a novel by John Marsden
Story Outline
This girl tells her life story about how
she came to be in the nut house asylum. The girl (we don’t know her name) starts
off talking about the asylum, the other patients, and what happens in there.
The other part of the story – it jumps from the asylum to events that led to
her breakdown - is talking about how her father’s company was in with a major
government deal that would make them lots of money.
However, it all mucked
up when her dad brought home a dog named "Checkers". Because of the
huge deal that happened, there were a lot of questions being asked, mainly in
parliament about whether the premier had helped out her dad’s company. There
was also of complaints raised by another company that had a higher bid than
her dad’s company. Journalists hung around at the house, and one got beaten
up by the girl’s father because he was so mad.
Eventually, one journalist
took an interest in Checkers, and the girl explained when she got him. The journalist
noticed Checkers was a lot like the Premier's dog which meant the Premier had
had contact with her dad. Her dad killed Checkers in a fit of rage. He blamed
the dog because the big deal had come unstuck. It was all too much for the girl,
she felt she had killed her dog, ruined her father’s company, and brought shame
to her family.
Sam Orde
Review Comments
Luke: The book Checkers was alright. The best part was when the family found out about the contract. It was a pity the good news didn’t last. A hospital seems a strange place to set the story, but I suppose the book gives us some idea of what those places are like.
Sam: I did not like the book Checkers much because it was hard to stay focused on the story. It jumped from the girl’s home to hospital, and half the time it was hard to work out the timing of the events. Overall, it was very confusing, not my sort of story.
Tron: Checkers was difficult to read, I did not like it much. I like it when things work out, and things in this book seem to get worse, not better.
Phil: I found it confusing. It was hard to read because it was jumping from one time and place to another. I liked Checkers, mainly because I like dogs, but it was sad when he got killed. I was pleased to find out a bit about mental hospitals, and the treatment that the people get. However, it was sad to think of these young people and their screwed-up lives. It was not my kind of book.
Gavin: I didn’t like the book. It took too long to read and I could not follow it; it went from a dog, to a mental hospital, to their home. I got confused. There were some good parts, like when the family went skiing, but overall the story was very sad.
Nat: I did not like the book, it is not the genre that appeals to me. Some interesting bits, like the interaction between patients in the hospital, but pretty sad to think of their situation.
Merv: John Marsden is highly regarded as a writer of teenage fiction. His popularity has not waned, and his many best-sellers and book awards confirm that his books have a strong following. Checkers, is the writing of a troubled teenager in an institution, similar to his earlier work, Letters from the inside. There is a blunt authenticity about the novel, the ideas of the central character are convincing and descriptive. The characters, as seen by the teenager, are well portrayed, with the likes of her father's boss showing all the attributes and attitudes of a ruthless self-interested white-collar criminal. It is not surprising that it is his influence, early in the novel, that created most of the mental anguish the girl suffers.
Marsden, it could be claimed after reading the Tomorrow series, is a master of teenage-appropriate fiction. However, this novel has some disturbing themes. One has to wonder if the plot, based on easily recognised people and events in Victoria’s recent past, is effective. The story, a victim of his own stupidity killing the family pet and creating a mentally damaged daughter, does not make for appropriate teenage fiction. While not promoting the notion of happy endings, I believe Checkers is a depressing novel. The opening scenes present a deeply troubled teenager in a mental hospital, and the story ends with the depressing prospect of her being there for the foreseeable future. With many teenagers already feeling emotionally vulnerable, and well aware of friends and acquaintances not coping with the complexities of growing up, Checkers is hardly a text to inspire and challenge young minds.
The notion that good teenage fiction can provide valuable insights to assist young people in their journey into adulthood, certainly does not apply to this novel. Marsden recently wrote a feature article lamenting the loss of ‘mythologies to help men and boys take their places with strength and confidence in this brave new world’, and promoting the value of language development in boys. ( The Age, Saturday Extra, p1, 29.06.02). It is somewhat confusing, given Marsden’s stated concerns, that he makes no attempt to offer positive image-building opportunities in his teenage fiction. Checkers does not provide a single male role model that is not power-hungry, ambitious, ruthless, decietful, self-interested, chauvinistic, or institutionalised.
For all that, Marsden is a good writer, and Checkers is an appropriate text. Perhaps the examination of how gender is portrayed in the book could provide fertile ground for discussion and useful insights for young people.
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Prepared by Sam, Luke, Tron, Gavin, & Phil. Background image by Kylie