The Fat Man Chapter 7

Key characters and Main Ideas Key Characters in 'The Fat Man Gets Serious' Verna Colin Laurie Herbert Muskie (The Fat Man) Mrs Muskie (The Fat Man's mother) Bette Main Ideas in 'The Fat Man Gets Serious' Manipulation: Throughout the chapter the fat man manipulates Colin and everyone around him. In doing this he gets Colin's Grandfather in jail for a month. Control: The main idea in this chapter is that the fat man has ultimate control. Colin's dad works for him, he persuaded Colin's grandpa to break laws eventually ending him up in jail. The fat man has his mum in submission by giving her oranges (metaphor), Verna and Bette are too afraid of the fat man to object to him and Colin can't do anything in case the fat man punishes is friends and family. The fat man has everyone either in submission or control. Thus making Colin fell small and without control of his own life.

Important Quotes Pg 103-104 “Colin would have been happy in these days if it hadn’t been for his father not alive in the way he had been, and for the fat man”   This is showing how the fat man has disturbed Colin’s life and how him being in Colin’s life provides a constant disturbance. Pg 108 “You should run away” “But Colin did not believe in that. The fat man would find them.” This shows how Colin feels towards the fat man, and how he is portrayed as invincible, in a matter of speaking. He can do anything and find anyone. Pg 115 “He felt a thickening in the air behind him. He felt a coldness on his neck.” The fat man makes Colin feel nervous and nauseated. This is showing how the mere presence of the fat man makes Colin feel uneasy.

Important Quotes 2 Pg 115 “Colin turned around. He shrank inside but tried to keep from showing his fear.” This is another example of the fear the fat man makes Colin feel.   Pg 117 “And what about you, kid? Curls all gone. Do you still love her?” This is a good example of how manipulative the fat man is around everyone. He makes Colin say what he doesn’t want to prove a point.

What did we learn?   We learn that Collin is not afraid to expose Herbert Muskie. This is because he starts a theory’s that Herbert Muskie had murdered is mother for the money and her house, as apposed to earlier in the story where he couldn’t speak to anyone about his confrontations with “the fat man”. He also shows that he is affectionate towards Verna as he stays with her and comfits her through her troubles, also the fat man exploits his feelings towards Verna after he had ruined her hair.  We learn that Herbert Muskie is more than ready to inflict harassment to Collin and to his own family members. He shows this when he cuts of Verna’s hair in his rage with the razor and also abuses his wife. We also learn that despite his very aggressive image he can also be very emotional. Such is when he sobbed over his mother’s body at the creek, And hid away in his room for a day.

Blank Page INSERT JAKES WORK HERE.

Credits What did we learn - Robert Key characters and Main Ideas - Aodhan Important quotes 1 and 2 - Lewis Blank page - Jake

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