User:Eandersonh/sandbox

 Contents 


 * 1) Character List
 * 2) Plot
 * 3) Themes
 * 4) Character Spotlight: Jim McLindon
 * 5) Symbolism

Characters

Jim McLindon is the main character of the play. He is a 13 year old boy from a working class background who has been recently put into foster care. He is struggling to cope with the loss of his family and is being disrespectful and rebellious towards authority figures.

Sharon McLindon is Jim's mother. She is in her late 20s. She struggles to cope with him. She has started a new relationship with a local shop owner and regrets having had a child so young. She wants to put Jim into foster care so she can have a life and build a business.

Mat Davis owns the local kebab shop owner. He is in his late 30s. He is aggressive and abusive towards Jim and wants Jim out of the way so he can start a new family with Jim’s mother.

Mr and Mrs Welland are Jim’s new foster parents. They are middle class. Mr Welland is not keen on having Jim in the house. He thinks is he is trouble. He is very prejudiced against Jim because Jim comes from a challenging background and has misbehaved in the past. Mr Welland also suffers from mental health issues and isolates himself when stressed.

Mrs Welland likes Jim, welcomes him into her home, and wants to give him a chance of a better life.

Miranda Welland is Jim’s foster sister. She is also 13 year old. She is Jim’s friend and welcomes Jim to her home and tries to make him feel comfortable.

Stubby Redshaw is Jim’s friend from Mum’s house. He is disabled. He is bullied by the other teenagers but Jim protects him and defends him.

Tony Simmons is Jim’s social worker. He is in his early 20s.

Mr Bryant is the headmaster of St Xavier’s, Jim’s new school. The school is high achieving and Mr Bryant does not want Jim there in case it damages the school’s reputation. He is in his thirties but he is intolerant, prejudice and very nasty to Jim.

Peter is a pupil at St Xavier’s. He is snobby and looks down on Jim for being poor.

Mr Cooper is a music teacher at St Xavier. He doesn’t like Jim.

Mrs Pryme is a teacher at St Xavier’s. She likes Jim and is tolerant, kind, and gives him a chance.

Plot

The play burning Everest is a play about a 13 year old boy called Jim McLindon who has been moved into foster care with the Wellands. Jim has been moved to the Wellands to start a new life after his mum doesn’t want him anymore because of all the trouble he has been causing. He copes with his stress by fantasising about being George Mallory, the first man to climb Everest.

When he starts his new school, Jim is judged and humiliated by the teachers and other pupils; however, he is inspired by Maranda, his foster sister, to give his new school a shot and do his work. Unfortunately, Jim is thrown of course at school again after finding out his mum is engaged to Matt Davis {the kebab shop owner}.

Matt has been abusive to Jim and Matt is also the reason Jim’s mum put him into foster care. After finding out about the engagement, he feels suicidal and he sneaks out of his foster home at night to go to a dangerous quarry. He is followed by Maranda and both end up trapped in the quarry. Thanks to stubby, however, the authorities find out where they are and both children get rescued. After this, he realises he now has a good family and decides to leave his past behind and focus on the future. This is symbolised by his burning of the Everest poster given to him by his mother.

Theme

Family

Jim has been adopted and lives with the Wellends.

Jim wants to go back and live with his mum but his mum refuses.

His mum appears to be really selfish to Jim in the story.

Poverty

Jim comes from a pretty bad background after his mum had him when she was 16. For example when Sharron arrives at the Wellend’s house. She says is impressed and intimidated by how nice the house is and tells Jim he will have a better life there.

Prejudice

Matt shows hate towards to Stubby and calls him plastic man.

Resilience Jim gives up on his mum and wants to live with the Wellands so he burns the book because be to forget about his mum and this is why the book is called Burning Everest.