English-Runner

• Plot summary

  • The story of Charlie Feehan, a 15-year-old living in Richmond, Melbourne in 1919 during the Spanish Flu epidemic. After his father dies, Charlie has to grow up fast to support his family, including working as a runner for the local gangster Squizzy Taylor.
• Characters


  • Charlie Feehan
  • Norman 'Nostrils' Heath
  • Cecil Redmond
  • Squizzy Taylor
• Setting


  • The inner-city suburbs of Richmond and Fitzroy in Melbourne, capturing the hardship and sensations of life in an industrial area
• Themes


  • Grief
  • Friendship
  • Chance
  • Humour
• The resource includes a plot summary, character descriptions, setting details, and an overview of the key themes in the novel
• Newton captures the mood of the strugglers who live there with their colloquial language, and he captures the sensations of living in an industrial area, '. . .On one particular day (Nostrils) detected seventeen different stenches in the air'
• The children played in 'a playground full of blood and guts, of horse manure, empty tins and rats'
• Scenes are played out in the book in streets that are recognisable today
• Life is not without its simple pleasures: a hot bath, a warm fire, or a dance to the only record played on a borrowed gramophone
• Charlie's Dad is with him throughout this story. He is there in the holey boots Charlie runs in, and despite wearing Squizzy's new replacements for a while, when Charlie really grows up he goes back to wearing the boots he could never bring himself to throw away
• Charlie often recalls his father's advice, e.g. about the true test of character (p.110) and to find himself a girl who can dance (p.127)
• After his father's death, Charlie 'got so confused sometimes (he) didn't know who it was (he) was supposed to be' (p. 28)
• He really hasn't had time to grieve as he has been so busy growing up and trying to support his mother, and he hasn't really been able to talk about his father's death despite the many well-wishers who would help him, only Nostrils comes close to doing so (p.40)
• There are several critical moments in Charlie's friendship with Nostrils when Charlie's behaviour is put under the spotlight. Their friendship began with a lie and is brought to crisis point when Charlie leaves Nostrils to be beaten up by Barlow. It is not until after the race that the debt is repaid
• There are a number of crucial moments when things hang in the balance for Charlie, e.g. When Nostrils slips running away from Barlow (p.147), and when Squizzy nearly shoots Charlie when the boy quits (p.169)
• Charlie's voice brings the book to life, particularly when he indulges his flights of fantasy, or in his relationship with the duck. What he believed to be a Harriet turns out to be a Harry, so no luck with the egg laying, but the bird always seems to have one over on him until Charlie, the expert boxer, indulges in a contest with the bird
• There's so much more at penguin.com.au/teachers
• Find a map of Richmond. As you read the story plot Charlie's runs on the map. Read p.11–15 – the description of the race. Read p.140–145 – the liquor run. Using a Street Directory, sketch out the main streets between Richmond, the City and Fitzroy. As you read the book, mark in the places of importance
• We first see Charlie's boots when he turns up to race for Squizzy (p.6–8). How are the boots used in this story to tell us about Charlie's state of mind? Find the times when he changes shoes. What is significant about these changes? See p.46 when Dolly offers new boots. See p.188 when Cecil gives him the running spikes. Why does Charlie run barefoot? (p.198) 'Are you big enough to fill your father's boots?' What does this expression mean in common use?
• Write a description of a father figure in your life, in which you outline the qualities you admire and which you would like to possess
• Consider Charlie's relationship with the duck Harriet/Harry. See p.32, 39, 124, and 156. What do these scenes add to the enjoyment of the book?
• Read the description of Saturday night – such simple pleasures! See p.34. How have things changed today? Write a descriptive piece about Saturday night
• Look at the way Newton writes conversation in this book. Read p.109–110. Discuss with your teacher the techniques Robert Newton uses to capture the sound of speech in this community at this time. Note the use of: He said/she said – or lack of it! How does this affect the reader? How is it clear who is talking? Slang, Abbreviations – how is punctuation used to show missing letters? Try telling a simple story using mainly dialogue and without using lots of 'he/she said.' Experiment with dialects to differentiate between speakers
• Plot Charlie's relationship with Squizzy. You might use a flow chart to show this diagrammatically
• Read about Charlie's attempts to learn boxing and to train as a runner with Cecil. Cecil's System could be described like this: Step 1: Skipping – to the accompaniment of nursery rhymes, Step 2: Finkin' and footwork, Step 3: Have dog – chase rabbit – chase dog. What do you think about Cecil's coaching methods? Discuss with your teacher effective ways to write an instructional text. Research an activity in which you have some expertise. Give instructions to the class in how to effectively and safely increase performance in this activity. Either write a brochure, or give a talk, or use a PowerPoint presentation
• Read p.146–152 and p.168–170. What do these choices reveal about Charlie? Do they show different sides of his character? Has Charlie changed in the time between these two decisions? If so how? Is Charlie too hard on himself in relation to his first decision? Could he have done anything different? Is Charlie remarkably brave or silly in relation to his second decision? Justify your answers
• Think about a time you made an important choice, one you might have regretted, or one you were pleased about. Tell the story in a way that highlights the importance of the choice
• Read p.77–79. What is wrong with Mrs. Feehan after the fight with Peacock? 'The bruises, after all, would heal. It was something else – something that no amount of white powder could fix. Ma had lost her smile.' (p.78) Ma's behaviour has changed quite dramatically, and it is several months before she gets better. The Redmonds refer to it as 'a condition' (p.80), some people might call it a 'breakdown'. This often happens when people have experienced a threatening event. In school, bullying can bring this about. Today it is more likely to be called an 'adjustment disorder', or if it is more severe 'obsessive compulsive disorder', or 'post traumatic stress disorder'. Use a medical encyclopaedia or the Internet to find out about these disorders
• Runner


  Novel by Robert Newton
• Runner


  • Set in the slums of Melbourne in 1919
  • Follows 15-year-old Charlie Feehan as he drops out of school to take a job running packages and collecting money for a notorious gangster named Squizzy Taylor
  • Charlie quits his work with Taylor amidst escalating violence with a rival gang
  • Charlie takes the money he has earned and bets on himself in the Ballarat mile footrace
  • Charlie wins the race and uses his earnings to buy a timber yard that will keep him and his friends and family supported with honest work
• Charlie prefers running barefoot


  Believes it gives him an edge against the other runners because they don't expect it
• Charlie drops out of school which is a pretty poor decision
• Runner


  Novel by Robert Newton
• Runner


  • Set in the slums of Melbourne in 1919
  • Follows 15-year-old Charlie Feehan as he drops out of school to take a job running packages and collecting money for a notorious gangster named Squizzy Taylor
  • Charlie quits his work with Taylor amidst escalating violence with a rival gang
  • Charlie takes the money he has earned and bets on himself in the Ballarat mile footrace
  • Charlie wins the race and uses his earnings to buy a timber yard that will keep him and his friends and family supported with honest work
• Charlie prefers running barefoot

  He believes it gives him an edge against the other runners because they don't expect it
• Charlie drops out of school which is a pretty poor decision
• And that very night, when I felt the cold dull ache in my bones, I headed out into the dark damp streets of Richmond, and... I ran.: 'Page 3'
• To be poor


  Was to be cold
• When she was done reading, Ma pushed the letter across the table and scooped another spoonful of broth into Jack's mouth: 'Page 3'
• Even in death the poor were denied the luxury of grieving: 'Page 35'