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just gives her the old blazer. Her feet are hurt because the shoes are too small for her. She still feels fine to wear them. The most important thing for her is that she
can go to school. No matter how hurt her feet and how old her blazer are, going to school is more important.
3. Brave
As a teenager, Clare can be described as a brave girl. It can be seen through her reactions. When Clare cleans her room, Eastman tries to disturb her.
There, Clare says, ‘What you looking at?’ I said. ‘Why don’t you go and spy somewhere
else?’ ‘What you say? What you say, you black b? What you say?....
‘Stupid,’ I said 53.
Clare’s reaction to ask Eastman to go somewhere and say that he is stupid can be classified as reactions of a brave girl.
The way she reacts when Eastman punches her might be a proof. Clare states,
By the time I was about twelve, my relationship with Eastman was at an all-time low. During one argument, he had punched me and I punched him
back. He grabbed me and I hit him in the stomach and stamped on his giant feet 130.
Clare tries hard to protect herself from Eastman’s beatings. Her effort to attack Eastman is a brave action. Most of children are fear to oppose adults. They think
that they are weak. It is right, but Clare wants to show that she has a right to be saved in her own house. Therefore, she can be described as a brave girl.
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Clare does not have a good relationship with Eastman. Clare is brave to oppose him when they have argument. One day, when Eastman starts to disturb
Clare, she says, …’Why don’t you leave me alone, you stupid man? You can’t even read.’
He came over to me. ‘Say what? Go on say it, you ugly black b. You think I’m your father, you f shithouse.’
‘Don’t call me a shithouse. If anyone’s a shithouse, it’s you Look at you Big man like you, so stupid you can’t read. If I cooked your name in the
frying pan you would eat it because you would not recognise it, you stupid fool’ 131.
The evidence above shows that Clare is a brave girl. She has courage to oppose someone who disturbs her.
At her age, she dares enough to go to a Court and tell that her stepfather abuses her. Clare says,
The next day, Monday, I asked Dad to drop me off at Camberwell Green Magistrates’ Court. I entered the building and went to the first floor. The
sign above the window said Any Enquiries. I pressed the bell and a lady appeared.
‘Hello,’ she said. ‘What can I do for you?’ ‘My stepfather keeps abusing me and I was just wondering whether I
could take out some actions against him.’ ………’Okey dokey,’ she said. ‘He’ll be notified within seven days and
you will both have return to court on the date on the summons and then you can tell the Magistrate what you want’ 134.
Clare determines to go to Court because she wants to prove Eastman and Carmen
that they cannot underestimate her. She has her right to be appreciated and respected. When she feels unappreciated, she reacts to go to Court. After going to
Court and Eastman gets the letter from Court, Clare is not beaten by Eastman anymore. Those two Clare’s reactions can show that she is a brave girl.
When Clare has a speech with Eastman about her going to Court, Clare shows her courage in it. Clare says,
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‘What you going to do Eastman?’I said. ‘Put my head through another window? Save your reason until we go to court and if you touch me again
I’m going back to tell them, so you can do what you want.’…..’Go on, Eastman, why don’t you hit me? ‘I goaded him. ‘I’m going back to court
anyway so I can tell them while I’m there’ 135-136.
From the conversation above, Clare is brave enough to oppose Eastman because
she feels secured. At her twelfth, Clare is brave to go to Court and tell what happens to her. Based on the conversation between Clare and Eastman above,
Clare can be said as a brave girl through her speech.
4. Hard Working
