Stone Cold

Cristy Yun ! Describe an interesting character in the novel. Explain why you find this character interesting. ! In the novel 'Stone Cold' by Robert Swindells, a character I find interesting is Link. He is homeless and alone on the streets of London after troubles at home leave him hurt and unloved. I find Link as an interesting character because of his naivety when he first arrives in London, the way he manages to overcome the obstacles of living on the streets of London and how he becomes more independent and streetwise over time, gaining insight into life. Swindell uses Link to highlight the plight of the homeless so that the reader can better understand them, work towards rehabilitating them and including them back into society. ! Link is an interesting character because of his naivety when he arrives in London. Link narrates the story retrospectively, showing that he is aware of the mistakes he makes and highlights his naivety even more. He makes an impulsive decision to leave home, without realising the harshness of the big world, outside the family home. This is shown when Link arrives in London in mid-winter and he realises that it's, 'Not a good idea'; he is also quite happy and confident that he'll be able to last till he finds a job with just, 'a hundred and fifty quid'. Link sees himself as, 'dead green', this metaphor shows that he is unaware and inexperienced. The word 'dead' with negative connotations foreshadows the danger he is in and links to his eventual battle with Shelter. Furthermore, when he accepted the deal made by the landlord for, 'fifty a week' he was, 'thankful at the time', as he had a place to lay his head and to keep out of the...