Saturday, August 10, 2019

Why did Michael move to Falconer Road?

In the young adult novel Skellig by British novelist David Almond, the protagonist is twelve-year-old Michael, who moves with his family to a house on Falconer Road in a new town. The town could be anywhere, and "Falconer" is a fictionalized road. In this fantasy novel, Michael soon finds a creature in the garage of the new home: the titular character, "Skellig." Michael at first takes this inscrutable, arthritic creature to be a homeless man; however, he continues to nurture him, out of a sense of humanitarianism as well as curiosity.
Later, Michael's baby sister, born prematurely, goes into the hospital for heart surgery. Michael's mother sees Skellig—part angel, part bird, part man—lift up the baby, who survives. Skellig then bids farewell to Michael.
As for the reasons for the move to Falconer Road, Michael's family moved following the premature birth of their daughter. They needed a fresh start, owing to the tensions that resulted from the emotional and financial upheaval. The home is described as a dilapidated warehouse of a building, in need of significant repairs.
As for the setting of Falconer Road, the author likely chose it as a sort of fictional everyday location, with aspects familiar to the average reader who has perhaps seen or inhabited such a locale. On a literary level, the specific name of "Falconer" might also foreshadow the bird-like qualities exhibited by the creature that Michael encounters here.

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