The Haunting – Captures Reader’s Attention Using The Character Barney Essay, Research Paper

In the novel, The Haunting, the author Margaret Mahy captures the reader’s imagaintion using the character, Barney. He captures the reader’s imagination through the way she describes his personality which is shy and caring. Barney’s feelings and emotions also captures your imagination as they are confused at first and then he gradually learns how to deal with the hauntings from the boy in the blue velvet suit.

Barney captures the reader’s imagination through his caring and shy personality. he cares so much about Claire and the baby that he doesn’t want to worry her by telling her about the hauntings. Barney also thinks that if Claire worries about him then there is more chance of her dying when she has the baby, just like his mother, Dove, who died when she had him. This captures the reader’s imagination because Barney’s personally is so caring. Barney is eight years old and extremely shy. he doesn’t seem to have any friends at school and doesn’t get involved in activites out of school. this tells us that Barney is too shy and quiet.

Margaret Mahy also captures the reader’s imagination by expressing Barney’s sensitive feelings and emotions towards others. Barney is walking home from school when he experiences the first haunting from the little boy in the blue velvet suit. The ghost tells him Barnaby was dead and that he was going to be very lonely. When Barney hears this, he thinks the ghost was telling him that he was dead. When Barney gets home and Tabitha told him that their great-uncle Barnaby had died, Barney fainted. This incident captures the reader’s attention as it is the climax and it’s very interesting.