Literature Commentary - Feet
Feet
September 1948
“Feet” is an extract from a novel by Seamus Dean, Reading in the Dark, set in the year 1948. The event is narrated in a first person perspective, from the point of view of a young boy, who is hidden under a table, such that all he can see are the feet of the people in the room. In this extract, the author conveys the observations through the innocent perspective of a boy who might only be around eight to ten years of age.
The first scene that we are introduced to seems tense and bustling. The boy can make out little of “the noise and […] the talk”, which suggests something important is happening, which our protagonist is pointedly left out of. The fact that the room was “filled with feet”, which is all the boy can see from his hiding place, points out that there are many people present, lending the situation a more serious atmosphere.
Smoky, his dog, had “found him under the table”. This suggests that first of all, Smoky had been looking for him for comfort and company, as dogs can be very sensitive to the tension in the atmosphere around it. Smoky was “whimpering” and “quivering”, which the author uses to convey not only the unease and fear of the dog, but also of the young boy and possibly of the adults in the room as well. Secondly, the fact that our protagonist was under a table suggests that he had been hiding and was not supposed to be in the room at the time. However, he was determined to find out what was happening, and not be left out. Smoky “sloped” through the feet – implying that it was avoiding people’s notice, just as the protagonist was – and “huddled” itself on the boy, which seemed to be a comfort to both the dog and the boy. The boy is convinced that Smoky “felt the dread too”, thus identifying with the emotion and finding comfort in not being alone.
The protagonist’s description of the events taking place and his surroundings reveal a lot about his family ties and his home. As the ambulance men “manoeuvre” his
September 1948
“Feet” is an extract from a novel by Seamus Dean, Reading in the Dark, set in the year 1948. The event is narrated in a first person perspective, from the point of view of a young boy, who is hidden under a table, such that all he can see are the feet of the people in the room. In this extract, the author conveys the observations through the innocent perspective of a boy who might only be around eight to ten years of age.
The first scene that we are introduced to seems tense and bustling. The boy can make out little of “the noise and […] the talk”, which suggests something important is happening, which our protagonist is pointedly left out of. The fact that the room was “filled with feet”, which is all the boy can see from his hiding place, points out that there are many people present, lending the situation a more serious atmosphere.
Smoky, his dog, had “found him under the table”. This suggests that first of all, Smoky had been looking for him for comfort and company, as dogs can be very sensitive to the tension in the atmosphere around it. Smoky was “whimpering” and “quivering”, which the author uses to convey not only the unease and fear of the dog, but also of the young boy and possibly of the adults in the room as well. Secondly, the fact that our protagonist was under a table suggests that he had been hiding and was not supposed to be in the room at the time. However, he was determined to find out what was happening, and not be left out. Smoky “sloped” through the feet – implying that it was avoiding people’s notice, just as the protagonist was – and “huddled” itself on the boy, which seemed to be a comfort to both the dog and the boy. The boy is convinced that Smoky “felt the dread too”, thus identifying with the emotion and finding comfort in not being alone.
The protagonist’s description of the events taking place and his surroundings reveal a lot about his family ties and his home. As the ambulance men “manoeuvre” his