “One soldier snatched a banana out of a small boy’s hand” P172

-          “We saw they had a hostage. It was one of the rambos who had camped here.” P172

-          “Francis Ona and his rebels declared war on the………………….” P7

June Watts

Key Points

- “’Your husband had a big influence on me.’ ‘Tom did?’ She grunted like she had on the phone.” P204 – shows disbelief/doubt in Matilda’s praise of Mr Watts?

- “There was no intake of breath” – she doesn’t like talking about Mr Watts but she would do it to make Matilda happy.

- She is a smoker

- She is Mr Watts’ wife in England

- “Large slow moving women in white slacks”

- Like the opposite of Grace - does a lot of work and doesn’t laze around

- Now dislikes Mr Watts

- Mr Watts is ashamed about his past with June Watts (his affair with Grace) – that’s why he keeps it a secret – “He should have ended it with me instead of...”

- Matilda chooses to not tell June of Mr Watts’ death – “he was fine when I last saw him”

- She denounces everything that happened between her and Mr Watts – “It means nothing to me”

- Wake-up call for Matilda: shows her that Mr Watts wasn’t all she thought he was

- June knew Grace from the affair – she seemed to hate her

Key Quotations

-          “He was always laughing… it was like being in the presence of someone who was permanently pissed.” P206

-          “I married a weak man, Matilda… Tom was not a brave man” – this seems ironic as all through the book he is seen as a brave and strong character

-          “dead air of Mrs Watts’ living room”

-          “she frowned at the street”

-          “Mrs Watts pulled a face” – she doesn’t really want to talk to Matilda

-          “She did not smile back”

-          “That’s Tom in the Queen of Sheba. And that’s her there. Queen bloody Sheba”

-          “she couldn’t, wouldn’t- take your pick”

-          “Well, I’m over it all now. It’s all water under the bridge isn’t it. I have my own problems.” – like she doesn’t care anymore

-          “I had the scrapbook and it answers the mystery about the red nose”

-          “My husband was a fantasist”