Exploring Themes in 'The Knife of Never Letting Go': Love, Innocence, and Experience
Delve into the thought-provoking themes of love, innocence, and experience in "The Knife of Never Letting Go". Reflect on the impact of living in a world where thoughts are shared, the absence of women, and the journey of Todd Hewitt as the protagonist. Explore the concepts of love and the transition from innocence to experience, while also considering intertextuality and references to Shakespeare's "The Tempest".
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Presentation Transcript
An introduction to: THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO Thursday, 20 March 2025
TO BEGIN WITH Imagine a world in which all your thoughts could be heard by everyone. What thoughts strike you? Write them down. What would be good and what would be bad in this world?
Then: Imagine growing up in a world where there are no women and you are the youngest child you are now around 13 years old. What thoughts does this produce? Write them down, again as good and bad.
The author: PATRICK NESS http://www.patrickness.com/ Have a look around these pages and familiarise yourselves with the author. You can even follow him on TWITTER form this page.
The protagonist 1. The main character in a drama or other literary work. 2. In ancient Greek drama, the first actor to engage in dialogue with the chorus, in later dramas playing the main character and some minor characters as well. TODD HEWITT is the name of the boy at the heart of this world. Apart from his dog, Manchee, he is alone. His home is PRENTISSTOWN, a settlement in the NEW WORLD.
IDEAS: LOVE. The love of a parent for a child and the love of children for parents The romantic love between adults Love and friendship LOVE/HATE: what do you understand about this paradox?
INNOCENCE AND EXPERIENCE What do you imagine these ideas mean? What ages signify INNOCENCE to you? When does INNOCENCE begin to become EXPERIENCE?
INNOCENCE AND EXPERIENCE Read this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rite_of_passage Then consider what little rites of passage still exist in our society, at a range of ages. How do you think this links to the theme of INNOCENCE and EXPERIENCE?
INTERTEXTUALITY The way in which writers use references to other well known works to put ideas into the minds of the readers. SHAKESPEARE: THE TEMPEST Miranda: O wonder! How many goodly creatures are there here! How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world That has such people in't! Prospero: 'Tis new to thee. The innocent sense of wonder felt on seeing a NEW WORLD for the first time is tempered by the experience of those who know its reality.
TODD AND VIOLA More intertextuality. VIOLA is the protagonist of SHAKESPEARE s play TWELFTH NIGHT. She is shipwrecked, separated from her family and forced to disguise herself in order to remain safe. Look here at the plots of the two plays and write down what you think the links between them might be: http://www.shakespeare- online.com/plots/
