Friendship is a relationship that is needed in a society of ours. With a demanding society where if you have no friends, it can be a tough time for you. Friendship is much more than just hanging around with your mates; it allows living to be much more comfortable. Friendship is extremely underrated in a society of ours; we rely on our friends to have good times. Sometimes you can’t imagine life without those who care for you so dearly. To me friendship is something I don’t take for granted. Having a good quality conversation with your friend just about what happened on the weekend, can make you feel better, even seeing your friend giving you a friendly smile and wink can do a lot. Sports can sometimes be played with friends not just for the enjoyment of the sport but the enjoyment of your friends. Similar to exercise, friendship makes you feel better immediately. Society is not always a pleasant place, some people just want to see you depressed.
Friendship usually takes away those kind of people, they see you as someone that could be defended or shun their comment. You can be comfortable with your friends without regarding and thinking about your actions, it’s this feeling of comfort that allows you to live happily. When you’re a teenager your emotions are heightened so when your ego takes a hit, it takes a larger hit than usual. Comfort around people and friends can take you occasionally comfort-zone and keep us cheerful. Society and friendship tie together in strange ways, but we know that friendship is a crucial part in our life, just like our family. Comfort is the key to happiness and friendship, friends don’t make you think, and they make you happy. This is what I believe friendship means to me.
Questions 7-10
Seven:
1. Can you describe what is happening to Jamie? Read page 61 carefully and think about the source of “Strange words in another language.” Jamie is having a supernatural experience as he can hear a young girl’s voice echoing through the van. As it is very hot Jamie probably just thinks it’s because he’s half conscious. I think that when he said “strange words in another language” he really meant that he couldn’t understand what they were saying.
2. What is the function of the chapter to the narrative so far? Do you think it introduces new themes or ideas? The chapter introduces new themes and ideas and is trying to be the hook of the book. Butcher questions Jamie and the introduction of the mysterious girl. The previous chapter Jamie discovers the old boat and the seventh chapter tries to continue the same atmosphere as the last and the mysterious girl gives a sense of ghostly and supernatural themes. The fact that you don’t learn too much about the girl is set to be the hook of the reader and making you want to know about her more.
Eight:
1. McPherson says: “It’s the way things are.” What does he mean? McPherson means that things are strange and not usual in Port Barren. The history of Port Barren is usually like this; you can’t argue with Butcher, Butcher makes all the rules. McPherson believes that Butcher created things how they are and that is how it usually will be and how their history had been.
Nine:
1. What pulls Jamie back to the boat? Do you think Eaton should be giving more clues or does the development of the mysterious “feminine” voice keep you interested? Eaton didn’t really describe the feminine voice very well. It was drawing Jamie to the boat but this explained very well by the author as the reader is left with a dull explanation, which leaves the reader disappointed and un-interested.
1. Comment on the writing style of the chapter. What differences do you see in Eaton’s approach? How is suspense generated? Remember the technique that Eaton uses as he ends a chapter. Is this a successful strategy for readers? Eaton leads up to the moment when Jamie finds the boat and explores
it. Suspense is built up during the book by the way Jamie’s feet “has a life of their own” and takes him to the boat; it’s also created by how when he is on the boat he can hear the timber screeching. At the end of the chapter Eaton uses the cliff-hanger effect to make the reader want more.
Ten: The Boat
1. How would you describe Jamie’s and Cameron’s friendship? Jamie and Cameron’s friendship is healthy; they have regular chats with each other. They both respect each other. Cameron believes Jamie is not what he is said to be. Although at first, Cameron is quite careful of Jamie due to the orders voiced by Butcher to steer clear of him. Cameron doesn’t completely trust Jamie with what he says, especially with the vandalism and how he denied those accusations. When they meet on the wrecked ship, Jamie tells Cameron he is not what Butcher has said him to be, that all the rumours spread around town are false. When they talk on the boat, Jamie tells the truth of his story. Jamie has then earned Cameron’s trust which strengthens their relationship. As they both share their problems with the town, there is instantly something in common between them; helping each other understands what they are both going through.
2. Cameron is affected by the town’s past. How do you know? Cameron is affected by the town’s past, just like Jamie and the other kids in the town. When Jamie first settles in at Port Barren, he believes he is the only person and is unique to think that this town has a sense that something wrong. When he is pulled to the boat once again, he finds Cameron to have climbed on board after him, they talk for a while and Cameron says that he and all the other students feel the same way about Port Barren. “The first year or so after my old man moved up here I could barely concentrate about anything. That’s why I took up running.” This quite is very similar to how Jamie feels and shows that Jamie is not unique to think the way he was about Port Barren.
