A Kestrel for a Knave

A Kestrel for a Knave The context and setting of the novel Billy Brick 396LAE Language and Society in Britain since the 1960s

Setting • A medium sized town based on Barnsley • Coal mining area within a rural area • Main characters live on the council estate and the pit is the major employer 396LAE Language and Society in Britain since the 1960s

A European KestrelImage courtesy of Flickr – m.geven 396LAE Language and Society in Britain since the 1960s

The Setting • The book is set in one of the coal mining areas in the north of England • The area has a strong dialect • The dialogue in the book and film is written in dialect 396LAE Language and Society in Britain since the 1960s

Examples of a South Yorkshire dialect • gi’o’er – stop that, get off • thi’sen – yourself • nog – lump • owt – anything • tab – cigarette • nowt – nothing • allus - always • snap – miner’s lunch 396LAE Language and Society in Britain since the 1960s

The school system • Much of the novel is set in school. • Secondary modern rather than grammar School. • Pupils took ‘eleven plus’ or intelligence test. • Many left at 15 and went straight to work. • Poor facilities, funding and disinterested teachers. Pupils often not easy to teach. 396LAE Language and Society in Britain since the 1960s

Work in the 1960s • Almost full employment existed. • Boys went into unskilled work in factories, shops and unskilled labouring. • Some would be taken on as apprentices (mostly boys – women would work in offices, shops or factories before marrying). • High proportion left with limited reading and writing skills and went ‘down pit’. 396LAE Language and Society in Britain since the 1960s

Society and housing • During 50s and 60s many new council estates were built to accommodate workers and their families during boom years. • Key features: large and anonymous, broke up communities, replaced traditional terraced housing damaged during 2nd WW. • Better quality housing but often less community support. 396LAE Language and Society in Britain since the 1960s

General Summary 1 • The novel depicts a day in the life of Billy Casper, a 15-year-old living in a northern town in the 1960s. • We see his difficult home circumstances, unsatisfactory experiences at work, his love of animals and expertise in training the kestrel hawk he calls Kes. • Novel begins with Billy getting up one morning when his brother goes to work down the local pit. 396LAE Language and Society in Britain since the 1960s

General Summary 2 • No food in the house, no lit fire, mother still in bed, reader sees Billy’s routine. • Paper round difficult as Jud (his brother) has taken Billy’s bike. • Not having his bike leaves Billy in trouble with his employer, steals orange juice and eggs and observes residents of Firs Hill and their lifestyles. • Billy’s mother has a series of boyfriends. Billy sees one leaving the house. 396LAE Language and Society in Britain since the 1960s

General Summary 3 • Billy refuses to shop for his mother as her credit at the local shop is poor and he runs away when she chases him breaking stolen eggs. • Billy visits his kestrel hawk, Kes, which he keeps in a shed in the garden. • First flashback – we discover how Billy acquired the bird and how he stole a book about training Kestrels after being refused entry to the library. • Flashback ends as Billy realises he is late for school. When he arrives there we see some of the difficulties he has with his teachers. • Caned along with others for falling asleep during assembly. 396LAE Language and Society in Britain since the 1960s

General Summary 4 • Friendly English teacher, Mr Farthing forces Billy to talk about Kes. • Billy becomes involved in a fight with Macdowell which is broken up by Mr Farthing who wants to see Kes fly. • Comical and cruel scene shows Billy playing football with teacher who bullies him. • Billy hurries home to find Jud has left money for the bookies which he is reluctant to place for his brother. • Mr Farthing arrives to witness Billy feeding Kes a newly killed sparrow and admires his skill. 396LAE Language and Society in Britain since the 1960s

General Summary 5 • Refuses lift back to school due to Jud’s bets. • Asks advice whether horses are likely to win and the man in the bookies suggests that they won’t. Billy believes him and spends the money on himself before returning to school. • Jud arrives at the school looking for Billy and it becomes obvious that the horses have won. • Billy is in serious trouble…………. 396LAE Language and Society in Britain since the 1960s

A Kestrel for a Knave