Teach Primary Issue 18.7

Chapter 56, pages 366–367 www.teachwire.net | 61 366-367 The repetition of the adverb 'too' indicates the excess of Solo’s sensory experience. His senses are overwhelmed beyond comfort by these unfamiliar surroundings. When calm, we mostly feel in control of our own bodies. By pleading with his body to play along, Solo narrates a lack of control and heightened nervousness. His tummy 'somersaulting' affords it agency and casts it as an opponent. Solo’s attire is used throughout the book to represent his circumstances and state of mind. Here, a hot and sticky suit represents the formality of this occasion, a constraint that adds to the stress and bodily discomfort of nervousness. True to form, Solo ruminates on worst- case scenarios through rhetorical questions. Solo being perceived strangely by the bridesmaids adds a sense of awkward self-consciousness, adding to the overall discomfort of the scene and adding a 'fish out of water' feeling. Churches can be daunting spaces – places of ceremony and grandeur, with an element of theatre. Large and imposing, the church contrasts with the meek personality and stature of the young protagonist. Use of sound descriptors representing Solo’s internal and external environments adds a sense of inescapable confusion and sensory overload that is common with anxiety. A key theme of the book is the imperfect nature of parents and adults, and this remains true in this scene. Although Imelda attempts to calm Solo’s nerves through dialogue, her body betrays her trepidation, doubling the sense of unease in the scene. Outside the church I start to feel sick. The car ride was too bouncy, the bells are ringing too loud, and I can’t even hear myself think. Suddenly I’m not sure I can do this. Imelda is standing behind me in her long, white fairy-tale wedding dress, and all around me are bridesmaids in puffy pink dresses and strange people I’ve never seen before. The bridesmaids are Imelda’s nieces, and they keep looking at me funny. I feel hot and sticky in my new suit, and a part of me wishes I was wearing my old baggy one instead. I shouldn’t have eaten so much breakfast. What if I throw up and ruin the wedding? A shaky hand starts to rub my shoulder. “Bit nerve-wracking, isn’t it, Solo?” Imelda says, bending down to whisper in my ear. She smells of flowery perfume and powdery make-up. She’s trying to make me feel better but her voice sounds trembly and scared. “I feel the same, don’t worry. I never actually thought this day was going to come!” I don’t dare reply in case my breakfast reappears when I open my mouth, so I nod and focus on the stone floor, my heart pounding like an orchestra of drums in my chest. Organ music starts to blare out. My tummy somersaults and I plead with it to stay inside me where it belongs. Imelda squeezes my shoulder even tighter now. “You’ve got this, Solo. Just like we practised. Pretend that nobody’s here.” Extract from T E ACH RE AD I NG & WR I T I NG