Gilberts Ghost Train Setting

The setting of Gilberts Ghost Train plays a large role in the novel because it sets a mood in
the novel and reflects the reader the emotions of the characters. The setting of a novel refers
to the place and time in which the action takes place.
The general backdrop of the novel is in a rural environment in Australia. The Dean familys
home is in Triggerton on a farmlet, a little farm(p.3). The setting of the novel is in a
country town. This is because country towns are isolated from bigger cities and big towns.
This reflects the emotions of Martin Dean the older brother of Dallas Dean. Martin feels
isolated and lonely without his little brother by his side. In the novel the mention of the
cemetery in Chapter One foreshadows what will happen later in the novel. This is because at
the start of the novel it mentions Dallass grave in the cemetery which indicates that
something bad will happen later in the novel. Also the novel mentions ghosts later in the
novel which also tells the reader a little bit about the later chapters.
Most of the action in the novel happens in Dallass bedroom. Which reflects the character of
Dallas because in his room he has steam trainspictures of them on his wall.(p.8). Dallas
is extremely sick and stays in his room all day every day. The reason why he is not in a
hospital is because it would be hard to bring Gilbert into the novel if Dallas was in a hospital.
Furthermore in hospitals either a nurse or doctor is with you all the time so Dallas and Martin
could not have private conversations without someone else listening. Dallass bedroom
indicates to the reader that he likes steam trains, weird books and television shows. Dallass
bedroom is a symbol of how Dallas used to be because now he doesnt have enough energy
to draw or read or write.
In the old railway station near the Dean family house is an old black steam train. In the novel
the reader learns that the old steam train engine stands in Triggerton gardensit doesnt go
any more and it cant go anywhere(p.1). In the novel the old railway station is an important
part in the novel because it is where Martin meets Gilbert. Also because it is the place where
Martin goes to see if anything has changed so he can notify Dallas. It is also where Gilbert
tells Martin and Dallas some of his stories from when he was in the Army and working with
other steam trains. The old railway station represents the journey of Martin because he used
to tell Dallas to go away but now he is on the train journey to caring about Dallas. In the
novel Martin starts with telling the reader about how he used to act towards Dallas which
represents where he was waiting for the train at the old railway station. Later in the book as
Dallas got more and sicker Martin started looking after him instead of telling him to go away,
which represents Martin getting on the train and taking the journey to the station of loving
and caring Dallas. This is why the old railway station represents Martins emotions and how
they change towards Dallas.
In this novel modern times and use of flashbacks are used to recount the time and year of
Dallass death. The novel is set in the modern times of the 1990s. The reader is told this by
we like footy and cricketHoldens, we like American wrestling on TV The X-
files.(p.23). The modern time setting of this novel accentuates that Gilbert is from another
era because in the 1990s they did not wear country /cowboy clothing also they did not have
State Express tobacco. Gilbert is also telling stories from about fifty years ago but he looks
like he is in his twenties.
In the beginning and end of the novel it is set after Dallass death, and the author uses the
narrative technique of a flashback to recount the year and time of Dallass death. At the
beginning of the novel Martin tells the reader OK. So we go back. We go back over a
year.(p.4) and the novel then jumps back a year in time. The author uses this technique
because it is more engaging and it often makes more sense to the reader. Also it allows the
author to describe the setting of the novel and not feel rushed to get to the action. This
technique has an engaging effect as the main character of the novel is able to talk to the
reader and is able to show more emotions to the reader how he feels.
The novel shows that Gilbert seems to come from a different time era. We know this because
in the novel Martin describes him as wearing a dark brown hat and baggy, olive-coloured
trousers. And a white shirt under a dark green coat. Plus wide brown braces. He looks like
hes stepped out of an old Australian movie.(p.14) Gilbert has come from a different time
era because he wants to save Dallas, the third soldier that he failed to save from the war.
Gilberts role in the novel is to help Dallas before he saves him and takes him to a better
place. In the novel Gilbert represents hope as he helps Martin and Dallas through the tough
time using his stories. At the end of the novel Gilbert takes Dallas on the train to heaven.
The time and place of the novel Gilberts ghost Train contributes to the story because if the
novel was set in the city or older days then Gilbert and Martin probably would not have met
and if the novel was set in older days than it is then Gilbert would fit in and they might not of
had steam trains back then so the old railway station would not be as significant as it is.