Daniel
Strengths
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Honest
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Sweet and innocent (innocence not necessarily a
strength as it eventually gets him killed)
-
Interested in life outside of Bougainville
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Showcases vulnerability of the children
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Learning difficulty – “simple”
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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”
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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
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“He did not know Daniel was slow”
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“I saw it Sir” P174
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“It was Daniel, looking pleased with himself” P174
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“He had beaten the class mates with his answer”
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“…and Daniel who looked so proud to be giving
the answer”
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“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
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