Broken Lives by Estelle Blackburn :: Character Analysis, Literary Analysis

The fourth Chapter of Estella Blackburns non fiction novel Broken lives A Fathers Influence, exposes readers to Eric Edgar Cooke and John outlets time of adolescence. The chapter juxtaposes the two main characters too provide the reader with character analyses so later they may make judgment on the verdict. The chapter includes accounts of the crimes and punishments that Cooke contended with from 1948 to 1958. Cookes psychiatric assessment that he received during one of his first convictions and his life after conviction, marring Sally Lavin. It also exposes John Buttons crime of truancy, and his escape from the UK to Australia. The chapter A Fathers Influence is constructed with several techniques including selection of detail, option of language, characterization, structure and writers point of view to reveal Blackburns values of social acceptance, parenting, family love, and a fathers influence. Consequently revealing her attitude that a childs upbringing and there parents inf luence alter the characterization of a child significantly.Blackburns choice of language is impetrative in positioning the reader to see Button as the Protagonist and Cooke as the antagonist. The thirteen year old blinked and stammered when he tried to attend the magistrates questions about why he was wagging school. The words blinked and stammered describing buttons actions encourage sympathy and an imagery of innocence. But now he felt vengeful too. He wanted to spoil things a little for those happy people who didnt suffer like he did, the words vengeful, and wanted to spoil associated with Cookes thoughts, encourage a menacing, and revengeful imagery of Cooke.