Francis Flashcards
Intro
- First person narrative, we see events through his eyes
- There is a sense of mystery surrounding Francis’ mission to kill Larry, details are revealed gradually, creating suspense
- He lacks confidence in competitive situations such as sport
On Larry’s return to Frenchtown after the war, Francis goes to his apartment,
‘The gun is like a tumour on my thigh’
- On Larry’s return to Frenchtown after the war, Francis goes to his apartment,
- The use of the word tumour suggests that killing Larry would be like cutting out a cancer
‘I am calm my heartbeat is normal’
Francis goes to his apartment,
-Francis’ calmness contrasts to his previous sense of awe of Larry as well as his panic over meeting with Nicole
‘When I fell on that grenade, I wasn’t trying to save those GI’s, I saw my chance to end it all’
- Francis confesses to Larry what he has told no one else, that he wanted to die in the war,
- This explains why Francis refuses to accept that he is a hero
‘You couldn’t have stopped me, anyway, Francis. You were just a child
- Larry tries to make Francis feel better
- Francis aims his gun but he is taken aback by Larry’s attitude, there are elements of the old, kind, Larry but there is no regret for what he did to Nicole
‘My name is Francis Joseph Cassavant–and I have no face’
-use of first person
-understand Francis’ emotions more as he is the only viewpoint that we see from
The novel is told through Francis’ eyes
‘Then I am filled with guilt and shame knowing that I just prayed for the man I am going to kill’
- Slowly feeding clues about Francis’ mission adds suspense as at his point Larry la salle seems to be as hero
- We’re gradually fed clues as to why Francis carries a gun
‘I am not a hero of course, and I turn away in disgust’
- We wonder why Francis seems so guilty about Nicole as well as about his courage in the war
- The sense of mystery is heightened by not knowing why Nicole left and why Francis won’t accept himself as a hero
‘And I recognised in her eyes now what I could not deny betrayal’
-Francis’ hurt increases as he hears Larry whistling to himself, obviously feeling no sense of guilt
Francis is horrified by Nicole’s reaction as she rushes past him in the hallway
‘My head so heavy, pounding with blood, that I could barely nod–
-as if all my sins had been revealed and there was no forgiveness for them’
-The language used conveys a sense of intense suffering and the events explain Francis’ guilt, his hatred of Larry and his later search for Nicole
Francis sees Nicole four days after rape, she accuses him of that he should stop Larry
“I wear a scarf that covers the lower part of my face”
Even though he has injuries that he wants to cover up, he invites this idea of anonymity which pairs extremely well with the fact that he has a mission to kill Larry LaSalle. He may want to keep anonymous because him, Nicole and Larry know the truth of what happened that night: the rape Because of this, he feels embarrassed of this, and thus he covers up. You could argue that he wants to cover up, so that he leaves life without hassle
“I have no face”
- This short and simple phrase deliberately shocks the reader
- Because he “has no face” this intentionally brings the effects of war into the reader’s thoughts about the story, and how it has affected the character that badly.
MYSTERY quotes?
-‘I am not a hero of course, and I turn away in disgust’
‘Then I am filled with guilt and shame knowing that I just prayed for the man I am going to kill’
False image quotes?
- “I wear a scarf that covers the lower part of my face”
- “I have no face”
- ‘When I FELL on that grenade, I wasn’t trying to SAV£E those GI’s, I saw my CHANCE to end it all’
Guilt quotes?
- ‘My HEAD SO HEAVY’ -AS IF all my sins had been REVEALED and there was no FORGIVENESS for them’
- ‘And I RECOGNISED in her eyes, NOW what I COULD not DENY betrayal’
