WWTBGN - Key Chapters

Question 1

Harvest
(Joanna)

Answer 1

• Dramatic + shocking
• Childlike focalisation
• Part of cyclical narrative (revisited at the end)
• Part of non-linear narrative structure
• Conventional crime opening (flashback, murder, violent)

Question 2

Flesh and Blood
(Jackson)

Answer 2

• Delayed revelation
• First appearance of Jackson Brodie
• Focalised through Brodie

Question 3

She would get the flowers herself
(Louise)

Answer 3

• First chapter focalised by Louise Monroe
• lots of class conscious backstory
• Louise is stereotype of tough (but vulnerable) female detective?
• Intertextual reference to ‘Mrs Dalloway’ by Virginia Wolf (female centred writer, stream of consciousness)

Question 4

Satis House
(Reggie)

Answer 4

• Focalised through Reggie
• Tragic backstory of Reggie’s mothers death
• Religious satire via Ms Mcdonald
• Intertextual reference
• Following chapter ‘Rapture Ready’ ironic linkage to Mrs McDonald

Question 5

Rapture Ready
(Reggie)

Answer 5

• Contrived?
• Coincidence?
• Plot device to ‘unite’ characters
• The ‘train crash’ chapter

Question 6

The discreet charm of the Bourgeoise
(Louise)

Answer 6

• “Give a medal to all the women” - feminist aspect
• Violent deaths cause by David Needler
• Unicorn magic themed birthday
• Intertextual reference to film about middle class manners. Reference to Bridget, Patrick’s middle class snob of a sister

Question 7

The celestial city
(Jackson)

Answer 7

• Jackson hovers between life and death
• Poetic style, shift in tone from previous
• Flashback to Niamh, Jackson’s sister.
• Religious element to Jackson’s time in hospital e.g. ‘Pilgrim’s progress’, ‘Jackson risen’ and ‘Adam lay ybounden’
• unconventional for novel to have incapacitate protagonist.

Question 8

Reggie Chase, Girl Detective (Reggie)

Answer 8

• Later we have “Reggie Chase, Warrior virgin”
• Bright, vibrant title - feels quaint, ironic?
• Lots of old fashioned “detective work” here - but from unconventional protagonist
• Bright, vibrant title - feels quaint, ironic?

Question 9

Jackson Risen
(Jackson)

Answer 9

• First description of Tessa
• Lots of backstory re: Tessa/Bernie (the con)

Question 10

Grave Danger
(Joanna)

Answer 10

• Strange flashback chapter as Joanna remembers her childhood
• Why important? typical of mood shifts, time shifts, focalisation shifts (post modern fractured narrative)

Question 11

Abide with me
(Joanna)

Answer 11

• Another flashback focalised via Joanna
• First mention of where Joanna is now (i.e. Kidnapped)
  “the lumpy mattress they were sharing”

Question 12

High Noon
(Jackson)

Answer 12

• Intertextual reference to Western “Shoot out”
• Jackson + Reggie track Joanna + she ends chapter walking towards him, covered in blood

Question 13

La Regle du Jeu
(Joanna)

Answer 13

• Joanna’s violent escape from her captors
• Note: this occurs before ‘High Noon’ but appears later in the novel, fractured post-modern narrative style.
• Intertextual reference to French film.

Question 14

Christmas ‘Part’

Answer 14

• Gentle CODA to novel - goodwill etc - but death of Marcus? Uneven tone?
• ‘The rising of the sun, the running of the deer’ carol
• Good bless us everyone, Billy, Christmas Carol
• Brodie’s link to Joanna
• “Safely gathered in” goes back to 1976, cyclical structure
• “And Scout” (final chapter