Carefully read and annotate Norma’s meeting with Mr Hands in Chapter 13 (pg 209-229)

How does Rawle create tension in this chapter?

Consider:

– The description of Mr Hands and his home.

The name of Mr Hands describes his licentious, groping nature. In fact, the description of Norma entering Mr Hands’ building, going up the stairs, find his flat and going inside, takes up more than 4 pages; a lot of space and time for an action that could take just a few seconds and and maybe a paragraph of words.The description of the house could also reinforce gender stereotypes in the novel as the house run by women such as Norma and Mary are well kept but for a bachelor such as Mr Hands, the lack a feminine presence takes away any attempt to keep the house a home. Norma wishes to have her photograph taken by a “Mr. Hands,” a charlatan that would prove to be villainous. In rebuffing Hands’ predatory advances during a photo-shoot, Norma bludgeons him on the head with a high-heel shoe and flees, thinking that she murdered him. But Hands eventually returns, as if from the dead, to ruin the day.Graham Rowle gives the readers a chance to unpack possible deeper meanings of Mr Hands intentions, the characteristics of the unreliable narrator and the underlying tragedy and threat masked by comedy in the extract.

• On occasion, the text gets in the way of the narrative. For example, on page 319, when the suspense is high and we are not sure if Mr. Hands is indeed dead, we observe a boy carrying Sugar Puffs cereal under his arm. This is followed by, “Sugar Puffs are the tasty breakfast treat made from crisp wheat puffs glistening with sugar and golden honey! Energizing honey — to give kids extra ‘go’!”

– Norma’s narrative voice & the use of irony

Although Norma feels so pleased when the stranger complimented her and without knowing him well enough she was courageous to stay and chat with him. “Page 62 “ i began blushing and threw up my hands with a little tinkling, knowledgeable laugh” “ Hans went up to order our tea while I sat down near the window….”. Norma’s voice, is skeptical from the beginning of the chapter and this can be observed from the fact that she cannot find the right name of Mr Hands on the door as what she should be finding wherein she slowly starts doubting herself.