I am the king of the Castle

In 'I'm the Kings of the Castle' Susan Hill realized that in order for the book to be a success, the reader must feel sympathetic towards Kingshaw, so that they will believe in the likelihood of his suicide. She arouses the reader's sympathy through her narrative technique, the role of other characters and many other techniques that will be analyzed in the essay. Her skilful presentation of Kingshaw's story gives a disturbing insight into the potentially tragic consequences of a child's experience of cruelty and isolation. Hill employs narrative technique effectively in creating a sympathy for Kingshaw from the audience. Hill's control of the third person is effective in exaggerating Kingshaw's experiences. For example, the pivotal episode where Kingshaw is running away from the crow in the fields is portrayed in a way so as to evoke a sympathy for Kingshaw; "Kingshaw began to run, not caring now, if he trampled the corn, wanting to get away, down into the next field." Hill has emphasized the tone in the narrative voice, there is a sense of panic which is brought on by the overuse of commas. The third person narrative voice evoking this sense of panic and highlighting Kingshaw's frightening experience with the crow is significant ­ showing that Hill has attempted to write sympathetically for Kingshaw. Within the same scene, Hill has drawn Hooper away, presenting him as some distant evil and ultimately highlighting the protagonist­like character of Hooper. "He looked up. Hooper stood in the window of his bedroom. He watched and watched." Hill portrays Hooper with more obscurity, In contrast to the vividness that Kingshaw and his actions have been described. Hill describes Kingshaw's fears and anxieties through recognition of one's social situation, through the use of the reader's emotional response and by the fact that Kingshaw...