Literary

Assignment: The Knife of Never Letting Go V4E

Instructions

! Select any four questions to answer.

! You should count on writing about ten lines per answer (100 words or so)
! Answer in English and use full sentences (full sentences contain a finite
verb).
! You should refer to your novel in answering the questions.
! You will not be penalised for errors of spelling or grammar.

1. Noise is a motif that is central to The Knife of Never Letting Go, and all the different
implications of having your every thought broadcast to the world out loud is considered in
the novel.
Select any occurrence in the novel in which being troubled by noise influences the
outcome of the event and discuss how it does so. Please be both specific (not a general
comment on Noise, but a specific incident, please) and be empathetic (actually imagine
having to live with this phenomenon how would it feel? What would it do?).

2. Todd makes it clear at the start of the novel that he did not want Manchee for a dog. I
never said I wanted any dog, that what I said I wanted was for Cillian to finally fix the
fissionbike so I wouldn't have to walk every forsaken place in this stupid town, but oh, no,
happy birthday, Todd, here's a brand new puppy, Todd, and even tho you don't want him,
even tho you never asked for him, guess who has to feed him?
Select any specific incident in the novel in which you can actually tell that Todd has
changed his mind about Manchee since then, and explain how you can tell that he likes
his dog (or at least is starting to like him a bit better) now. Be specific about the incident
and what clues you have that the relationship between Todd and Manchee has
changed/is changing.



3. The Knife of Never Letting Go has been called a bildungsroman by critics which
means that it shows the development and change of its main character from immaturity to
maturity.
Select one event/incident in the novel that shows Todd as still relatively young and
undeveloped, and one where he seems to be much wiser and more mature and compare
the two. Again be specific in your choice of section from the novel and also about how
you form your opinions/conclusions.

4. A dystopia is a community or society that is undesirable or frightening. It is translated
as "not-good place." Select any two or three features of the world in which Todd is
growing up that make it a dystopia to you, and explain why. Be specific and explain
clearly (dont just say this is bad/obviously this is not good but make clear why or how
this is so).

5. Critics are mostly unable to place The Knife of Never Letting Go within a specific
genre. Is it fantasy fiction? An adventure story? SciFi or even a love story? Explain in
what genre you personally see the novel as fitting and support your opinion by
mentioning at least three distinct features of the novel.

6. Women are described as having a very different position to the men in the novel
both in Prentisstown and in the other towns. Pick any two ways in which women are
different from men in the world of the novel, and explain what you interpret this to say
about the position of women in our own world (so what message about the difference
between men and women in our contemporary world does it suggest to you,
personally?).

7. The Spackle in the novel are described by different people in different ways. One of the
first times Todd describes a Spackle he says: "he's tall and thin like in the vids, white skin,
long fingers and arms, the mouth midface where it ain't sposed to be, the ear flaps down by
the jaw, eyes blacker than swamp stones, lichen and moss growing where clothes should
be".
How do you see and interpret the Spackle? What impression are you left with regarding
their position in the story and what do they represent to you? Whatever interpretation
you personally give should be explained and demonstrated as valid by using specifics
from the novel.