1.1 How are monsters portrayed?

“You’re only young once, they say, but doesn’t it go on a long time? More years than you
can bear.”

1. What does this quote mean? People say you should enjoy being young, but these
years last so long and time goes slowly. You get to an age when you just want to grow
up.
2. What can you infer about it? They are fed up of being young.
3. What literary device can you spot? Rhetorical question.

Challenge: Write the answer to the following question in your book in full sentences.

“The monsters were never

under my bed.
Because the monsters
were inside my head.

I fear no monsters,
for no monsters I see.
Because all this time
the monster has been me.” ― Nikita Gill
7. How do you interpret this poem? What might it mean?


















 Conor ‘watched’ and didn’t move in any other way —> shows he is frozen with fear.

Monster - powerful verbs —> shows the monster is terrifying and very alive

This extract is very e ective at describing the monster as it is ‘show not tell’. It’s also intriguing
because the verbs that are used precisely describe the monsters movements - this uses
personi cation and descriptive language to create imagery for the reader.

We know that the monster comes to Conor in his dreams.

What are dreams? Something not in reality.

How are dreams related to the person dreaming them? We imagine dreams ourselves, so they
might be related to things we have in our mind and some thoughts may come through.

Dreams sometimes can represent our secrets and thoughts —> they are things we think in the
back of our mind but do not want to admit - in our dream we cannot control this.

Dreams/nightmares can sometimes have symbols inside or meanings:

Falling or almost falling —> scared of something (hidden fears)

Being able to y —> freedom and independence

About friends —> happy and content with relationships

Being chased —> fear and bad relationships with people

Conor’s nightmares about the yew tree —> something that happens in real life, he may feel small
and isolated (tree is big), not a lot of supporters/friends in real life, problems getting bigger and
more concerning to him.

I am Herne the Hunter! I am Cernunnos! I am the eternal Green Man!

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Herne the hunter —> nature, trees, organic material

Cernunnos —> related to animals

Eternal green man —> reborn, life & death

Conor’s mom
- Bald

- Sick —> cancer

- Is in treatment —> “It’s just this new round of–”

- Been happening a while

- she’d fallen asleep somewhere she hadn’t planned to —> very tired

- Proud but sad —> Conor takes care of himself

- Conor is ok that she can’t do so much

- Conor’s stomach hurt to see it. [bald head] —> Conor feels bad/sympathy towards mom

Monster’s message: It is not what I want from you Conor, it is what you want from me.

12:07 —> important time in the book?

HOMEWORK
- Complete the analysis about Conor (see the sheets)
- Read chapters: Grandma, The wilderness of stories and The rst tale.
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