The Book of Michael
Innocent Bystander
Michael Grove is a private investigator who, through a series of unfortunate events, has himself, become the suspect of a crime he did not commit. After losing his love, Lisa at the hands of a murderer, Michael is acussed of this same crime. Through the investigators flashbacks, seeking advice from his Grandmother Phyllis, and his own personal research, the character proves his innocence. The methods of investigation used by Michael Grove in Lesley Choyce 's, The Book of Michael, reveals that he is genuinely a good guy.
One of the methods Michael Grove used to solve this crime was flashbacks. The investigator had flashbacks about everything, because of this, Michael was able to analyze things in his mind, over and over. He would replay them from beginning to the end. Choyce demonstrated several times that the investigator would never let go of the memories he has had with his girlfriend, Lisa, who was recently murdered or his ex-girlfriend, Miranda, his suspect. This emotional portrayal of the investigator exposes his character as a very sentimental individual. Michael recalls, “...we walked through the woods that night, Lisa dropped her hat a few feet back, I ran back to get it for her. I remember, and I smelt Miranda’s perfume in the air. It is a distinctive smell. I didn’t think much of it until now” (Choyce 43) the character is having a flashback that brings him to the point in time when he was with his girlfriend in the woods. He is remembering that scent of perfume which he had smelled earlier that same day. The investigator is stating that they were not the only ones in the woods at that time. Michael
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analyzed this through his flashback, it did not seem as important to him until now. Choyce shows that Michael associates Mascarenhas memories to specific smells. He is a visual person who uses all his five senses to recall a memory. Much of this investigators judgements are made from his gut instinct. For example, Michael felt
Michael Grove is a private investigator who, through a series of unfortunate events, has himself, become the suspect of a crime he did not commit. After losing his love, Lisa at the hands of a murderer, Michael is acussed of this same crime. Through the investigators flashbacks, seeking advice from his Grandmother Phyllis, and his own personal research, the character proves his innocence. The methods of investigation used by Michael Grove in Lesley Choyce 's, The Book of Michael, reveals that he is genuinely a good guy.
One of the methods Michael Grove used to solve this crime was flashbacks. The investigator had flashbacks about everything, because of this, Michael was able to analyze things in his mind, over and over. He would replay them from beginning to the end. Choyce demonstrated several times that the investigator would never let go of the memories he has had with his girlfriend, Lisa, who was recently murdered or his ex-girlfriend, Miranda, his suspect. This emotional portrayal of the investigator exposes his character as a very sentimental individual. Michael recalls, “...we walked through the woods that night, Lisa dropped her hat a few feet back, I ran back to get it for her. I remember, and I smelt Miranda’s perfume in the air. It is a distinctive smell. I didn’t think much of it until now” (Choyce 43) the character is having a flashback that brings him to the point in time when he was with his girlfriend in the woods. He is remembering that scent of perfume which he had smelled earlier that same day. The investigator is stating that they were not the only ones in the woods at that time. Michael
2
analyzed this through his flashback, it did not seem as important to him until now. Choyce shows that Michael associates Mascarenhas memories to specific smells. He is a visual person who uses all his five senses to recall a memory. Much of this investigators judgements are made from his gut instinct. For example, Michael felt
Cited: Choyce, L. The Book of Michael. Calgary; Red Deer Press, 2008