Year 11 English, Unit 1 2013

Stony Heart Country

By David Metzenthen STUDENT COPY OF NOTES

INTRODUCTION
Written in THIRD PERSON makes the character of Aaron even more removed and distant. (Much more so than if he spoke directly to the reader.) Its done so we feel sympathy for the enemies and the home team.

SETTING
Rocky Rises A city businessman is employed by the bosses to sack the workers. The son who has seen it all before but gets caught up in it this time. The Knotts are the enemy and we are asked to have sympathy for the town of Rocky Rises. The catch? .

PLOT
This novel is about the clash between big business and small; between people and corporations; workers and management. Rex Walkers Quality Fashion Garments is owned and operated by Australia-wide Textiles Corporation, and is being targeted by Sandy Knott, a consultant paid to re-structure, and generally to recommend sacking workers in the interests of streamlining failing profit levels. His son Aaron has visited many such places before Los Angeles, Melbourne, Adelaide, New York, and is very aware of his fathers work and its likely outcomes. Whats different about this place Rocky Rises is how small it is. Theres nowhere for Aaron or his mum to hide from the aggressive suspicions of the locals. Only their neighbours, the Tollivers, are halfway civil towards them, despite the fact that Mick Tolliver stands to lose his job as well. Aaron becomes a reluctant friend to Bernie, Micks son, whom he feels should not be siding with him the enemy. And he becomes intrigued by Rose, Bernies beautiful sister, whos recovering from a breakdown, and whose offbeat ways are just the tonic Aaron needs to take his mind off the problems hes having with the angry kids like Kelly-Anne and Dean at school. The place even gets to Aarons mum, who hasnt worked for a few years but applies to take a nursing position at the local hospital.

As the weeks pass things get increasingly heated. Aaron is forced into three fights. The factory becomes the scene for demonstrations and dad seems exhausted. Then the Saab is run off the road and torched. What will be the outcome for the factory? And how will Aaron survive it all?
(Taken from the Penguin web site)

CHARACTERS
Lets just name them for a start The Enemies The Home Team

Detailed notes about the characters Name Details

STRUCTURE
The structure of this novel consists of a) a chronological sequence of events, and also b) uses the structural device of opposites, in which themes and characters are constantly juxtaposed. a) The chronological structure takes us through the story from Aarons arrival (at the Beginningof the story), which acts as a catalyst for the action. The Knott family are the outsiders and the enemy; they are instantly confronted by their opposites, the home team. We then move through a Middle, which traces rising tensions; to a series of incidents, moving towards a climax in the action, and then to a near Ending. But the action doesnt entirely resolve itself. We dont know what Sandys report says; we dont know what Aarons next move will be; what happened to Rose; whether Bernie will become an ace footballer; whether the Tollivers will lose their livelihood. b) Writers often use devices to set a trap, as it were, for the reader; to create a space in which action and conflict can happen. For example, this novel works from the premise that Aaron is going to be exposed in some way to how his fathers work really affects other people. So the writer had to set up Aaron to place him in a difficult situation. When the book opens, one wonders why he isnt at a boarding school, since his parents are wealthy and move a lot. The reasons for this are explained. (p 17) It is necessary to the plot for Aaron to be exposed to the local kids. The writer has to make this credible, though, or the book wouldnt work. So he included this information to make it credible, because thered be no conflict if Aaron only visited (for instance) on weekends.

The novel is inconclusive. The conflicts and the contrasts dont have a clear finality and this is an important part of the structure of the text. Where the chronological sequence seems to be moving towards resolution the complicated relationships mean that by the end of it all, were not sure who the enemies might be and who the friends will be. Were not even sure of what friendships will collapse. The novel demonstrates via the interweaving of these two structures that issues which divide modern society are often difficult to resolve because of the fact that they are not simply black or white. Incidents towards the end of the novel pile up, making the contradictions inherent in human behaviour clear. eg. Rose learns from Aaron that he has seen her mother visiting her babys grave, despite the fact that she has refused to acknowledge Roses baby; Mick helps Sandy, even though he is the enemy.

CONSIDER THIS: What are the strengths of the novel? What are its weaknesses? THEMES Here are some ideas. You add the details.. Are there any that are left out? Any that
are more important than others? Conflict. Its conflict between: o Workers and bosses o City and country how much power is really given to cities, leaving small rural communities at the whim of their larger counterparts o Rich and poor o Powerful and those without power o Commerce and culture o Between future/progress and the past (History and human values) War Country vs City. (In addition to conflict). o What other differences exist between country and city and what does Aaron notice? o The lack of understanding among city people of the real concerns of those in rural communities is a real issue to be addressed. Class structure. Would society improve is we could (1) admit that it exists and (2) get rid of it completely? (Knotts vs Tollivers) Youth and their view of the future. The complexity of issues Differences and people who dont fit in o Sandys car, Aarons clothes, the fact that he likes to draw and to skateboard when the other boys live for football o The way people adjust to please others or to fit in regardless of personal cost Real and fake are juxtaposed. (contrasted) What has value and what does not? Loss - Roses dead baby Juliette. How much power (political) can one person achieve? Does the response of one person have any power? Landscape

Some things to consider 1. One of the central issues in the novel is corporate versus individual. Is Aaron a fence-sitter or is he on both sides at once? Discuss. 2. He loved to skate Aaron Knott just loved to be moving Aaron liked not to think. It made a change from thinking too much. (p 6) Apart from normal worries like changing schools and girls, Aaron is worried about His old mans upcoming hatchet job. (p 7) Is Aaron simply disapproving of his fathers work, or does he feel a sense of guilt, as if he too is implicated in the pain his fathers work causes other people? 3. What is Roses haunting and enigmatic presence in the novel suggestive of to you? Why did Rose kiss Aaron? Was it for him, for her, or for both of them? 4. Humour is one way Aaron deals with his angst. Is humour a useful way to address problems? Can it help us to understand things, or to at least put them in perspective? 5. Michaelas queries about Rose at the football match may not have been as kind as they appear to be. Were they honest ones? Is she perhaps more interested in Aaron than in Bernie? Discuss. 6. There is a very strong metaphor of war; of enemies and friends running through this book. When Aaron plays football on the enemys side, does he upset this balance? Is this a turning point in the book? 7. Do you think Sandy might look for another job after this job is finished? Is this one the last straw for him and his family? 8. He figured it meant he could always come back. (p 209) are the last words in the novel. Discuss the reason for this being the concluding line. 9. What has Aaron learned even though he doesnt have the answers? (31) (Consider this in the light of the entire novel.)