piece is quite convoluted, conveying the distraught mind of the boy, and the text-break marks the peak of the inexorable tension. The second half of the story expresses the corrupt dénouement: that the child is aware of his potential insanity (this metafictive device is another medium in which the surreal nature of the story is portrayed); there is a sense of catharsis too as the story ends, but with a slightly forced edge, implying that even the ablution is flawed and deceitful. The metafictive element was inspired partly by ‘The Kangaroo Communiqué’ and its very subjective narrative. The narrator “breaks the fourth wall” by addressing the reader with “Okay, then, allow me to introduce myself ” and “I can’t figure it out” – which I think generates a certain vulnerability towards the narrator, paralleled by my own protagonist being insane. Stylistically, I was keen to convey a noticeable contrast between the intensely poetic stream of consciousness from the boy’s mind, and the menial life that surrounds him. For example, “malachite veins of puissant virility” is a very vivid and expressive image, compared with “we ate tomato soup and cheddar”, which seems so plain and simple in comparison. This juxtaposition also accentuates the quasi-epiphanic revelation of potential madness, as it is in itself quite schizophrenic in its severity. The boy himself is quite a pathetic character; I think he feels the strain of the world upon his shoulders due to his revelation, but he is only seven as we discover in the final sentence evoking a certain pathos for him. Furthermore, in his delirium he envisages the ruler of Hell pursuing him alone, “will Satan himself descend to meet me” – though this is his illness, his fear is very real again portraying pity for the young child. Graham Greene exhibits this technique in ‘The End of the Party’ when Francis, the narrator’s brother, has to play hide and seek at a children’s party – but is terrified, almost paralyzed with fear – and the final, slightly ironic epiphany is that the protective brother in fact causes the death of Francis. We feel intense pathos for both Francis and the
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