42-83

A

alco- short for alcoholic - 53

anorak- hooded waterproof parka - 74


'Leanne moves, every part of her jumps, like a puppet whose strings have been tapped. She raises her hand'. (70)

Example of a similie. 'Like a puppet', is her daughter Leanne.


'Leanne tries to smell the air between them, but her nose is still full of the mountains'.

This is metaphoracle language, she is saying that she can't sense anything because she is still full of her latest adventure. (64)


'She's the only white woman' (54)

This is a symbol. For her discomfort. She always claims not to be racist or uncomfortable in any way, however, I think that she's just uncomfortable with the fact that 'they don't talk'. She thinks that like their population in her country, their silence is growing larger as well.



''You've no right to lecture me, mum.'

'I know."


This quote is the developing plot in two lines. Paula's relationship with her children is growing in intensity, and we're starting to get more backgroung on them. And when she tries to tell Leanne that she shouldn't drink, Leanne throws it back at her.


Likewise, the theme of the book overall that had been protruding from Paula's mind is the theme of cycles. That everything happens again, and that if you don't stop something, eventually, there will be a ripple effect, and it will continue to repeat over and over again.


B


Like I said before, Paula’s past is beginning to re emerge and with flashbacks of her children leaving, coming back and leaving again, we begin to see some patterns. Paula, for example, is proud of her progress at avoiding the bottle. Her daughter Leanne, however, is not. She took a whole hour, according to Paula to yell and throw old events back into her mother’s face- things that Paula didn’t believe were legitimate anymore. Furthermore, Paula cannot protect herself from the onslaught of insults and old wounds being reopened. Leanne seems to be the antagonist in the story so far. Also, another character that I just don’t like right now is Paula’s sister Caramel. The one with money, who doesn’t consciously do it, but flaunts it. She always offers not so inconspicuous ‘let me help you, and I’ll be a great person and everyone will love me’ hints. For some reason, that really bugs me. She seems nice enough, and the funny thing is that I probably would have done the same thing for a sister who was so low. But for some reason, (probably because it’s in Paula’s point of view) I can’t stand her. So, Paula also had another child as well, John Paul. He is a heroin addict- and he disappeared for a few years off of Paula’s radar. And the reader got a look at him briefly, when there was a small amount of dialogue between Paula and he. It was the two of them discussing which of them was clean now. Turns out, it was actually John Paul. So yes, very odd, interesting book so far.