INCIPIT OF THE FIRST CHAPTER ANALYSIS NORMAL PEOPLE

The novel starts in January 2011, introducing the two main characters. It is possible for the reader to start to understand the two protagonists' personalities according to what they say and what they do in the first part of the chapter. The extract starts from Connell's point of view, when he's watching Marianne right after she's opened the door. The first direct dialogue immediately introduces an informal register which will be present along the entire book. The third character presented is Lorraine, Connell's mother who works for Marianne's family. From the moment they start talking Connell's personality takes shape, indeed, when his mother asks him about his mock results he answers and suddenly urges Lorraine to go. His attitude could someone be interpreted as a sign of closeness or insecurity in front of Marianne. The reader can notice the same attitude in the following moments, when Connell continues pushing his mother Lorraine for example when she starts unclipping her hair. On the other hand, the first time Marianne's personality comes out is when she congratulates Connell for his results, suggesting that maybe she likes him. However, even Connell replies to her with congratulations, putting his shyness aside for a moment. In the last part of the extract Connell's shows once again his impatience in leaving the house by putting his hands in his pockets, since this is a sign that clearly expresses the need of a protected place, such as his own house. To conclude, what we can extract from the first part of the book is a brief introduction to our protagonists' personalities, a brief introduction that leaves a lot of space to the reader's imagination about the two teenagers, but that also gives a first input to figure out the two characters, who will discover each other along the book.