Themes

Question 1

How does ness portray companionship in a monster calls?

Answer 1

1. “Why did you come then? Why bother coming at all?” [conor to father after finding out his visit is only a short stay]
2. “ ‘I don’t want to live with grandma’ Conor said, his voice suddenly strong and filled with a thickness that felt like it was choking him” [conor to father and finally saying he doesn’t want to live with gma-> outburst]
3. “Father reached for Conor’s shoulder, but Conor ducked it and tried to get away” [conor rejecting fathers attempt to show physical affection]
4. “Conor passed by grandmothers room…. Could hear her in there, weeping” [both of them cannot be there for each other when they need it.

Question 2

How does ness portray isolation in a monster calls?

Answer 2

1. “It was like a circle had opened up around him, a dead area with him in the centre, surrounded by land mines”
2. “She never looked at him, almost as if he didn’t exist”
3. “Like he was completely invisible to the rest of the world” [similie]
4. “I’m fine on my own” [conor to father. Conor does not want to get emotionally hurt again and sets up a physical barrier between him and father to make sure no boundaries are being over stepped—> use of isolation as a coping mechanism]

Question 3

How does ness portray the theme of acceptance vs denial in amc?

Answer 3

1. It’s just a nightmare ! [dismissive]
2. “I didn’t let her go!” Conor shouted, his voice cracking. “She just fell!”
3. It will heal her. I know it [medicine] will” {context- Conor’s gma was trying to ease Conor into accepting the situation)
4. It’ll [coming to terms with mothers death] kill me if i do