A Blow A kiss analysis chart

A Blow, A Kiss – By Tim Winton
Literary Analysis Chart

Short story fiction narrative
Key idea -> Growing up, a moment in time, a right of passage, gender, parental influence, masculinity and Australian culture
Conventions
Quotation
Response
Point of View
-> Third person limited to the eyes of the child.
-> It directs us though his naive innocent perspective
“Just the smell of his Father”
->It appeals to the senses and most children are tactile beings and live through their senses, Winton has captured the character of the child, established the relationship and joy he finds in being with his father and the importance of a fathers role in his sons life within the fist paragraph.

Structure
-> Exposition establishes the desire of the boy to be with his father, the father son bond is obvious.
“It did not matter that they had…”
-> The image is visual reinforcing the perspective of the child it also allows the reader to identify the graphic details of the injuries/ the seriousness is highlighted
Plot
-> The fishing expedition is interrupted with the crash of the motorcycle. -> The development of the plot allows a comparison between the ideal father son and the relationship that is dysfunctional. That relationship is seen as almost stereotypical based on male bonding of not revealing emotion, teaching with the fist rather than the head and the result is the cycle continues.
“Against the blackness of the machine and leather Albie saw blood. They were the colour of bleeding pork.”

“Albie listened as the man began to weep until Albie thought he might be sick”
-> Albie recognises the mans pain and he is disturbed by the raw emotion that is exhibited by the man.
Albie’s Actions
-> Present a reflection of how his father has parented. He touches the man, he is gentle, reassuring and offers others comfort.
“He bent down and kissed the wet prickled face”

“Albie felt himself swell up”
-> Albie has been shown physical affection that is gentle and that is why he offers it to the stranger to ease his pain. It is a natural reaction and represents how he has been nurtured. His father responds physically to Albies distress, he is not afraid to touch his son in a gentle way.
-> The actions of the father have been mirrored in the son. Winton is reinforcing the father son relationship.
Setting
-> Establishes the nature of the environment. A typical country town isolated and rural.
“It was a fuel town at night, a farm town by day”

Character
-> The character of the injured boys father is revealed through the point of view, Albies insight presents an image of a drunken and violent man who does not know how to react to his son’s accident. He has no emotional resources except to resort to abuse and violence. There is no softness.
“Albie felt his shoulder squeezed”

“He was only helping you”

“Your lucky my dads going for help”

“The pub frightened Albie , from out on the veranda it was a raw, sour smell, unknown”

“Two men stumble out…”
“He wanted the man to see his son and weep like his son”

->The image of Alibies father or his character construction is established via the point of view and his actions or the language techniques
-> His fathers actions reassure Albie and giving comfort. The reader is aware of his horror as conveyed through the image of the pig. The bond between father and son is strong. Albies love and admiration are evident.
-> His adulation of his father is portrayed, his father is revealed as loving compassionate, who is calm in a crisis.
-> Winton’s use of sensual imagery is an important aspect in developing a positive nature of this relationship and in challenging what is deemed as the norm within Australian society. He views the focus on masculinity as destructive if it is based on physical violence and alcohol.

Language Techniques
-> Dialogue of Albies father.
-> Onomatopoeia
-> Diction and word choice (Bloody bitumen)
-> Simile (Like the sound of the malee root being tossed in)
-> Personification (Albie knew what it must be to be a rabbit)
-> Syntax (The sobbing stopped. Even the crickets paused.)
“He’s drunk like you, he’s hurt you bloody idiot”
-> The injured boys father is fighting with Albie. He is drunk and reacts with violence.
Structure
-> Build towards the climax.
->The actions of the men are violent and appear unnatural.
“The sound of the riders head being dropped onto the metal tray vibrated through the whole truck like the sound of a Mallee root being tossed in.”
-> Albie’s insight positions the reader to recognise there is something inappropriate about the fathers reaction. The lack of physical affection is missing. The innocent child has an instinctive understanding, that this type of behaviour is wrong.
-> The use of the senses shocks the reader into the realisation that the man has thrown his injured sons head against the metal tray, the reference to metal develops the violence of the action further

Resolution
-> Albie questions the behaviours and so does the reader. His father touches him lightly and gently; his touch is reassuring and contrasts to the reaction of the other father.
Point of View -> Albies parting comparison.

“That is how God would touch someone”
-> Winton has guided the reader via the structure and point of view. The reader compares the two experience and endorses one whilst rejecting the other.
-> The role of the father in shaping his sons behaviours is tantamount and that is reinforced in his final comment.
-> Like father like son our parents mould our behaviour. We imitate and learn social conditioning.