H is for Home. Home Help.

A brief summary:

The story of A becoming accustomed to prison life continues – thankfully for him his new inmate is not as volatile as the man that tried to kill him in Chapter D. Whilst his cell my have become a less threatening place, the world outside his cell is full of predatory prisoners, all eager to show Boy A his place in the pecking order.

A’s first night in his cell is met with a cacophony of taunts and violent threats from the cells around him. The voices from surrounding inmates are urging A to come to the window and sing a nursery rhyme for them. A’s new cellmate, Hacendado, tells him that he is wiser not to. A closes the window of his cell, despite threats from outside that he will be assaulted for doing so.

The rest of the chapter concerns A’s initiation into the routines of prison life – the importance of keeping a clean cell, the rituals of collecting food in the canteen and storing some for later, as well as the importance of keeping a low profile on the inside.

A has a meeting with his Personal Officer who makes it clear that he is aware of exactly what A has done to land himself inside – and the importance that this information is not leaked to the rest of the prisoners.

Points for consideration:

• Compare this chapter with Chapter Q… how do A and B’s experiences of prison differ and why do you think this is?
• Look at the final line of the chapter – ‘You just do what you can… I’ll see you do the rest.’ To what extent do you feel that A’s personality has been shaped by those who have had control over his life at various stages? Who do you think have been the most important characters to have an influence over him?
• Read the final paragraph on p.74 starting with the word ‘suck’. How would you describe Trigell’s writing style here, and what effect do you think that he is trying to create?
• Notice how Trigell sometimes refers to the protagonist as A and sometimes Boy A. What effect does this have on us?