Larry LaSalle (after)

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'Sweet young thing'
suggests that he done it to other girls and repeats the phrase twice to Francis. LaSalle compare the girls to objects and it makes the reader think of why he left New York, which it is in italics.
1 of 16
'Do you know why I'm sitting on this chair Francis?....My legs are gone'
LaSalle makes the reader feel sympathy for him as he is disable.
2 of 16
'And you couldn't have killed me anyway, in cold blood'
LaSalle is re-ensuring Francis to suggests that he knows Francis well enough and it is a moral as revenge does not solve problems.
3 of 16
'Please he says and his voice is like the small cry of a child'
This suggests that before LaSalle had power and controlled ever everyone, now LaSalle described as a innocent child, now he is below the hierarchy.
4 of 16
'Downstairs, at last, after what seems like a long time, I pause at the outside door. The sound of pistol shot cracks the air'
In the end, Larry does the one thing he can do for Francis, which is to save him from having to either pull the trigger and become a murderer.
5 of 16
A moment later, Larry LaSalle stood on the platform, resplendent in the green uniform… He smiled, the old movie-star smile.”
Larry is described like the typical movie war hero and movie heroes are only actors, however, and their performance is a fraud, which reference to “movie-star smile” reminds us he is a fake.
6 of 16
“Fred Astaire still in his walk but something different about him. His slenderness was knife-like now, lethal.”“Fred Astaire still in his walk but something different about him. His slenderness was knife-like now, lethal.”
The movie-star image is contrasted with one of violenc.
7 of 16
“I’m glad to be home, even if it’s only for a little while. And most of all I want to be with the Wreck Centre gang.’
Shows he misses the children and frenchtown which makes the reader think that lasalle is a loving person, however makes the reader feel suspicious about the fact that a grown-up wants to spend his time with children
8 of 16
‘time to go home, Francis….you look tired….its been a long day’
suggests the Larry LaSalle is powerful as he controls Francis.
9 of 16
“He is pale, eyes sunk into the sockets like in the newsreel at the Plymouth, and he seems fragile now, as if caught in an old photograph that has faded and yellowed with age.”
Larry has changed physically and he is like the other war veterans in that the war has had a major impact on his appearance
10 of 16
“Oh, Francis. You’re too hard on yourself. You didn’t do anything you should feel guilty about, that should make you want to die. You couldn’t have stopped me, anyway, Francis. You were just a child.’
Larry tries to take the blame away from Francis and he tries to make him realise it wasn’t his fault
11 of 16
The sweet young things, Francis. Even their heat is sweet…’ Sweet young things’
It is suggested that Larry has done this before and Larry sees the girls as treats or gifts – he tries to excuse his behaviour
12 of 16
“Does that one sin of mine wipe away all the good things?’
The most important quote in the novel! The nature of heroes is the main theme in the novel Cormier leaves it up to the reader to decide, but clearly the answer is yes, however Francis avoids answering the question
13 of 16
‘ know why I’m sitting in this chair, Francis?...My legs are gone’
making the reader feel sympathy for him as he is paralyised
14 of 16
the tension between the two characters is reduced as LaSalle ‘removes the magazine from his pistol’,
which he makes a suicide as this is anti-climax as Cormier creates throughout Francis journey to desire to kill him, however the reader is relieved
15 of 16
“The sound of a pistol shot cracks the air. My hand is on the doorknob. The sound from this distance is almost like a ping-pong ball striking the table.”
This simile is used in an ironic way – table tennis made Francis feel special and is connected to Larry and now he calls it ‘ping-pong’ – a game not a sport not requiring any skill
16 of 16

Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

'Do you know why I'm sitting on this chair Francis?....My legs are gone'

Back

LaSalle makes the reader feel sympathy for him as he is disable.

Card 3

Front

'And you couldn't have killed me anyway, in cold blood'

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

'Please he says and his voice is like the small cry of a child'

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

'Downstairs, at last, after what seems like a long time, I pause at the outside door. The sound of pistol shot cracks the air'

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
View more cards

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