Select a passage from 'The Child In Time' by Ian McEwan. Discuss the Language and imagery of the passage. Comment on how this episode fits in with the novel (up to P.26)
             For this essay, I will be discussing the language and imagery of the passage from The Child In Time by Ian McEwan, which I a have chosen. I will also comment on how I feel this particular passage that I have selected, fits in with the novel.
             The passage I have chosen is the opening couple of pages, in which we discover the overall themes of the novel.
             The novel begins with a quote from The Authorised Childcare Handbook which is a British government publication that McEwan has chosen to refer to, '...and for those parents, for too many years misguided by the pallid relativism of self-appointed childcare experts...' This sentence outlines what is to be expected from the novel. It often mentions political issues based on society that were, and in most cases still are of great importance in Britain today. Not only does it sketch out a theme of the novel, but it also demonstrates the sophisticated language that is to be used throughout.
             The language in the opening paragraphs is key to The Child In Time as a whole. This is because it sets the tone and provides atmosphere for the novel, which is important to build up imagery for the reader.
             'He strode towards Vauxhall Bridge past double and treble files of trapped, throbbing cars, each with its solitary driver.'
             'Ringed fingers drummed patiently on the sill of a hot tin roof, white-shirted elbows poked through rolled down windows.'
             I personally think that these two sentences from the first paragraph summarise the language used by McEwan. He uses this to achieve atmosphere and imagery in the novel and these examples especially show the skills that McEwan has to display themes in the novel. You can quite clearly picture the hostile urban scene on a hot summer's...