an investigation into the emotional involvement of young people in local political issues through an...
TRANSCRIPT
CHEMICAL WARFARE:An investigation into the emotional involvement of
young people in local political issues through an
examination of Nancekuke by John Branfield
Introduction
Young people and political involvement
Commitment to perceived ‘just cause’
Organisation of paper – background
-Helen’s play - Conclusion
Background John Branfield’s writing – time and
place
Writing early 1970s
First novel for young people
Introduction into narrative of Nancekuke as place
Insertion of Helen into location as part of her identity construct
Environment: Helen’s externalidentity from place
Building metaphors
From home
To wider landscape
– Nancekuke as home
Oppositional –
Nancekuke research station as
threat
Maturation: Helen’s internal identity
‘building’ Helen’s
character and
identity
Personal –
romantic
fantasy
Cause – anti-
gas action
Shared activism – drama group
Helen’s Play
Inspired by Anti-Gas Action (AGA)
Father’s death
Inextricable emotional
involvement with Bill and
Mike
Bill as fantasy
Mike - romance
Conclusion Key moments contribute to Helen’s maturation
Dramatic impact of change reflected in literal drama
Growing understanding of what is possible
Acceptance of unresolved outcome
Helen’s emotional involvement integral to her political action
Nancekuke from the air
Images from http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/sites/p/portreath/nancekuke.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/sites/p/portreath/index1.html&usg=__L8NlrYkOUdL_c8AFeVLa8VgoZqI=&h=407&w=598&sz=50&hl=en&start=6&sig2=mNdZmtSYGDN5Ln90BjIZNQ&itbs=1&tbnid=esFztwnyXM5dSM:&tbnh=92&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnancekuke%2Bcornwall%26hl%3Den%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1&ei=fpkQTJvZCM-csgbUqdzRBw
‘We [referring to himself and his then teenage daughter] think there is a need for novels for and about young people, with contemporary settings and about real issues‘.(Branfield, Nancekuke Author's Note).
Road on the edge of Nancekuke airfield taken by Tony Atkins (attributed use under Creative Commons)
Dr Rachel Johnson . University of Worcester September 2010