First Impression of narrator

First Impression of narrator

1. First person narrative- We are let in the mind frame of the protagonist here.. Therefore we start to develop a bond to the protagonist

2. 'Claws its way out' - we get this sense that the protagonist has tried to bury the past, though he hasn't been successful.

3. The readers interest is captured through his declaration: 'I became what I am today at the age of twelve'. we immediately question the significance of his age at twelve. This curiosity engages the reader with the life of the protagonist.

4. A feeling of empathy is evoked in the reader through symbolism. This is manifested through the image of the 'frozen creek' . Just as the 'creek' is 'frozen' he similarly finds himself frozen in the same moment; he is unable to move forward with time.

5. Through the personification we are able to get an insight in the protagonists mind. Thus, in his mind he views the past almost as a monster, it tries to ' claw its way out'. Through this we are able to see the significance of the past.

6. Time is given a huge significance, throughout the paragraph we repeatedly see this as a motif. this may be significant as it represents the protagonist struggle to keep up with time. But also to emphasise the severity of that moment in contrast to the time that has passed so that he still finds himself in the past.

7. The idea that the protagonist remembers ' the precise moment' creates the sense that they have visited the past several times, it is something that is bothering the protagonists conscience. we see the extent to which it is having an impact on the protagonist.

8. The tone of the narrator is revealing: through the passage we are met with a great amount of comas that provide a break. This may reflect the state of the protagonist they feel broken, thus their words manifest the same.