Picture Words

'The pine forest fell silent...'
This picture word is so effective in creating the scene by using a metaphor. You think twice about the phrase because a pine forest can't literally 'fall silent'. It creates an eery atmosphere in your head making the text effective in creating a dark scene.

Examples of effective images created by words in 'A Bridge toWiseman's Cove'.

Chapter: Carl Matt, pg.284, para.1;
'Joy reached across, the warmth of her hand on his arm, a stark contrast to his own frozen flesh.'
James Moloney would have used these words to convey a deep message. Joy is full of all this love, even she's crying about Carl's mothers' death. But Carl is still in shock and doesn't feel love, he feels anger.
'..a stark contrast to his own frozen flesh' almost creates a barrier between his skin and hers, they are opposite.
The message Moloney is conveying is that you can persue change in another from giving what you know and feel.

Cahpter: A Bridge At Last, pg.270, para. 6;
'He wanted to deny it, but there was no breath inside him to force out the cry. Her words had reached round his heart and tugged the truth free, leaving himlight-headed.'
This phrase is effective because it is so realistic. You know the feeling of having no breath left in you to cry. You know the exact moment when some one is right and you have nothing left to fight for. James Moloney uses the perfect words to create this feeling inside you. Making it so effective in understanding how Car'l is feeling. The book becomes reality.

 

Images

'The hand was moving more slowly now...'

'Up over his shoulders, deep into the small of his back'
'...staring at her white freckled flesh'
'Felt the heat of her back, he'd never touched anyone like this'
'..he had to force the breath deep inside in his lungs to keep himself together'

Symbols

The beach would remind Carl of when he firstsaw Maddie and Justine. Maddie in her bikini's and how he felt so out place when he saw them.
The sailors cap was almost like a uniform, symbolising that he belonged somewhere, on the barge.
The barge would hold memories that he was needed, important. He was needed to wash and park the cars. It was the start to belonging somewhere.
Osprey symbolised Carl. He connected with it because they were so alike. Both wounded and hurt, not at home,waiting to be free.
Chains would remind Carl of Harley being tied up. He knew he was linked with Harley and had to break him free.
Sandbars would symbolise the determination Carl had to find his brother Harley. He had lost his mother and sister, he was not going to lose his brother, not with out trying to find him.
Cake would remind Carl of his brother Harley. That Harley finally fitted into Wattle bay/ Wiseman's Cove in  a positive way. He found something he was good at and interested in to keep him out of trouble.
Cake beaters represent the feeling of being normal. Justine referred to licking cake beaters 'something every normal kid has done'. It made him feel a sense of fitting in.
Suncream would remind Carl of sensation of a girl touching him. Being close to a girl, being liked.
Pizza represents friendship and belonging. He finally had friends and fitted in somewhere where he was cared for.

The Pine Forest

The memory of Carl and his mother creating a vege garden.That feeling he experienced when he got lost at the shopping mall and couldn't find his mother.

The moment his mother didn't come back after a week.
The moment when he came home and there was a second hand dealer talking his sister.
Being moved to another town because no one could support him and his brother.
Knowing his sister wasn't coming back.
The feeling and fear of not being loved by anyone, especially family.
Working hard to support him and his brother.
Becoming attached to the barge.
The moment where he heard we was 'needed'.
Losing the barge.
Losing his brother.

Losing his Aunty.
Anger.
All these things culminate Carl's personal journey of becoming who he is.

Being let down by his mother when she became uninterested in their vege patch - Because he was so excited she was interested in something to do with him, and she rejected.
The love he felt for Maddie - Being a first love to him, and how interesting she was to him.
The happiness of Justine - Because she was so happy go lucky and comfortable with how she was despite her weight and looks. He admired that, and sort of inspired him.
The osprey - Was so much like Carl. Hurt and wounded, insecure and out of place, ready to be free.
The Duncan's - For accepting him as himself, not judging him for being a Matt. They were the first people to

 love him, need him and care for him and his safety.
The picture of Kerry - The bruised and swollen, lifeless face. Having to accept that she was never coming back. The anger felt, knowing she was never going to love him.
These are events/memories that Carl will remember for the rest of his life.

Skip Duncan - hired him on the barge. Carl finally felt he was needed for once in his life, and that he was actually making a difference to something in a positive way.
Joy Duncan - accepted him as a person. She saw through the reputation he had and found the kind hearted boy he was. She gave him a sense of family and love.
Justine - opened his heart into being who he is. She helped him realised what he was feeling and why.
These characters made really important contributions to Carl's progess as a person.

Throughout 'A Bridge To Wiseman's Cove' Carl's learns to accept who he is.At the start of the novel Carl is insecure and independent. You don't know alot about him and seems really out of place. By the end of the novel you learn how he thinks and feels. He breaks out of these insecurities and you find out the real Carl.

Preconceptions

The Matt's are not 'rotten to the core'. This preconception was only made because of the accident and the effects it had on the rest of the family. This is proved by Carl's kind heart, and ambitions.

The Matt's should have gotten sympathy from Wattle Bay. Despite the fact that Des Matt killed the Duncan's son, no one knew the other side of the story. The reputation that Des Matt gave the family because of that day of the accident shouldn't stay with every Matt. No one accepted the fact that it was just a bit of mucking around gone wrong. Beryl grew up with no one accepting her as she was. People always judged for who she was. This effected how she was brought up. Maybe if she got some sympathy after the accident, she'd have been brought up differently, with more love in her.

To have preconceived ideas of people can cause future damage. You could miss out on the opportunities they could provide you with, the relationships you could share with them.  

Groups and people I preconceive in society are people of higher authority who are snobby. This impacts the way I treat them because I feel intimidated and as if all my rights are taken away, I get angry because of this and lose my respect for them.

The 'pygmalion effect' comes into play when making first impressions, where one rises to the level of expectations from another. This effect could impact in the future if you stop meeting them expectations and consequences are made because of this, or you fake meeting these expectations and one day reality hits.

Body Image

I don't think other kids in the novel would be concious of Carl's size because it hasn't been an issue for anyone else but him. With the media presenting only skinny 'perfect' body images, being over weight would be an insecurity for anyone. The other teens in the book accepted Justine as a person and she is considered obese, I think this is because she is comfortable with how she is. When Justine has the pizza night everyone talks to Carl despite his size. Carl's size does not effect anyone else in the book.

Freedom

Carl seeks freedom away from his repuation given by his last name, 'Matt'. He also has the ned for freedom to escape the responsibilities of his brother and having to support him, worrying about him parenting him. He seeks freedom by letting him stay at the Duncan's.

Kerry's need for freedom relates to being poor and not being able to support her family. She seeks freedom by abandoning her children and life and running away, with no explanation leaving her family to support themselves.

Sarah's freedom is similar to Kerry's. She is not a mother but is given the role of one when her mother leaves. At 18 she feels this role is too much and not right at this age. She seeks freedom by running away, lying that it was just a 'holiday' but just as her mother had done, she abandons her family.

Harley seeks freedom as a rebellious young boy trying to fit in. He takes advantage of the freedom he already has by getting into trouble all the time. That freedom is taken away when he is taken into the Duncan family in Wiseman's Cove.

Aunt Beryl's freedom relates to the stress Harley puts on her and the fact that she is also poor and has to support the boys as well. She seeks this freedom by taking Harley's child support and Carl's income.

Joy's need for freedom relates to accepting the 'Matts' for Skip's sake. She also want Skip to release the grudge he had on them. She seeks freedom by coming up with the idea of supporting Carl and Harley and showing how humane they can be.

Skip's need for freedom relates to competing and struggling to keep the barge. He works too hard for his physical strength. He seeks freedom by keeping Carl on the barge despite his history with the 'Matts' because he knows Carl is why the barge is doing better than before.

Maddie's need for freedom relates to isolation. She's deserted in Wiseman's Cove with certain restrictions. She seeks freedom by moving away to the city with her sister, where she will be able to have more freedom, as all teenagers want. She also wants freedom from love. Her boyfriend treats her unfairly and this is bringing her down. She seeks this freedom by breaking up with him, moving away will also help.

Justine has her own freedom. She's a happy-go-lucky girl who's comfortable as she is. She's overweight but has accepted that. I guess she seeks freedom from judgement of overweight people.