Character Analysis for "Stone Cold"

Link
1. Presented as ordinary young man with ordinary background
  1. shows that anyone could fall victim to homelessness and dispel some of the myths/prejudices about homelessness and what is to blame.
2. Link’s journey to homelessness is not extraordinary and is presented in a matter-of-fact way (he seems very honest and doesn’t actively seek sympathy).
3. Home life is bad
  1. Dad ran away with receptionist when he was 14 – out of his control,
  2. mucked up school work for a while but still secured some qualifications (5 GCSEs = miracle due to home situation)
  3. Mother’s new partner, Vince, likes his drink, makes him feel uncomfortable, arguments, causes sister, Carol, to move out
4. faces difficulties as there is no Government money for school leavers and no training places.
  1. Vicious circle: jobs want experience but can’t get experience; goes to interviews but looks scruffy as living on street.
Shelter
1. stark contrast to Link
  1. cruel and calculating nature
2. represents an ever present threat to the homeless and exploits their vulnerabilities
  1. aim to rid the streets of what he considers to be vermin.
3. His extreme views and actions are used by Swindells to emphasise people’s prejudiced attitudes and at the same time show how vulnerable the homeless are.
4. name is ironic as is suggests protection and comfort which is the opposite of what he provides.
  1. reflects his exploitative nature and how he uses the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of the homeless against them
    1. cruel and callous nature as he gets pleasure and amusement out of others’ suffering.
      1. He also sees the murders as performing a much needed service and putting the homeless out of their misery.
5. Shelter’s was a sergeant-major in the army but he was discharged on medical grounds
  1. He views this as part of a ‘plot’ and is determined to rid the country of the ‘garbage
6. efficient killer and he is very calculating in how he goes about planning out his crimes. He buys a cat and clothes to make him seem approachable and kindly.
  1. In reality he despises cats and Swindells uses the details within his narrative to show how appearances can be deceiving (just as people wouldn’t guess that Shelter is a serial killer, Swindells is suggesting we don’t know anything about the individuals who live on the streets).
    1. commits the murders by using the vulnerabilities of the homeless against them: he offers shelter, food, money and, with Ginger, he uses his friendship with Link against him
Ginger
1. provides companionship for Link, which is something most homeless people don’t have
2. still maintain some distance by using nicknames and not always telling each other where they are going
  1. showing that it is very difficult to fully trust/rely on someone in this situation (again creating sympathy)
3. Ginger teaches Link essential skills for surviving on the streets: how and where to beg, not being open about the money/possessions you have, where to go for food/shelter
  1. Swindells uses this to show how difficult things are and also to show how invaluable Ginger is and how lucky Link is to have found him.
4. Link gets jealous of Ginger’s other friends and feels distanced from them – this shows his immaturity and total reliance on Ginge
  1. When Ginger goes missing, Swindells intensifies Link’s isolation and vulnerability as he questions his trust in Ginger and makes him seem even more exposed.
Gail
1. comes into the narrative immediately after Ginger’s disappearance
2. Although Link tells himself he will never get this close to again, he immediately befriends Gail
  1. takes on the role of passing on his knowledge of the streets to her
  2. This shows the strong desire for companionship and how lonely and difficult living on the streets is
3. Gail behaves in a secretive manner at times and Link again gets jealous
  1. the reader is also kept in the dark as to Gail’s true motives so we share Link’s perspective and see how difficult it is to trust someone.
    1. At the end, when we discover Gail is really a reporter, we are again shown how vulnerable the homeless are to exploitation.
      1. Gail uses Link’s need for companionship to get a story about the homeless without really considering him as an individual and his difficulties

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Character Analysis for "Stone Cold"

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	Created by Louise Kelly over 6 years ago