Analysis

The analysis of the novel Running Wild by J.G. Ballard shows that it follows a non-linear plot structure. The story follows the notes of the main character as he tries to solve the mystery of the murders which took place on the Pangbourne estate a few months back.

The main character in the story is Doctor Richard Greville, Deputy Psychiatric Advisor to the London Metropolitan Police. Another important character is Sergeant Payne of Reading CID, who works on the case with him. Marion Miller, one of the children, is another significant character. The relationship between the parents and the children is the key to understanding the mystery.

The setting is the village of Pangbourne, a residential community in West London, England. The Pangbourne estate contains clues that are essential to solving the mystery.

The story is told from the point of view of a first-person narrator. The narrator is reliable, and a very good observer.

The language is formal, and the tone is professional. This suggests the serious nature of the events. It also shows that the novel is written to imitate an official report.

You can read a more detailed analysis in the following pages.

Excerpt from the study guide:

Time setting

The novel is set in 1988. Several technological items were considered groundbreaking at that time, such as CCTV cameras and personal computers.

Even though CCTV cameras were in widespread use by companies since 1970s, it was uncommon for private residences in the ‘80s to have them, as they were very expensive. Similarly, home computers were available, but very few households had them in the late 1980s, as they were thought to be expensive and have little practical purpose. The fact that these technological devices were all available at Pangbourne highlights not only the wealth of the residents but also how progressive they were.

The Pangbourne murders take place shortly after eight on the morning of June 25, 1988. Greville is assigned to the case two months later, on 28 August 1988. Greville visits the Pangbourne estate on 29 August 1988.

Greville notices that time at Pangbourne Village does not follow the usual rules:

At Pangbourne Village, I reflected, time could run backward or forward. The residents had eliminated both past and future, and for all their activity they existed in a civilized and eventless world. In a sense, the children had rewound the clocks of real life.
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