Peeling The Onion Analytical Essay
Critical Analysis of ‘Peeling the Onion’
People change due to emotional causes, physical causes and mental causes. Some may have been in an accident while others may have lost a valued family member. In ‘Peeling the
Onion’ by Wendy Orr, the characters change and progress and the story brings us further and deeper into Anna, the protagonist’s world. Anna suffers from a nearfatal car accident, then breaks up with her boyfriend and falls behind in her studies. When she feels like she is ready to drown in the pain and the suffering, she slowly starts to climb back up, finding a new boyfriend who helps her look at the world from a different point of view. The novel is written in first person and the use of characterisation helps to bring the story to life. Anna, the protagonist, suffers the most change emotionally due to a near fatal accident and has to adjust to a new life. Hayden was an enthusiastic boyfriend before her accident, even kissing her and holding her in his arms.(The kiss is long and fantastic and I don’t think we can say we’re just friends anymorepg 1). However, after she has an accident, she find Hayden becoming more and more distant
’because you’re ashamed to be seen with a freak!’ ‘No!
Becauselook, i don’t need this! forget it, would you?’(pg. 86)
she frets over it and asks for advice from Jenny, her best friend but she just says that he is scared of hurting Anna.
However Anna isn’t reassured and goes out of her way to try and get closer to Hayden.
Eventually, Hayden lets it all out and complains that Anna wants everything to be perfect but doesn’t do anything for herself.
You know your problem, Anna? You want everything to be perfect. We could have and something good if you’d just given it a try!(pg. 141)
After that,
Hayden dumps her and leaves her crying. She does not accept it, but there is nothing she can do about it either. Caroline, Jenny and Anna. The unseparated trio that were separated by an accident.
People change due to emotional causes, physical causes and mental causes. Some may have been in an accident while others may have lost a valued family member. In ‘Peeling the
Onion’ by Wendy Orr, the characters change and progress and the story brings us further and deeper into Anna, the protagonist’s world. Anna suffers from a nearfatal car accident, then breaks up with her boyfriend and falls behind in her studies. When she feels like she is ready to drown in the pain and the suffering, she slowly starts to climb back up, finding a new boyfriend who helps her look at the world from a different point of view. The novel is written in first person and the use of characterisation helps to bring the story to life. Anna, the protagonist, suffers the most change emotionally due to a near fatal accident and has to adjust to a new life. Hayden was an enthusiastic boyfriend before her accident, even kissing her and holding her in his arms.(The kiss is long and fantastic and I don’t think we can say we’re just friends anymorepg 1). However, after she has an accident, she find Hayden becoming more and more distant
’because you’re ashamed to be seen with a freak!’ ‘No!
Becauselook, i don’t need this! forget it, would you?’(pg. 86)
she frets over it and asks for advice from Jenny, her best friend but she just says that he is scared of hurting Anna.
However Anna isn’t reassured and goes out of her way to try and get closer to Hayden.
Eventually, Hayden lets it all out and complains that Anna wants everything to be perfect but doesn’t do anything for herself.
You know your problem, Anna? You want everything to be perfect. We could have and something good if you’d just given it a try!(pg. 141)
After that,
Hayden dumps her and leaves her crying. She does not accept it, but there is nothing she can do about it either. Caroline, Jenny and Anna. The unseparated trio that were separated by an accident.