Analytical Analysis Of People-Watching By Julia Gray

Analytical essay of People-Watching by Julia Gray

Some people have tragic stories, but you will never know by just watching them. Maybe that is the fascinating thing about of people-watching. That you only observe a couple of lives from a distance, but never interact or learn their stories. Maybe this brief meeting will strike a chord in you. This is the central setting of Julia Gray’s short story: “People-Watching” published in 2014. Gray deals with themes as loss, grief and family in a story of two young people-watchers.

The protagonist of this short story is Paul. He is described as “tall and laconic”, and we are told that he studies architecture by the University College of London. Indirectly, Paul comes off as extremely quiet but thoughtful.

The more Paul thinks about his sister and her death, the more he makes peace with it. Therefore, Paddington station becomes a symbol of death or loss, because it was the last place he saw Turtle alive. Moreover, Paddington Bear, a children’s figure of helplessness, becomes a symbol of Turtle. This is clearly seen in this quote: “The air is a suspension of Paddington Bears, each with a label pinned to their front; Please look after this bear. Call me when you’re safely home. Let us know you’re alright, love.” Then we have previously been told that the family often came to Paddington Station to find the spot where Paddington Bear was found and that it was the place they said goodbye to Turtle, the significance of the Paddington-Bear motive becomes clear. Turtle always needed to be looked after, and was never actually alright, according to Paul. All things considered, Paul is very affected by revisiting Paddington station, because his grief has manifested itself in these two symbols. These makes it obvious that he has suppressed his grief, and merely redirected it onto different aspects of his life. Consequently, he imagines everyone dead, and has chosen his major as architecture to keep buildings safe, because he couldn’t keep Turtle

Grief and loss, because these a major factors in Paul’s actionpattern. The story shows his dealing with grief by revisiting an important place of memory, and slowly becoming at peace with his sisters tragic death by drawing her for the first time. The third theme is family because the story reveals the importance of a safe upbringing, and the psychological damage that can be inflicted if it is absent.

In conclusion, “People-Watching” is a gripping short story that at first eyesight is a tragic but sweet story about an introverted boy, but in deeper sight, juggles difficult themes as loss and grief. The story’s structure and the detail of the language makes it possible to get close to the protagonist and his development. In addition, the setting and the language is perfectly aligned to create the atmosphere of a busy train station.

Paul doesn’t like trainspotting at first. He feels like it is an invasion of privacy. However, as the story progresses, the activity and setting strikes a chord in him. He does not interact or learn the people he watches stories’, but he learns to accept his own. This helps him make peace with his sisters tragic death, which he has been suppressing all these