CHEMICAL WARFARE:An investigation into the emotional involvement of

young people in local political issues through an

examination of Nancekuke by John Branfield

Introduction

Young people and political involvement

Commitment to perceived ‘just cause’

Organisation of paper – background

-Helen’s play - Conclusion

Background John Branfield’s writing – time and

place

Writing early 1970s

First novel for young people

Introduction into narrative of Nancekuke as place

Insertion of Helen into location as part of her identity construct

Environment: Helen’s externalidentity from place

Building metaphors

From home

To wider landscape

– Nancekuke as home

Oppositional –

Nancekuke research station as

threat

Maturation: Helen’s internal identity

‘building’ Helen’s

character and

identity

Personal –

romantic

fantasy

Cause – anti-

gas action

Shared activism – drama group

Helen’s Play

Inspired by Anti-Gas Action (AGA)

Father’s death

Inextricable emotional

involvement with Bill and

Mike

Bill as fantasy

Mike - romance

Conclusion Key moments contribute to Helen’s maturation

Dramatic impact of change reflected in literal drama

Growing understanding of what is possible

Acceptance of unresolved outcome

Helen’s emotional involvement integral to her political action

Nancekuke from the air

Images from http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/sites/p/portreath/nancekuke.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/sites/p/portreath/index1.html&usg=__L8NlrYkOUdL_c8AFeVLa8VgoZqI=&h=407&w=598&sz=50&hl=en&start=6&sig2=mNdZmtSYGDN5Ln90BjIZNQ&itbs=1&tbnid=esFztwnyXM5dSM:&tbnh=92&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnancekuke%2Bcornwall%26hl%3Den%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1&ei=fpkQTJvZCM-csgbUqdzRBw

‘We [referring to himself and his then teenage daughter] think there is a need for novels for and about young people, with contemporary settings and about real issues‘.(Branfield, Nancekuke Author's Note).

Road on the edge of Nancekuke airfield taken by Tony Atkins (attributed use under Creative Commons)

Dr Rachel Johnson . University of Worcester September 2010