Close Reading

Close Reading

"Is she here? Please, God . ..

'I've got to put your hood on now,' Jack says softly.

' I don't want it on.' How will I find her with a hood on?

'Im afraid you have no choice. Those are the rules,' Jack apologizes.

He pulls the hood over my head. I try to pull back. I'm not trying to run away. I just want to see her. . . One last time. . . The good is over my head and hangs down my shoulders. The world is black as night. Jack pulls my arm to lead me to the rope.

Please God, I don't want to die. . . Sephy. . . Tears run down my face. Now I'm grateful for the hood.

'I LOVE YOU, CALLUM. . . ' Wait. . . 'I LOVE YOU, CALLUM. AND OUR CHILD WILL LOVE YOU TOO. I LOVE YOU, CALLUM, I'LL ALWAYS LOVE YOU. . . ' The noose is being pulled down over my head and around my neck. But I can hear her.

I can hear her. She's here. 'I LOVE YOU CALLUM. . . ' Thank you, God. Thank you. 'I. . . I LOVE YOU TOO, SEPHY. . . ' Can she hear me? 'I LOVE YOU, SEPHY. I LOVE YOU, SEPHY.'

Wait. . . Please wait. . . Just a moment longer. ..

'I LOVE YOU, CALLUM. . . ' 'SEPHY, I LO. . . '

The main emotion Malorie Blackman is showing in this part is suspense. Callum is living his last moments on earth and it's his dying wish to just see Sephy one more time, it's not directly mentioned but it's implied when he says "Thank you, God. Thank you." once he heard Sephy.

It's rather dramatic because he doesn't know whether she heard him tell her he loves her one last time and unfortunately his life ends before he's finished. He died never knowing.

He just wanted to see Sephy but that option was eliminated. Hearing her tell him she loves him is a better option in a way but seeing her and knowing she heard him tell her he loves him would have had had him die a happy man almost.

The main part is that the reader just doesn't know. While reading it you're hanging on in suspense to find out what happened because it's a life/death/love situation. He's on the verge of death and you don't know if there could be a twist and he survives, like his father when he was going to be hung, or everything could go as planned and he dies.