How Does Maurice Gee Show Hopelessness In The Fat Man

How does the author, Maurice Gee, in the novel ‘The Fat Man, use the characters to display Hopelessness?

Maurice Gee, the author of the novel ‘The Fat Man’ illustrates the theme Hopelessness through various situations throughout the novel. Hopelessness is despairing, constantly thinking about there is no solution, and no expectation of a good success. Which is significantly portrayed on to Colin life, and more so on Herbert Muskies Family: Verna and Bette. However Herbert Muskie the villain and also the victim being bullied throughout his childhood shows hopelessness, unable to recover from these past scars, he spirals down the wrong path further, exhibits hopelessness on others.

Gee emphasises Colin has a hopeless figure, throughout the novel,

As Verna describes the way that Herbert treats Bette by describing the way they interact with each other “he holds her face and turns it like something that comes off” (p.77) also reveals hopelessness from physical abuse, “She’s got black eyes all the time. That’s why she doesn’t go out (p.103), physical abuse is clearly shown, since there is evidences, this shows hopelessness by her giving up on such ‘hope’ and desperate for help, yet scared asking for help. As opposed to Verna, ‘getting her hair shaved’ (p.119) by Herbert, using his mother’s death to make Verna feel Hopeless. From this, Verna’s school life is affected drastically through peers bully her, as they did to Herbert during his childhood. Hopelessness can be seen when Herbert takes Verna and Colin as “hostages” (p.129), this clearly indicates that Herbert is desperate to save himself and doesn’t value his family. Hopelessness is conveyed on Bette, which is a result to Verna being affected as well, from physical abuse and jokes that Herbert conflicts onto

Laurie (Colin’s Father) is mainly the reason that Herbert is now, bullying him during his childhood, making him a ‘spit sandwich’(p.134) almost every day; also witnessing Laurie and his gang of friends deconstruct the sandwich, while in front of him, spitting onto the sandwich, and makes him eat it (p.134). Witnessing something so traumatic, made him who he is, yet Laurie constantly bullies Herbert daily with “the Chinese burn” (p.39) and from that experience Herbert learnt the ‘Chinese burn’ and used it on Colin, on their first encounter. From what he had experienced during his childhood, he now demonstrates hopelessness on others, especially Colin and his family, and also Bette and Verna. How hopelessness is displayed on to Colin is when Herbert found out who his parents were and wanted to take revenge, for what they have done to him during his childhood. As for Colin, Herbert affected him to the point that he cannot sleep “I can’t sleep at night. I lie awake. I listen for him” (p. 117-119). Herbert has been bullied for of his childhood; from the traumatising childhood, he now brings hopelessness onto others around