By Vihaan Kohli

THE CIRCUS AND SHED

IntroductionThe Shed and Circus were very significant settings in this book mainly as only after the incident at the Shed did Kingshaw started to think in a suicidal manner.

Also the circus is important as it transpires that the trip to the circus was a prelude to the big announcement that Mr Hooper and Mrs Kingshaw are to be married.

Shed

• At the breakfast table, Mr Hooper announces that Kingshaw will be going to the same school as Hooper from now on. Kingshaw is horrified. Not only did he love his old school, but now he has no escape from Hooper. He runs away from Warings and hides in a shed in some nearby allotments where he thinks he will be safe. Straightaway the door bangs closed and is locked from the outside. Kingshaw is trapped in the shed and left to surmise that Hooper must have locked him in.

• He doesn't know this for sure though, as his captor was silent, and pretty soon his imagination gets to work and he dreams up all sorts of gruesome things that could happen, like the things he has read about in the newspapers in the school library. He thinks about going to school with Hooper and is naturally fearful about what this might mean. He is so afraid that he vomits on the floor of the shed.

• “kingshaw ran down the drive, between the rhododendrons” pg 137. Rhododendrons symbolize caution and danger which was displayed after kingshaw entered the shed.• The description of the farmer with “bad teeth” and “hands like raw red meat” is something worth noting. Also the thought of someone sawing “both his feet and then leave him to bleed” displays how kingshaw is petrified and has begun to think about those ‘worse case scenarios’. This creates a very disturbing and eerie image in an individuals mind.

• Also the way Susan Hill chooses to describe a simple bruise on page 140 is noteworthy.

• It also stated indirectly that Kingshaw accidently killed an insect and then began to throw up. He also began to shiver, AGAIN. Which displays the extent to which he was frightened and uncomforted.

• Some time elapsed before Hooper returned and swung open the shed door. He tells Kingshaw he is late for lunch and had better hurry up. Back at the house Hooper tells Mrs Kingshaw they have been playing bandits. She doesn't notice how despondent her son is as he walks back to the house.

To sum it all up• Kingshaw + Hooper Same School• Kingshaw = Frustrated goes to shed• Hooper locks Kingshaw in the Shed• Kingshaw begins to overthink and gets petrified to such an extent that he vomits and begins to shiver.• Hooper finally unlocks him• Mrs. Kingshaw = Couldn’t care less

Circus• The whole 'family' go on a visit to the circus, despite the fact the Mrs Kingshaw is aware that Kingshaw is frightened by it. He hates the whole performance which reminds him of so many frightening experiences in his past. After the show, he is sick.• “nothing could have been worse than this” pg 208

• Here there are references made back to the crow. And the crow symbolizes death and its “scarlet” mouth danger. And as this event was not much before Kingshaws suicide, it was suggesting it. Also the circus was the prelude to the big announcement that drove Kingshaw to suicide.

• Reference to pg 208

• This event also revealed a lot more about Mrs. Kingsahws vital yet disgracing character.• Even though she knew that Kingshaw hated circuses and they made him feel sick, she still agreed to taking him there. “When he saw it, he thought Oh God, Oh God, let us not be going here” pg 207

• Clowns don’t always signify happy and cheerful personas. I mean, look at batman and joker.• Numerous paintings too have crying jokers and evil clowns.• And when the clown tried “handing him a balloon”, he was startled and Hooper “looked and slightly smiled at him, knowing” about his fear.• The clown could have been a good symbol too but as Kingshaw fell sick after, it is portrayed as a negative symbol.

To sum it all up• Family outing circus• Circus = prelude to big announcement• Mrs. Kingshaw once again, didn’t care about Kingshaw.• Kingshaw fell sick after the show• Crow = Foreshadowing• Joker may be a bad symbol• Hooper gets familiar with more of Kingshaws fears

Thank You