45 and 47 Stella Street and Everything that Happened

The childrens novel 45 and 47 Stella Street and everything that happened (H maviny, 1995) written by Elizabeth Honey is a novel aimed at pre-adolescent girls. However in saying that boys virtually the akin age would also find this playscript enjoyable. The story Is t one-time(a) from the perspective of Hinni who Is an 11 year old girl. It Is around her and her Gang, which includes her best fri wind up Zev, Her sister Danielle and Frank, Zevs 6- year-old next-door neighbour who resides at 47 Stella Street.The withstand tells of their efforts to expose the Phonies and their secret life. It Is intelligible through analysis of he book that there be sly Implications toward enforcing the concepts of mascullnlty and femininity on unseasoned readers using the strategies of narrative theory. Narrative theory consists of three key strategies, the prove of vlew/foc every toldsatlon, reader positioning and closure. The point of view or focalisation Is al looks biased. When watching a film or reading a book you are always watching or reading it from someone or somethings perspective.In Stella Street it is Henni who is recounting us what is happening, you only see things from her perspective and therefore you tend to ide with her. Reader positioning is very burning(prenominal) and very similar to that of point of view and focalisation. Readers or viewers are positioned so that they adjudge a positive response toward some characters and a negative response toward others even though both parties may be both in the wrong on some occasions. The readers of 45 and 47 Stella Street are positioned so that they hope for the Stella Streets gang to succeed oer the Phonies.Closure is how the story concludes, who ends up succeeding in the end and who doesnt. Once again in 45 and 47 Stella Street it is the Stella Street gang who triumph over the Phonies. It is evident that the men in 45 and 47 Stella Street hold masculine qualities whilst the women hold effeminate traits. In terms of power it is the men that hold this control as decision making is all about power and throughout the book it is apparent that the men make majority of the decisions.For example it is ZeVs become that makes the Initial decision to move to New Zealand. When congratulate and Donna are having trouble with Briquette escaping from the yard it is Rob who decides that they will do nothing and when the gang are coming up with ideas on how to tackle a problem it seems as though at the end of the deliberation all members of the gang seek Zevs conformity or approval. The male figures also seem to come up with the good Ideas or ask relevant questions more so that the female characters.Throughout the book there are a number of characters that come and go that hold a form of power. For Instance the lawyers, Robert Smeeton, Mr J. D Perry, the Ombudsman Robert Cooper and Detective Sergeant Dave Watson are all very powerful In the positions they hold within society. From this you can se e that a female represents none of these highly powerful characters. I ne 000K Is Tocallsea tnrougn Hennl, sne explalns to readers wnat t I Is sne Ilkes ana what she doesnt like.Everything that she sees happening she interprets and it is all told from her perspective. In one particular part of the novel Henni is explaining how Donna has put up with numerous changes with the building, design and cost of the new fencing material that is to be erected between 45 and 47 Stella Street. Henni makes the statement that, Donna never lost her temper. Thats probably how she got the Job he has. She never loses her temper. Rob would have told the Phonies to take a long walk off a scam pier. Mum would have gone quiet.She Just buttons up. Dad would have lost his temper, for sure, and called them inconsiderate pea brains. however not Donna. She Just keeps on keeping on. (Honey, E 1995, pp 38) The way in which the characters mentioned compose themselves is interesting. Traditional grammatical ge nder roles cast men as rational, strong, protective and decisive, whilst on the other hand women are cast as emotional, irrational, weak, nurturing and submissive. Within the tatement that Henni makes it is evident that parts of the traditional gender roles exist.For example the way in which Hennis mum would have gone quiet illustrates a form of sumbissiveness. In Stella Street there is not a specially strong sense of patriarchy. However there is some evidence of Patriarchy in some sections of the book for example when they are building the fence between 45 and 47 Stella Street Mr Nic and Zev carry the old posts to Hennis dad who is on the footpath cutting them up with a chainsaw. Danielle and Frank do the running around and fetching of stuff and there is no ention as to what the others are doing.The males are very affirmative and this is shown by Hennis dad and the way in which he says right she knows by the way in which he says it that something is acquittance to happen theres n o questioning or buts. The females show their more conservative side especially Donna with the way in which she potters around her gardens before she has to go to work. Elizabeth Honey has used strategies of narrative theory throughout her book 45 and 47 Stella Street. Many young readers would not be aware of the ideologies implied hrough this book.