Q) How does Bernard MacLaverty evoke sympathy for the protagonist in “Secrets”
A) Bernard MacLaverty’s “Secrets” is a coming of age story encapsulating the anecdote of an anonymous protagonist; a young boy who uncovers his Aunt’s secrets and as a result, has to face severe consequences. Through potent use of analepsis coupled with dramatic phraseology and striking imagery, Bernard MavLaverty elicits profound sympathy in the minds of the readers towards the young boy.
MacLaverty lucidly depicts the events that transpire in the past when the protagonist trespasses the personal space of his Aunt. He uses imagery to vividly portray the flashback with explicit details, underscoring the strong emotions that overwhelm Aunt Mary. The visual image and hyperbole in “eyes blazed” and kinesthetic image in “struck him across the side of the face” institute great intensity and hence invoke sympathy in the reader’s mind as the young boy is raged upon by his dearest person. Furthemore, dramatic diction is deployed when Aunt Mary “hisses” that he will “always be dirt” and she “will remember this till the day she dies”. By metaphorically comparing the child to “dirt”, the Aunt’s fury is highlighted, causing the readers to empathise towards the young boy whose reputation in the Aunt’s eyes changes from her beloved nephew to worthless scum.
The use of imagery is also prevalent in the scene where the Aunt is on her deathbed. MacLaverty accentuates the boy’s feelings of self-condemnation through the line “he was trembling with anger or sorrow”. The protagonist is so engulfed by his emotions that he is not sure whether he is angry “or” sad. His indeterminate sentiments signify how traumatic his Aunt’s rage was; it haunts him till the present. Moreover, his deep-rooted concern for his Aunt is discernible when he asks his mother “Did Aunt Mary say anything about me?”. By depicting the emotional impact his Aunt’s distrust had on the protagonist, MacLaverty heightens feelings of pity towards the boy.
Symbolism is integral to the story in evoking a sentimental response from the readers. Aunt Mary’s physical health is a concrete symbol of the relationship shared by the aunt and the boy. In the analepsis the narrator claims “her skin (was) fresh, her hair [was] white and waved and always well washed”. However, In the scene of the Aunt’s death in the present, her appearance is described as dreadfully frail and miserable —“her white hair was damped”, “her face seemed to have shrunk by half” and “the lower half of her face seemed to collapse. Her physical condition directly links to her relationship with her nephew, she is healthy when they are on good terms but is frail and dying when their relationship is in ruins. Similarly, there is a reference to vibrant vase of irises in the flashback which, in contrast, is dying in the present. These symbols are significant in highlighting the disparity in the relationship between the aunt and the child in the past and in the present, hence provoking a deepened sense of sympathy towards the protagonist.
Bernard MavLaverty also uses analepsis to paint an evocative image of the relationship between the aunt and the boy. She used to read him fairy tales and novels and trusted him doubtlessly when she kindly asked him to not open the letters and left him to himself. This portrayal of the fervent connection shared amongst the both of them helps underline how important the aunt is for the protagonist, consequently underscoring his grief. Hence, through precise details and a deft use of literary devices like imagery, symbolism and juxtaposition, MacLaverty elicits strong feelings of sympathy for the protagonist.
prepIGCSE 