Coram Boy Essay

What do we learn about life in the 18th century and how successfully does the writer convey this information whilst telling us a good story?

The story is set in the 18th century and includes factual information which plays a vital part in the storyline. It uses this information whilst entertaining the readers with a fictional storyline. It is based on one thing in particular, hence the title "The Coram Boy", this is The Coram Hospital.

A main factor in the storyline is the way the writer portrays society's attitude to poverty in the 18th century. The poor people were treated tremendously different to higher classed people. A lot of people were even living on the streets. For example, "He picked his way through the hordes of homeless children who congregated at evening, like the starlings, to look for the most sheltered niche into which they could huddle for the night." The writer uses immense detail to help the reader visualise the scene. She also uses a simile to help the reader compare the circumstances in which the children are in. This shows that the poor children had to live on the streets and fend for themselves during the 18th century. Another example involves a brief description of the city in which the poor people lived in. This is "nor when he smelt the stench of open sewers and foraging pigs, and the manure of horses and mules" This gives a clear example of the state of the city. It is unclean and rancid and the writer includes this whilst keeping to her fictional storyline.

Another factor in the storyline is society's attitude to class differences. Higher classed people were never allowed to socialise with people below their class. For example, Alice who is a young girl born to a rich high-classed family queries why she cannot marry Thomas, a lower classed boy. This is answered by "'Cos he's not a gentleman." Higher classed people were not permitted to marry out of their class. If they did it would be considered shameful and parents would often disown their children. Another example is, "Never was he more ashamed than when he saw their eyes scan his heavy jacket and breeches, his hob-nailed boots and cotton shirt - and these were his best clothes" this is when Thomas visits Alexander's house. Alexander is much higher classed. It shows how he feels to be in the company of those higher classed. This is then contrasted by "The food was borne in on silver platters by white-gloved manservants; food he had never even seen before: venison pie, partridge breasts, grilled trout, slivers of ham, trifle with cream and jam, cheese and little biscuits" this shows the wealth of Alexander's family. These two examples clearly show the difference between different classes.

The next main factor in the story is society's attitude towards illegitimacy. Any woman who bore a child out of wedlock was treated with disgust and held an air of shame and disgrace. This caused those who did happen to have their children out of wedlock to give them up and send them off to orphanages in hope their child would be alright. A lot of these single mothers tried to send their children to one such orphanage called "The Coram Hospital". An example is when Melissa, a young girl just found out she was pregnant and says "'And Mama? What about Mama? The disgrace. We'll both be thrown out. Destitute." This is a good example of the consequences of illegitimacy. If anybody found out about such circumstances the mother and her acquaintances would be thrown out and homeless. The writer includes this factual information in the story and it entwines with the fictional storyline. This creates a great effect in the story.

Another main factor in the storyline is society's attitude towards disability. This is mainly fear and ignorance. For example, the writer writes about a once beautiful girl who had become deformed by smallpox. "He sensed his father wince and drop his eyes as she pulled her veil across her ravaged, pitted face." This shows society's awkwardness against those who do not look 'normal'. This also shows people's ignorance and how they do not look beyond the surface. Another example of the way society treated disability is the circus freak show. "A travelling freak show on its way to London pitched camp and displayed their charges - penny-a-peep - to see the two-headed baby, the bearded woman, the Siamese twins and a man whose heart you could see beating because he had been born with it on the outside. That was a tuppence a peep, which most people thought worth it, to see the organ and all its mysterious tubes and muscles expanding and contracting, giving life yet looking as if it had a life of its own." This shows that the people developed a curiosity at something so different and strange to human nature and so would actually pay to see the frightening people who held such disability. The writer includes this piece of information about the 18th century very briefly yet it still holds vital importance and helps intrigue the reader to read on.

Another main factor in the story is the slavery, child labour and racism. These three points come under the