Look at the incident at Leydell Castle p 147 – 155
What happens to Kingshaw?
His confidence?
His feelings – perspective / feels generous towards Hooper
Exulting – depressed / deflated p 150 / showing off Hooper is right / realisation of Hooper’s
weakness in comparison to his strength for a change / desire for success / escape p 150-151 / sure of himself ‘of his own judgement’ / up here I’m the king, ‘any power he acquired would be only temporary.’ p 153
What is it about the place that the author describes that is so different to Warings and its surrounds?
His hope – – hopes dashed
His thoughts
His use of language – how does the author evoke the childishness of the scene? (Make you realise children are saying this?)
After Hooper falls – ‘king, King, king of the castle’ p 162
What happens to Hooper?
Competitiveness
Lack of confidence in this environment
Unable to let Kingshaw ‘win’
Freezes
Blames Kingshaw
Afraid of Kingshaw’s reactions – – falls
Other incidents in the story
Hooper has the upper hand and each time Kingshaw shows a weakness Hooper exploits it remorselessly e.g.
Crow – crow on bed p 30-38 Kingshaw’s fear
Rabbit – Hooper derides idea of souls – maggots p 86-88 Kingshaw’s disgust
Hooper hurts himself – pressurises Kingshaw into looking after him p 111 K’s honourableness
Then blames him for hurting him p127 Kingshaw’s sense of justice
Hooper finds out about the change of school and threatens him p 143 Removes his only security
K borrows the jigsaw – H somehow knows it p 185 Hooper’s superior’knowledge’
K hides in shed – Hooper locks him in p 136 Kingshaw’s lack of physical power
Yet any time Kingshaw actually has the upper hand he lets Hooper take it away from him or refuses to exploit it himself e.g.
On the stairs at the beginning p 27
At the pool in the wood when he could have left Hooper to drown p 104 para 2
At the castle when he is tempted to push Hooper off p 153-154
Or just events when Hooper lets Kingshaw know that it is his house and Kingshaw is just a temporary visitor e.g.
The scrap over the window p 21
The interrogation over his father’s status and finances p20-22
The whirlwind tour of the house p26-27
The Red room and knowing Kingshaw would hate it p38-41
The doll room p 45 line 1, p 48 para 3, p 53
Questions to consider:
- What is the title a reference to?
- How do children use it?
- Although Hooper never says it, does he think it?
- When Kingshaw thinks it what does he also realise?
- Does he have the temperament to be the ‘King’?
- So is the title appropriate?