several ideas or traits of human nature. She has a complex personality. Moreover, she is also varied in temperament and motivation.
To analyze the characteristics of Clare, the theory of characterization by Murphy is applied. According to Murphy there are nine ways of characterization
161-173. They are personal description, character as seen by another, speech, past life, conversation of others, reactions, direct comment, thoughts, and
mannerism. However, there are only several ways that are used to describe and analyze the characteristics of Clare. In this novel, Clare is described as brave,
smart, confident, tough, hardworking and idealistic.
1. Brave
In her childhood, Clare is abused by her own mother both physically and emotionally. Never given enough and decent clothes, she keeps struggling for her
life. Although her mother often beats her, Clare is still brave to have contact with her mother. Clare is brave to sue her mother to get what she deserves as her child.
Even when she knows exactly what will happen if she fights against her mother, Clare never buries her courage. Besides, Clare also has the bravery to face
difficulties and to do what she thinks as right in her life. Clare’s bravery can be seen through her thought. A few days before she
starts her school at Sacred Heart, Clare asks her mother to hand her some money to buy a new pair of shoes. Instead of giving the money, her mother asks Clare to
try on and to choose one pair of the shoes collected from the ante-room. Although her mother refuses to give her some money, Clare still has an intention to ask for
the money again later since the money is given by her father and it belongs to
Clare and her sisters. She is brave enough to fight against the injustice happening in her life.
I had no opportunity to ask again for our money. Not to worry. I went upstairs to find my sisters. The shoes were a bit tight and pinched my feet.
By the time I got to my sisters’ room I needed to take them off. I told Four Eyes and Precious Puss that our mother had not given the money, but I
would try again later Briscoe 95. Her speeches also show how brave Clare is. Although her mother decides
not to give the money, Clare still has the bravery to ask again. She keeps struggling to get what she deserves. Even when she realizes that her state of
opinion will cause a problem, her bravery leads Clare to ask for the money again. As a result, her mother slaps her face with wet shirt pulled out from the washing
machine. ‘Can we have our money, Mummy?’ I said. ‘We would like to go
shopping,’ ‘What money?’ she said.
‘Our money that Dad gave us.’ ‘What money?’
‘Our money to buy our shoes. We would like to go to the market.’ ‘What for?’
‘What for what?’ I said. ‘Why do you need shoes?’
‘I need because I don’t have any for school,’ I said Briscoe 96. Her bravery can also be seen when Clare asks her mother the dress for her
First Communion. Her mother gives her a second-hand dress, which is not white and has a stain down the back. When Clare shows the dress to her sisters, Patsy
and Pauline, they simply say that Clare should ask her mother for the dress that is used for their First Communion. Since Clare has a big courage, she then decides
to ask her mother for the dress. She is not afraid that her action will put her mother into anger. She does not like the dress given by her mother. However,
when Clare asks her mother for the dress used by Pauline and Patsy before, her mother plainly says that it is not hers. At last, Clare has to use the dress given by
her mother for she has no other choices Briscoe 125-126. Clare is courageous to fight against her mother’s treatments toward her.
Once her mother asks Clare to give all the money she earns by working as a shop assistant at Roses, a ladies’ dress shop, but she refuses. She is brave to fight in
defending what she owns. ‘Well, how much do you want?’
‘By rights you should give it all to me.’ ‘Then there would be no point in working. I might as well to stop now.’
‘That’s your business, no one forced you to get a job.’ ‘It’s my money and I worked for it.’ Briscoe 224-225.
Clare is brave enough to state what she is thinking. When Eastman mocks
and shouts at her, Clare has the courage to answer back. She is not afraid that Eastman is going to hurt her. When Eastman calls her as a fucking shithouse,
Clare answers back. She mocks him back as a big stupid man since he cannot read. Besides, Clare also points out if he cooks his name in the frying pan,
Eastman will eat it for he will not recognize it. Moreover, Clare also calls him as a stupid fool Briscoe 131. She is very brave in fighting against Eastman’s
mocking. One occasion, her mother punches her in the back of her head and forces
Clare forward until she falls onto the stairs. Unconsciously Clare states her opinion that later when she has her own children she will never hit them.
Although she is beaten by her mother, she is never afraid to say what is in her mind Briscoe 110. She never cares about her mother’s later beatings.
How she reacts to people also shows her bravery. When someone has an attempt to beat her, Clare will fight back bravely. Clare struggles to fight the
injustice. She will never let anyone to hurt herself. Once she is in the school playground, her friend, Mary, tries to push Clare out of her way. However, Clare
never lets someone beat her. She then gains the courage to fight back. We had a fall-out in the school playground when she tried to push me out
of her way. I pushed her back. She hit me and I hit her back. We had words and we were not speaking to each other. The truth was, we did not
like each other Briscoe 80. When she is twelve, her relationship with Eastman is getting worse. Every
time she has a quarrel with Eastman, Clare never lets him hurt her. Anytime Eastman beats her, she will beat him back. Once when they have an argument,
Eastman punches her. Yet, Clare does not remain silent, she punches him back. When Eastman grabs her, Clare hits him in the stomach and stamps on his giant
feet Briscoe 130. Clare is a sort of person who has a big courage to struggle in a fight.
One day, Eastman tries to beat Bem since he witnesses that Eastman attacks Clare. While Bem is on his way downstairs, Eastman tries to pull him
down the stairs. Knowing that, Clare does an attempt to save Bem. She is brave to attack Eastman, trying to save the old Bem.
Bem was having a fit on his bottom and Eastman, stupid Eastman, could not have cared less. I took a running jump and landed on Eastman’s back
and started to punch him in the head and pull his eyelashes out as he tugged at Bem’s leg.
‘Quick, Bem,’ I said. ‘Go back upstairs.’ ‘Wait,’ said Eastman. ‘Who the body on my back?’
‘Quick, Bem,’ I said. ‘Go.’ Eastman refused to release Bem’s leg and had managed to pull him down
the stairs. I stuck my fingers in Eastman’s eyes and pulled his ears in order
to get him to let Bem go. I pressed my knees into his back then I grabbed him and punched him twice in the neck Briscoe 308.
Through her thought, speeches, and reactions, it is obvious that Clare is a
brave person. She has the courage to fight against the injustice in her life. She is never afraid of the risks that will happen by fighting her mother back.
2. Smart
