Kevin Samspon’s Awaydays is a story about football violence, but just as much a story about initiation, and I want to demonstrate this with my paper.
“By initiation we mean that a character, in the course of the story, learns something that he did not know before, and that what he learns is already known to, and shared by, the larger group of the world. […] the goal is participation in a larger circle and wider grouping.”
In this paper I will introduce the main protagonist Paul Carty in Kevin Sampson’s novel Awaydays, do a characterization of him and show how he - in the course of the story - becomes an adult.
From early childhood two driving forces are apparent in his character: fear and hatred. They make Paul join the hooligan scene where he finds an outlet for his pent-up feelings in violence and sex. But only when he learns to cope with his emotions in another way, can he really find some meaning in his life.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Paul Carty
3. Conclusion
4. Bibliography
Research Objective and Thematic Focus
This paper examines the development and initiation of the protagonist Paul Carty in Kevin Sampson's novel Awaydays, focusing on how he navigates his transition into adulthood amidst familial loss and the violent subculture of football hooliganism.
- Psychological characterization of Paul Carty
- The influence of family dynamics on personal growth
- Participation in the hooligan scene as a coping mechanism
- The process of initiation into the adult world
- The role of violence and sex as outlets for repressed emotions
Excerpt from the Book
2 Paul Carty
The story of Awaydays takes place in the period from 18th November, 1979 to 30th December, 1979 in Tranmere near Liverpool but there are lots of flashbacks to explain why Paul Carty from Birkenhead has gradually slipped into the local hooligan scene. This phase is one stage in Paul’s initiation into adulthood and bears some very revealing experiences for the nineteen-year-old boy. Four persons play an important part in the forming of his character and his behaviour.
Paul was born in 1960 to a Liverpool-Irish family and has inherited his mother’s accent, confidence, mordant wit, but also her violence; Paul has a scar above his left upper lip from one of her rings when she hit him. His mother was the one who made sure that her children knew discipline and gave them some orientation in life. So when he learns that she is going to die, he looks for “a new outlet, a way of expressing [himself]” and joins The Pack, a group of hooligans. In the face of death he feels helpless and abandoned, he no longer has anything in common with “the boys” at school, as he condescendingly calls them. Because it is difficult for him to express his emotions, he wants “rude action”. He realizes that the life his parents have mapped out for him is not what he really wants. His mother’s death on 25th November, 1978 marks a drastic change in his life.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: The introduction outlines the research aim, defining the concept of initiation and stating the intent to analyze Paul Carty's character development throughout the novel.
2. Paul Carty: This chapter provides a detailed character study, exploring how Paul’s family background, his search for identity, and his involvement with "The Pack" shape his behavior and struggle toward adulthood.
3. Conclusion: The conclusion synthesizes the findings, noting that Paul’s journey is an illusionary attempt to escape reality, ultimately recognizing that he must move beyond the violent subculture to integrate into the real world.
4. Bibliography: This section lists the primary novel, academic secondary sources, and web resources used for the analysis.
Keywords
Awaydays, Kevin Sampson, Paul Carty, Football Hooliganism, Initiation, Adulthood, Violence, Character Development, Literature, Family Dynamics, The Pack, Identity, Trauma, Subculture, Coming of Age
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this academic paper?
The paper focuses on the protagonist Paul Carty in Kevin Sampson's novel Awaydays and analyzes his psychological growth and development throughout the story.
What are the central thematic fields explored?
Key themes include initiation into adulthood, the impact of personal loss, the search for identity, and the dynamics of football hooliganism as a social environment.
What is the main objective of the research?
The objective is to characterize Paul Carty and demonstrate how he undergoes an initiation process that eventually leads him to seek meaning outside of the violent hooligan scene.
Which scientific method is utilized in this study?
The author employs a literary analysis approach, utilizing characterization and textual analysis based on secondary literature regarding the genre of initiation.
What is the core content of the main body?
The main body examines Paul’s background, his complex relationship with his family members, his reliance on "The Pack," and his eventual realization that the violent lifestyle does not offer a viable future.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
Essential keywords include Awaydays, initiation, football hooliganism, identity, coming of age, and character development.
How does the death of Paul’s mother trigger his development?
The death leaves Paul feeling abandoned and helpless, prompting him to seek a "new outlet" for his emotions, which initially leads him to join the hooligan group known as The Pack.
Why does the author suggest that Paul does not truly belong in The Pack?
The author argues that Paul possesses a sensitive and perhaps feminine side that is fundamentally at odds with the brutal, violent nature of the hooligan environment, making his integration into that world an illusion.
- Quote paper
- Kathrin Ehlen (Author), 2005, Paul Carty - the Main Character - in Kevin Sampson’s Novel "Awaydays", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/173790
