The Whole Business with Kiffo and the Pitbull: Essay

The Whole Business With Kiffo And The Pitbull is Suitable for the year 10 English classroom, mainly as it is set at a year ten level. The main characters are fifteen years old, the themes of the novel may not be things experienced by students in year ten, but are things that they can relate to, and the plot is very involving. Even the slang and language is directed at a year ten level.

The main characters, Jaryd Kiffing (‘Kiffo’) and Calma Harrison, are very simple characters, and are easy to relate to. They are both fifteen years old, as are many of the students in year ten. They are also very different, giving a greater range of students that can connect to them. Kiffing is not particularly intelligent, but demonstrates great sporting skill, mainly Australian football, throughout the novel. Calma, however, is a model student, very clever, but without any talent in sports. They are both protagonists, and shape the plot of the story, as without both of them it would not exist, especially considering that the story is told in first person from Calma’s viewpoint.

The most significant similarity between Calma and Kiffo is the problems they experience in both their families, demonstrating the theme of family issues. Calma, who’s father left them when she was young, is raised single-handedly by her mother. We do not learn much about the father, and he is only mentioned a couple of times. Calma’s mother works two jobs, and so they spend very little time together. Calma has suggested several times that her mother accept compensation money, so that they can be together more often, but she is very adamant and refuses to take money from other hard working tax payers. At the end of the novel, however, Calma’s mother is sacked from one of her jobs, and so considers staying with only one job, and accepting compensation. The family issues surrounding Kiffo are quite different, however. His mother is suggested to be dead, with little insight. His brother is dead, of a suspected drug overdose, causing Kiffo’s suspicion of the Pitbull who in her career as a ‘drug councillor’ had met with his brother on regular occasions. Jaryd’s father, his only remaining family, is violent towards him, giving him constant beatings until he finally walks out towards the end of the story. They live lives of thievery, taking what they need to survive and more, though they do not however, live lavishly. Several of these issues may be experienced by year ten readers, most likely those of Calma.

Despite their differences, Calma and Kiffo are best friends, showing the friendship theme. This is shown most when Calma tries to help Kiffo escape the Pitbull’s house by publically humiliating herself, and ruining any social chances she has with friendships through the school, with the exception of Kiffo’s. he in return demonstrates this theme repeatedly by trying to protect Calma from everything that happens in his campaign against the Pitbull. Calma also shows the level and closeness of their friendship in the eulogy she gives at his funeral, stating at one point that she loved him. Such plutonic relationships are common between students, and readers will easily understand the relationship of Calma and Jaryd.

The theme of social class in the novel shows Kiffo and Calma at the bottom of the social ladder. Jaryd is disliked by all the students except for Calma, though respected out of fear and indifference. Calma however, has a solely indifferent social class at the beginning of the story, then below everyone during the events leading to the climax due to an irrational homophobic hatred, before regaining respect with Kiffo’s death and her eulogy. These immature but complex social standings are again common in year ten students, and are also likely experienced by student readers.

The novel’s fourth theme, tragedy, is demonstrated mainly in the climax that is Kiffo’s death. As one of the main characters, we get to know him, and connect with him through the story. His dying is therefore a tragedy as he is such a familiar part of the story. Though this may be seen as a reason why the novel is not suitable for a year ten English classroom, it is the opposite, as it confronts the ever-present, but usually ignored possibility of a student’s death.

The plot of the story, being mainly of the mystery genre, is very involving for the target audience of year ten students. It is an exciting storyline, with problems ranging from schoolyard gossip to a suspected international drug ring, as Kiffo and Calma attempt to find evidence of their teacher being a heroine dealer. As mentioned earlier, the first person storytelling also engages readers into the plot of the novel, following Calma’s viewpoint and emotions.

The language level of The Whole Business With Kiffo And The Pitbull is largely informal and colloquial, though Calma speaks at a very high level. There is very little swearing, and there is nothing that students are not used to hearing on a daily basis. Only the year ten audience will understand many of the more colloquial meanings. This allows them to feel more personally involved with the plot and storyline, and though only they will be able to understand the meanings there are very few of the more complex words which might confuse readers who are at a lower reading level.

The novel, The Whole Business With Kiffo And The Pitbull, is very appropriate for a year ten English classroom as it is the story of two students in year ten, and thus can be easily related to by other students. These two main characters are fifteen years old, as are many other year ten students, and are easy to connect to. The themes of the novel – family issues, friendship, social class and tragedy – are common between students, if not experienced by all. These also connect the readers with the story. The plot of a suspected drug dealer posing as a teacher is slightly fantastic, but told in such a way that it seems completely plausible, allowing the readers to engage with it, as well. The level of language is a fluent colloquial mix that is generally consistent through the majority of student readers, giving the novel a more intimate feel. This further connects the readers, allowing them to relate to the story. The novel is very personal, aided by the first person viewpoint, and is entirely suitable for year ten.