How Appropriate Is the Title Spies Essays

How Appropriate Is the Title Spies Essays How Appropriate Is the Title Spies Essay How Appropriate Is the Title Spies Essay Certainly there Is a clear hierarchy of spying within the book, starting with the minor characters, such as the children In the close who also participate In paying. They spy on each other and adults and make clear assumptions on their actively. Indeed when a police man visits the close the children take It Into their own hands to speculate the reason for his visit that peeping Tom was hanging around again last night, the fact that its children spying makes it seem mischievous and less Similarly, the game of spying is usually associated as a game that young serious. Sys would play: Frayne shows that is not always the case. Barbara Berries is presented as a typical young girl pulling girlish faces and making girlish gestures. Frayne repeatedly showed her as giggling and described her leather bag as having a girlishly quality to it, but Barbara was also involved in the interfering act of spying l always know if youre hiding in here. Frayne adds a new dimension to the theme of spying sh owing that everyone is guilty of it. Its not just children in the novel who are involved in the act of spying the adults are also seen as types of spies. Keith and Stephen both believed Kiths parents were some sort of spies Keith states that his father was involved with the secret service ND they both believed Mrs. Hayward was a German spy. Although we know at the end of the novel that Kiths mother was not in fact a German spy and we do not truly know If Kiths father was actually involved in the secret service, this assumption of the two characters relates them to the theme and title of the novel. Thought the novel Stephen talks highly of Kiths family but mentions little of his own. He finds his own family boring doing a Job, too dull to describe Stephen finds his family, too ordinary. The little we do know about his father Is that he was Like omen mild natured furry animal In the last chapter of the novel we discover that Stephens perceptions of his family were entirely wrong actually there were two German spies In the close. We uncover that Stephens father was from Germany and was working for the British military Intelligence. The title of the novel Is plural which Is appropriate as all characters participate In the aspect of spying In terms of context the title Is hugely relevant. The lives of the children are set In world war two. During those times children were surrounded by propaganda of the war and knew of he war effort. Children probably knew that their country was fighting an enemy but didnt truly know the whole facts of the situation similarly to when the children in the close knew there were neighbors living in the street that were different to the rest AT ten monologues. I en CNN learn Dealer ten strange residents were Juice we as readers know that they mean Jews. In the end of the novel we find out the true facts which were that they were actually Greeks. During the war the children were likely to know that something dangerous was going on and my have felt unsafe in their roundings this may have led to the reason why many of the children in the novel feel the need to spy. They may feel that that they can not trust any one not even their own parents as they could be the enemy. The term spy can be seen in two ways, an important person on a secret mission or a deceitful person who is disloyal. There are many examples of deceitfulness throughout the novel. Stephen appears to be Kiths best friend and sticks by him even though no one else likes him everyone except you really hates him but his loyalty seems to fade towards the end of the evolve. When the children in the close harass Keith on the appearance of the policeman, Stephen knows he should speak up and explain the situation but chooses not to, Vive ceased to be his friend; Vive become one of the mob. Stephen knows he is Kiths only friend and decides not to help him in his time of need. Mrs. Hayward is presented by Stephen as almost angelic grace and serenity but she is not what she seems. Her calmness and tranquility is false, behind her perfect exterior hides a life of violence and torture from her controlling husband. Although she is portrayed as Ewing very feminine and elegant, Stephen describes her as having grace and composure, Mrs. Hayward has an immense amount of self control. When she sees Mr. Hayward holding the basket she shows no reaction of panic Oh thank you she says calmly. Knowing what may lay a head of her, will be a terrifying ordeal from her husband Mrs. Hayward reacts very courageous, far from the simple, polished house wife Stephen portrayed her to be. Although Keith and Stephens allegations of Mrs. Hayward being a German spy were a bit far fetched, Stephen and Keith were right n the fact that she was up to something secretive. Mrs. Hayward was clandestinely visiting Uncle Peter in the barns behind her husbands back. She then stops the visits when Mr. Hayward finds out, she not only deceives her husband by these surreptitious visits, she also betrays Uncle Peter by turning her back on him and not visiting. The title can be seen in many ways. It can be seen as summing up the theme of the book which the title of spies succeeded in very well. Stating the main theme at the beginning of the book encourages the reader to focus on it. If the title of spies was named after another theme such as childhood the reader would focus more on the childhood elements of the book and may miss out essential bits. To conclude I believe spies is an appropriate title for this novel as it sums up the book in one simple word. It describes the characters and theme, and it adds mystery right from the very beginning. The word spies implies someone uncovering something secretive which grabs the readers attention before they have even read it! The story its self is a simple one so a short, simple title fits in well.