Free Essays - Im the King of the Castle :: Kafka Castle Essays

I'm the King of the Castle While reading I'm the King of the Castle, I noticed that Susan Hill used many different techniques to put a point across, the most important being her use of imagery. However her writing also has many other qualities such as good structure and her ability to think like her characters. In addition she manages to build up tension and uses different ways of emphasising words or phrases. All of these factors contribute to her unique evocative style and add to her reputation of being a very talented writer. In chapter Eleven, paragraph thirty-eight, she describes vividly how Kingshaw feels sick with fright when Hooper locks him in the shed. "He retched, and then began to vomit, all over the sacks, the sick coming down his nose and choking him. It tasted bitter. He bent forwards, holding his stomach. When it finished he wiped his mouth on the sleeve of his shirt. He was shivering again." This passage is an example of her excellent use of imagery. She conjures up a picture of the scene as well as expressing Kingshaw's fears and senses in an evocative style by using a scene that we can all relate to and understand. An example of Susan Hill's good structure is at the very beginning of the novel, when Hooper and Kingshaw first meet, Hooper sends Kingshaw a note saying 'I didn't want you to come here'. This sets up the story line from the beginning, leading us to expect events to come. Then at the very end of the novel before Kingshaw commits suicide, Hopper sends him a final note saying ' Something will happen to you Kingshaw'. She shows the ability to be able to think like a child, which adds to the overall affect of the book because the main character is Kingshaw who is a child. This process of her thoughts gives us a wider understanding of Kingshaw's character and his thoughts. Examples of her thinking like a child appear in many forms in the novel. One of them is her use of childish language and grammar. "Now, he thought, I know what Hooper is really like. He's a baby.