Is Hooper Responsible for Kingshaws Murder Essay Example
How far do you agree with the idea that Hooper is entirely responsible for Kingshaw’s suicide?
The build up of Hooper’s psychological torment towards Kingshaw was the trigger for his suicide. However, Kingshaw is also slightly responsible because he has quite a weak character, making him vulnerable to Hooper’s attack. Kingshaw’s mother Mrs Kingshaw and Edmund’s father Mr Hooper are also accountable when it comes to responsibility, because of their inability to notice the problems going on between Kingshaw and Hooper.
Edmund Hooper quietly but effectively tortures Kingshaw from the moment he arrives, giving him a note saying ‘I didn’t want you to come here’ before he even got to know Kingshaw. Over the period of time that Kingshaw is staying at Warings, Hooper picks away at Kingshaw, slowly wearing him down, ‘and having Hooper come with him, taunting and bullying, wearing him down, was the worst thing he could imagine.’ Hooper uses comments and actions, even if they are minuscule, to get inside Kingshaw’s head. Kingshaw saying it was the ‘worst thing’ he could imagine emphasises how bad it is, because Kingshaw has been through some hard times in his life. Kingshaw can’t get away from Hooper, ‘he would wait and watch and listen, there would be no way of escaping without his knowledge.’ Kingshaw is like the prey, Hooper the predator tormenting its prey before it strikes, and maybe for Kingshaw the only escape is suicide.
It would be easy to assume that Hooper is entirely responsible for Kingshaw’s suicide, and that is partly down to the technique Hill uses in the novel. Hill allows the reader access to Kingshaw’s feelings and emotions throughout most of the book, which makes it easier for the reader to relate to Kingshaw and be slightly biased towards him. There is not much input about how Hooper is feeling when he does horrible things to Kingshaw, but if we did have more access to what he was thinking, there may be a reason for his actions which may make the
The build up of Hooper’s psychological torment towards Kingshaw was the trigger for his suicide. However, Kingshaw is also slightly responsible because he has quite a weak character, making him vulnerable to Hooper’s attack. Kingshaw’s mother Mrs Kingshaw and Edmund’s father Mr Hooper are also accountable when it comes to responsibility, because of their inability to notice the problems going on between Kingshaw and Hooper.
Edmund Hooper quietly but effectively tortures Kingshaw from the moment he arrives, giving him a note saying ‘I didn’t want you to come here’ before he even got to know Kingshaw. Over the period of time that Kingshaw is staying at Warings, Hooper picks away at Kingshaw, slowly wearing him down, ‘and having Hooper come with him, taunting and bullying, wearing him down, was the worst thing he could imagine.’ Hooper uses comments and actions, even if they are minuscule, to get inside Kingshaw’s head. Kingshaw saying it was the ‘worst thing’ he could imagine emphasises how bad it is, because Kingshaw has been through some hard times in his life. Kingshaw can’t get away from Hooper, ‘he would wait and watch and listen, there would be no way of escaping without his knowledge.’ Kingshaw is like the prey, Hooper the predator tormenting its prey before it strikes, and maybe for Kingshaw the only escape is suicide.
It would be easy to assume that Hooper is entirely responsible for Kingshaw’s suicide, and that is partly down to the technique Hill uses in the novel. Hill allows the reader access to Kingshaw’s feelings and emotions throughout most of the book, which makes it easier for the reader to relate to Kingshaw and be slightly biased towards him. There is not much input about how Hooper is feeling when he does horrible things to Kingshaw, but if we did have more access to what he was thinking, there may be a reason for his actions which may make the