How effectively does the composer use language to create the world of the novel?
The composer, Michael Parker uses a variety of language techniques and narrative techniques to effectively to create the world and atmosphere of Doppelganger. This novel is about a teenager named Andrew Davies, who incidentally finds himself travelling between two parallel worlds, one of which is civilised and the other being uncivilised with no morals, laws and ethics. Andrew soon finds himself having to stop a drug war that will indirectly affect both worlds. Throughout the story, Parker has cunningly used an array of language techniques to establish and form the characters and to explore themes.
The novel, Doppelganger, is set in a contemporary time in the streets of Sydney. The ‘other’ Sydney is established through dominant descriptive language. This captures the responder’s imagination, leaving them with a horrendous image of what Sydney would be like without any morals, laws and ethics. As Andrew wakes up from being ‘spilled’ over to the other Sydney, he begins to describe what it looks like. The use of metaphors and the use of personification thoroughly emphasises how dreadful the ‘other’ Sydney is. This also forms a terrifying atmosphere. “I wake up naked in the middle of some monster Sydney where the buildings are a nightmare and the sky has gone insane.” [p. 40]. Another great example of Parker’s ability to create imagery is when Josh organises a reconnaissance of Inner Station’s headquarters at Sydney University. Andrew has no choice but to go with him. The effect of the simile “as if there had been some sort of street orgy the night before” describes the chaos in the streets and the horrible condition of the cities. The used condoms lying on the ground shows an immoral image and shows that there is no decency in this ‘other’ Sydney. “All I made out were wet streaks of people hanging on the street corners, frightened old women scurrying into doors with what looked like...