The Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender and Parrot: Lawyers and Criminals
The distinctive voices, inherent in any text/s, can be deconstructed to develop an understanding which may authorize, confront or challenge society’s values and/or beliefs within a given context. A text may promote obvious distinction between the authorial voice and character's viewpoint. This is important in life as our understanding of life, society and the world we live in is shaped by our interpretations of the spoken word. The texts “The life and crimes of Harry Lavender” by Marele Day and “Parrot” a scene out of a BBC skit written by John Clease both clearly explore the variety of distinctive voices from the impoverished criminal to the empowered, educated lawyers. The language is familiar and relevant to the audience and engages, entertain and inform. The characterization and purpose is enhanced through the diverse dialogue to explore important issues in life such as corruption, manipulation and justice.
Claudia Valentine is smart, clever, thoughtful, strong, assertive and ruthless private investigator that manipulates her voice in order the gain information about the death of Mark Banister. Day uses the character of Claudia to express her purpose of commenting on the development of Sydney, the use of new technology and the rise feminism in he 1970-80’s. The humour and wit of Claudia is entertaining with the puns “curse, cursor” to illustrate the twin aspect of her investigation. It highlights the curse of crime and is linked to the computer jargon of the curser on the screen. Day also challenges the stereotypical role of a female by, making Claudia the though female detective and not the general thought male detective in crime genres. “There was a good looking blond in there as well”. This quote is form the very first page of the novel where we get a slight description of the main character. The reader’s initial decision would be that the character is a male due to the general stereotypical description of the person in the bed. But further on we read
Claudia Valentine is smart, clever, thoughtful, strong, assertive and ruthless private investigator that manipulates her voice in order the gain information about the death of Mark Banister. Day uses the character of Claudia to express her purpose of commenting on the development of Sydney, the use of new technology and the rise feminism in he 1970-80’s. The humour and wit of Claudia is entertaining with the puns “curse, cursor” to illustrate the twin aspect of her investigation. It highlights the curse of crime and is linked to the computer jargon of the curser on the screen. Day also challenges the stereotypical role of a female by, making Claudia the though female detective and not the general thought male detective in crime genres. “There was a good looking blond in there as well”. This quote is form the very first page of the novel where we get a slight description of the main character. The reader’s initial decision would be that the character is a male due to the general stereotypical description of the person in the bed. But further on we read