An essay I wrote for class (so if you've read this before, there's a chance that you're my teacher) on I'm the King of the Castle, a book by Susan Hill. I was most disgusted when I discovered there wasn't a node on the novel. If you haven't read the book, you may not understand, but very simply, it is about Kingshaw, an 11 yr old boy who is bullied by Hooper. SPOILER

Who is most responsible for the outcome of the novel?

Of the four main characters, three are primarily responsible for the outcome of the novel, Charles Kingshaw for his weaknesses, Edmund Hooper for his cruelty and Mrs Kingshaw for her lack of interest in her son's life, as well as a small part played by Fielding to make Kingshaw despair over his own flaws.

Hooper is the basis of the entire plot in I'm the King of the Castle. Without him, the outcome would not have been the same, as Hill uses him to introduce the plot of the novel. Through Hooper's actions the insecurities and problems in Kingshaw's life become apparent. Hooper is the character most responsible for the outcome of the book, but without Kingshaw's responses to Hooper's actions, and without Mrs Kingshaw's disinterest in her son, Hill's ending to her novel would not have been possible.

The main frustration about the outcome of the novel is the way Kingshaw is so willing to give up. Kingshaw's flaws in his strength of will make him very susceptible to Hooper's taunting. Hill emphasizes Kingshaw's show of his lack of self-esteem and motivation in Hang Wood by making Kingshaw lose control of the situation often. Susan Hill proves that her main character is a very weak person with the words 'he always gave up' and by showing that Kingshaw is 'scared' of Hooper. Hooper knows this and so is able to bully him easily, pushing Kingshaw into a corner he creates in his own mind. Kingshaw's weak relationship with his mother is also the result of a lack of will, as Hill shows closer to the end of I'm the King of the Castle, through the use of a circus. Hill shows that Kingshaw is obviously terrified to be at the circus, but words such as 'splendid treat' show how little Mrs Kingshaw really understands about her son's feelings.

Mrs Kingshaw contributes significantly to the outcome of the novel. A mother is meant to be the sole person in whom a child can confide completely and without fear, but Hill's character is not that sort of mother. Mrs Kingshaw is more interested in her own happiness and simply assumes that her son feels the same way she does. Even though Kingshaw tells her that he 'hates' Hooper, Mrs Kingshaw sympathizes with her son's enemy and refuses to believe Kingshaw, telling him not to be 'wicked' . To further show this lack of interest in her son she decides not to make a 'favorite' of her own child, and in doing so she instead favorites Hooper, and Hill also uses the phrase 'less to do with him Kingshaw then anyone else in the whole word' to describe Mrs Kingshaw's actions in relation to her son. Hill shows how Kingshaw responds to his mother's words 'he did not want' to talk to her, destroying one way he could escape Hooper's tormenting and showing how great a role Mrs Kingshaw plays in creating the outcome of the novel.

Fielding is also a contributor to the ending of the novel, though Hill does not make his role as major as the other characters. Hill uses Fielding to show Kingshaw the many flaws in him and how unafraid he could be towards Hooper. Hill emphasizes this by allowing Kingshaw to see the 'way he should be'.

Nearer the end of the novel Hooper's strength in his role as tormentor is brought out by Hill in a suspending sort of terror for Kingshaw, creating more fear the Hill has shown in her main character before in I'm the King of the Castle. This final climax is the most important part of the book, as it is when Kingshaw is truly trapped in the imagination of his own mind and his decisions about the outcome of the novel are either made certain or formulated. Hill shows how terrible this trepidation is with phrases such as 'waking was no better the sleeping' after describing the horrible dreams Kingshaw has about the imminent cruelty Kingshaw is sure Hooper will carry out. This also shows how easily Kingshaw is manipulated by Hooper and how much both characters contribute to the outcome of the book.

Kingshaw tells no one how afraid he is of Hooper during this time, as Hill has already shown his mother to be completely inaccessible for Kingshaw, and Mr Hooper is never considered by him.

The outcome of the book is a result of the way Kingshaw, Hooper and Mrs Kingshaw react to each other, and it is not the result of a single character's role.