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Blabbermouth


Blabbermouth

Morris Gleitzman

Blabbermouth is about Rowena, a girl who can’t speak, and the relationship between herself and her Dad, who in her eyes deliberately embarrasses her in public on very consistent bases. The novel begins with Rowena beginning at her new school, after the government closed down the special school she used to attend. It goes on to follow Rowena with the troubles that she faces, including a ‘loudmouth bully’ she met on her first day at the new school.

Gleitzman adds quite a bit of humour into what could be quite a serious story. Some of the humour that he adds to this story includes Rowena shoving a frog down the throat of the ‘loudmouth bully’ and the many ways in which her Dad embarrasses her throughout the novel. By the end of the novel Rowena and her Dad reach a compromise and their mutual love and respect ensures that problems they faced can be solved, leading to less moments of embarrassment for her.

The themes that are brought up in this novel are from the viewpoint of a young girl who is deaf. The themes covered in this novel include; disabilities, family relationships, bullying and individuality. Disabilities and bullying are brought up throughout the majority of the novel as Rowena is deaf and is constantly getting bullied by the ‘loudmouth bully’ about being so. Individuality and family relationships are also covered throughout the whole novel as there is a struggle between Rowena and her father as he is always embarrassing her in public.  These themes could lead into an English program through having the students write a story or poem based on a time that they have been bullied and have them devise ways in which they could solve the problem peacefully, unlike in the actual novel.

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2 comments:

Unknown said...

She is mute/dumb (hence the joke in the book's first line) not deaf. The book even makes reference to the fact that she is not deaf 😀

Unknown said...

Also disability, change, bullying are topics not thrmes. Themes are what the book says about these topics- the moral/lesson.

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