Characterisations

The characters in “Shouting at Cars” by Adam Marek are the child narrator, his family members (the father, the step-mother Magda and the brother Alex), the troll, the policewoman and the taxi driver. In what follows, we will discuss the narrator, the narrator’s family and the troll.

The Child Narrator

The narrator and the protagonist of the story is a twelve to thirteen years old unnamed child. We do not know whether the child is a girl or a boy. Some aspects suggest that the narrator might be a girl; For example, the child’s concern with the jam jar the troll might not be able to open sounds typically girlish:

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The Narrator’s Family

The narrator’s family is comprised of the father, the step-mother Magda and the little brother Alex. Though the father is the one that is mostly depicted, all the family members have common attitudes towards the troll.

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The Troll

The troll is a fantastical creature who instils fear in others. He does not speak, but he interacts with the narrator and his family. He is depicted physically in a way that suggests that he is ill:

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