More than just the disease (1)

The Big Picture
• I will read “More Than Just The
Disease”
• I will be able to understand
character, setting and theme
• I will be able to learn how to write
responses to critical essays
• I will be able to evaluate my work

Possible Essay Questions
• Write about a short story in which the
turning point is significant to the text
as a whole
• Choose a novel/short story in which
the writer’s use of setting has a
significant part to play in your
appreciation of the text as a whole

Who was Bernard MacLaverty?
• Born in Belfast on
14th
September
1942
• He was once an
English teacher
• Now a fiction writer
• Currently lives in
Glasgow

Setting of “More Than Just The
Disease”
• The short story is
based in the East
coast of Scotland
• In one vital part of the
story, the characters
are on a beach on the
coast of Scotland

Introduction to Themes
• Two of the main themes are:
• Over-influential protective
parenting
• Awkwardness of
adolescence

Areas which will be explored
• Themes: over influential
parenting, awkwardness of
adolescence
• Setting: beach, caravan,
Michael’s house
• Characterisation:
protagonist, Mrs Wan etc.
• Turning point / epiphany:
Neil realises his disease is
not as bad as his mother
had made him believe

Character List
• Neil Fry - protagonist
• Neil’s mum
• Mrs Wan
• Anne (Michael’s
sister)
• Michael Middleton
• Mr & Mrs Middleton

Plot
• Neil Fry, a shy self-effacing teenage boy has psoriasis. He is
encouraged unwillingly by his mother to stay at his friend
(Michael's) house. Neil goes, however he finds himself longing
to be back beside his over bearing mother. The story builds up
to a climax as the weather gets increasingly hotter, Neil worries
more and more about whether his friend will discover his skin
rash; and perhaps think less of him therefore he conceals it.
Michael continually asks Neil to go swimming. Neil refuses,
consequently they argue. The protagonist then finds himself
alone on the beach, abandoned by his best friend and finds a
kitten. He returns it to Mrs Wan, an unconventional who lends a
compassionate ear to the boy. He has an epiphany when
talking to Mrs Wan and realises that “in the sunlight, it didn’t
look so red”. Hence Neil changes an anxious adolescent to a
confident individual.

Turning Point - Analysis of text
Point Evidence Evaluation/ personal
response
The protagonist has an
epiphany, after talking to
Mrs Wan, where he
realises that his skin
disease is not as bad as
his mother has made him
believe
“In the sunlight it didn’t look so red”
By close analysis the reader can
see that Neil is now relieved of the
pressure to conceal his body. Just
as the sun brings in a new dawn,
so too is the boy evolving into a
confident individual
Michael stumbles upon
their relaxed
conversation and is
shocked by his
discovery
“‘Mrs Wan, mum says could you
tell her where…’ his voice trailed
off seeing Neil’s chest, ‘the cheese
grater is?’ “
Clearly, the use of the ellipsis
indicates Michael’s sheer surprise
towards this uncommon scene.
Neil, who is displaying his chest to
his best friend and a stranger, is
now aware that he should never
have been ashamed of his
disease. Without a catalyst – Mrs
Wan – Neil would not have had an
epiphany and the two boys would
not have overcome the obstacle
which stood in the way of their
friendship.

Setting
• A) The Holiday Home
• B) The Beach
• C) Mrs Wan’s Home
• Finally - The various comparisons/contrasts we can make with
Neil’s home and the other settings.
• We will look at how McLaverty uses the setting to help explore
themes:
• (overprotective parenting – his mother, the awkwardness of
adolescence and dealing with a chronic skin condition)
• And the development of Neil’s character (characterisation).

Setting
• A) The Holiday Home

Setting - Analysis of text
response
“More than Just the Disease”
begins with Neil who is
situated in his friend’s
(Michael’s) holiday home –
the initial setting. As Neil has
not got the comfort or
guidance of his mother he is
extremely agitated.
‘Everything in it seemed of an
unusual design’
The house appears to be
“strange” and of an
“unusual design”, thus
already provoking
sympathy for him as the
reader learns he is
psychologically alone.
However, the setting of
the Michael Middleton’s
holiday home is warm
and inviting.
“They were all sitting in the
growing darkness of the
large front room, Michael
drinking hot chocolate,
Anne his sister with her
legs flopped over the arm
of the chair...”
MacLaverty’s use of the words
such as “growing darkness” and
“flopped” both have
connotations of laziness and
tranquillity, therefore the
reader can clearly see that the
Middleton family are welcoming
and that they would fully
understand – and respect –
Neil’s skin disease which is
“crawling” over his chest.

response
Despite the laidback ambience
he still feels uptight and uneasy
as he is in an alien environment.
The informal mood of Michael’s
holiday home is present in every
room, including the kitchen. Neil
finds this to be bizarre because
he has strict, regimented rules in
his own home
“Here people just arrived
and poured themselves
cornflakes and went off to
various parts of the room,
or even the house, to eat
them.”
Through MacLaverty’s repetition of
the conjunction “and” he
emphasizes the hectic lifestyle and
breakfast routine of the Middleton. “Or
even the house” is isolated by dashes
in parenthesis to accentuate the
spontaneity in deciding where to eat.
The setting of this short story
plays a very important part in my
appreciation of the text as a whole.

response
It is in the second setting of the
beach where the tension between
the two boys rises and the story
builds up to a climax. Michael asks
Neil to go swimming with him, but is
unaware of why he constantly
refuses – therefore they argue and
their relationship begins to
deteriorate. The weather mirrors the
rising temperature.
“The next day was
scorching hot...heat
corrugating the air...Neil’s
thighs were sticking to the
plastic of his chair.”
The author’s use of word
choice such as “scorching
hot”, “corrugating” and
“sticking” suggest Neil is
desperate to accompany his
friend for a swim but is still too
self-conscious.
As the unbearable heat
increases, pathetic
fallacy comes into focus;
just as the heat rises, so
too does the tension and
bitterness between the
friends, until an argument
occurs:
“Useless bloody Mama’s
boy’ said Michael. He got
up flinging a handful of
sand at Neil and ran down
to the water. Some of the
sand went into Neil’s eyes,
making him cry.”
The expletive “bloody”
spoken by Michael indicates
his frustration and perhaps
lack of understanding towards
Neil. In my opinion, Michael’s
actions were incorrect and I
feel great sympathy for the
apprehensive protagonist.
Even the fact that Michael ran
off to “the water” is imperative
because he knows Neil cannot
follow him.

Setting
• C) Mrs Wan’s Caravan
• Also Turning Point.

response
When the young boy is marginalised
on the beach he discovers Mrs Wan’s
“frail kitten” and decides to return it.
The setting of Mrs Wan’s caravan is
crucial because it becomes a
catalyst for Neil to have an
epiphanic experience and it
dramatically influences his
thoughts. In this third, and final,
setting Neil feels comfortable and safe
“Nothing was clean...tins of
kit-e-Kat opened...fork
encrusted with the
stuff...everything was
untidy.”
MacLaverty’s word choice is vital
to the setting as “encrusted” and
“untidy” convey this disgustingly
unkempt caravan where the
eccentric, old Mrs Wan dwells. It
is ironic though, that Neil should
feel at ease here because it is the
complete antithesis to his own
meticulous domestic abode.
The untidiness and
randomness of the
caravan’s contents
manage to provoke a
new, positive personality
to form within Neil. He
even explains his
problems to the
inquisitive Mrs Wan.
“‘A thing – on my chest’
In the sunlight it didn’t look
so red.”
Neil Fry finally realises his psoriasis is
not as hideous as his opinionated
mother had led him to believe.
MacLaverty’s use of the noun
“sunlight” is effective because just as
the “sunlight” brings in a new dawn so
too is the adolescent on the threshold
of a new beginning. I am extremely
pleased for Neil and I feel a surge
of appreciation for Mar Wan’s
bohemian environment because
without it he would not have became
the confident individual he is now.

Model Intro
• Bernard MacLaverty’s “More than Just the Disease” is a
short story in which the setting helps the reader to
appreciate the text as a whole. The setting also plays a
vital part in the change of character – Neil Fry – who is
thirteen years old yet he must continually deal with
numerous difficulties: his overprotective mother, the
awkwardness of adolescence and his chronic skin
condition – psoriasis. The story falls naturally into three
settings which leads up to a climax then descend into a
dénouement (resolution of plot). Through MacLaverty’s
use of characterisation and setting Neil Fry transforms
into a self-assured young man.

Model Conclusion
• In conclusion, the setting of “More than Just the Disease”
does, in fact, play a significant part in my appreciation of
the text as a whole. The three key settings: house,
beach and caravan, are imperative for the healthy
transformation of the young boy. This finely sculpted
short story finishes on an optimistic note as the reader is
left feeling delighted that the protagonist had managed to
overcome the negative influences which he was
subjected to every day. Any anxious adolescent reading
“More than Just the Disease” will now realise they are
not alone in brooding over any appearance concerns
which they may have.

Approaching a turning point
style question

Turning Point Question Structure
• 1) Intro
• 2) Turning Point – Epiphany, setting, irony, anecdote about lepers, feels at
ease with the stranger who will disappear from life, sharing secret and
unbuttoning of shirt
• 3) The Holiday Home (How Neil’s character is revealed to us – Influence of
mother, contrast of holiday home with his own routine, awkwardness, self
conscious description of psoriasis is a must).
• 4) The Beach – Pathetic Fallacy, building tension, anxiety of Neil parallels
weather, leads to embarrassing revelation, reaction , deterioration of
relationship between Michael and Neil, ‘Mama’s boy’ comment.
• 5) Final Para/Ending – Change, compromise, confidence demonstrated,
water symbolic of purification, not ready to stay long in the breakers.

1) The Introduction
• Introduction – a useful structure to use when
writing an introduction is TAGLS.
• T – text/title
• A – author/poet
• G – genre
• L – link to task + key points of essay
• S - Summary of what the text is trying to do – LINK
TO THEME
• P.S Remember to use the wording of the
question in the opening line.

• Bernard MacLaverty’s “More than just the Disease” is a short story in
which there is a vital turning point stemming from the theme of
parental influence, which is explored through the main protagonist,
Neil Fry, a young boy suffering from psoriasis. The reader is aware
that Mrs. Fry, Neil’s mother, has a tremendous effect on her son,
causing him to be awkward and ashamed of his disease. However,
the pivotal turning point of Neil meeting the eccentric Duchess, Mrs.
Wan, gives the young boy an opportunity to steer towards
independence. Moreover, MacLaverty’s skilful use of characterisation
and language convey the power of the short story in today’s society,
where one often conceals aspects of one’s life to avoid
embarrassment. Hence, this shows why the turning point is crucial in
the development of Neil.

2) Turning Point
• Epiphany, setting, irony, anecdote about
lepers, feels at ease with the stranger who
will disappear from life, sharing secret and
unbuttoning of shirt

• At the outset of the story, Neil is portrayed as a timid child, very much suppressed by
his mother’s teachings of how to conduct oneself in “good society”, which in her
opinion, is Neil’s friend, Michael’s family, with whom he is holidaying. Whilst on this
trip, Neil’s life changes for the better due to his encounter with Mrs. Wan, a peculiar
stranger, who provides Neil with an understanding ear. This is seen as the catalyst
for Neil’s paranoia to diminish. Neil manages to be very open with Mrs. Wan as she is
an inquisitive stranger, and is very much sympathetic, which gives Neil a sense of
security. Neil is “amazed” to find himself revealing his disease to Mrs. Wan, and in
doing so his insecurities are lessened:
• “In the sunlight it didn’t look so red”
• This short, but effective sentence demonstrates clearly that Neil is viewing his
disease differently. The “sunlight” is imperative in this example, as it portrays a new
day in which Neil is able to become more confident and independent. MacLaverty’s
use of “it didn’t look so red” emphasises Neil’s newfound confidence, as he believes
that his disease is visually less disgusting. After days of keeping his psoriasis a
secret, Michael is finally made aware of the disease, when he interrupts Mrs. Wan
and Neil:
• ‘Mrs. Wan, Mum says could you tell her where. ‘his voice tailed off seeing Neil ‘s
chest, ‘.. the cheese grater is?”
• The use of the ellipsis indicates that Michael has noticed Neil’s psoriasis and is
startled, hence, pauses, however, he starts speaking immediately, to avoid further
embarrassment. This moment is seen as the epiphany of the story, as now, Neil has
nothing to hide. Michael has a quiet understanding of the situation shown through, “
Neither boy said a word..”

3) The Holiday Home Section
• (How Neil’s character is revealed to us –
Influence of mother, contrast of holiday
home with his own routine, awkwardness,
self conscious description of psoriasis
is a must).

Key Sentence to demonstrate you
will now link back!
• For example: ‘In order to fully appreciate the
significance of the turning point, it is imperative
to examine the character of Neil prior to the
event’.

Holiday Home - Analysis of text
response
“A little too ornate for my
taste — vulgar almost.”
It is evident to the reader that Neil’s actions
and behaviour are determined by his mother’s
influence, exhibited by the fact that she
“insisted” that he goes on holiday with the
“doctor’s family”. Therefore, it is ironic when
Neil finds the holiday home to be “a strange
house”, with a relaxed and comfortable
atmosphere, much different from Neil’s home
life. However, MacLaverty’s use of italics
shows Neil’s mother’s voice slyly commenting
in his head. These opinions have such great
impact on Neil that they influence his feelings:
The negative word of “vulgar” shows that Neil’s
mother believes the house decor to be
distasteful, connoting her rude and opinionated
nature. The typography MacLaverty uses not only
imprints Neil’s mother’s effect on the page by
visually captivating the reader, but also imprints
her influence in Neil’s head. Neil’s mother has a
judgemental and patronising tone, conveying her
dislikeable personality. Hence, the reader is able
to regard the turning point as critical as Neil can
finally remove himself from his mother and
develop into a more independent young man.
The reader is able to detect that
Neil is not accustom to the
differences of Doctor Middleton’s
holiday home. For example, the
Middleton’s routine is differs
completely from Neil’s. In Neil’s
strict home, he sits with his
mother for breakfast, whereas in
the doctor’s home, the family do
not eat together and it is
completely informal. This is
shown through:
“Here people just arrived
and poured themselves
cornflakes and went off to
various parts of the room,
or even the house, to eat
them.”
Even though Neil feels
relaxed in the blasé
atmosphere of the
holiday home, he still
hides his psoriasis from
the family.

Holiday Home- Analysis of text
response
Neil is self-conscious and awkward
due to his disease and wishes for it
to “miraculously disappear”. Neil
thinks of it as some vile creature
invading his skin, which is
emphasised by the word “crawling”.
However, MacLaverty uses a
powerful image to describe how
revolting Neil’s psoriasis has
become:
“a redness with an edge as
irregular as a map and the
skin flaking and scumming
off the top.”
This ghastly image portrays how Neil’s psoriasis
affects him physically, however, through use of
disgusting language, the reader can observe that it
affects him mentally as well. The use of the simile “as
irregular as a map” shows that just as the countries on
a map have misshapen coastlines, so Neil’s psoriasis
mirrors this and has distorted outlines. The use of the
word “scumming” connotes a sense of filth and grime,
hence portraying Neil to be unclean. Furthermore, the
word “flaking” suggests that Neil’s skin is peeling,
conveying intense pain. Therefore, it is clear that
meeting with Mrs. Wan is essential in Neil’s life as he
is able to look at his disease from another
perspective.

4) The Beach Section
• 4) The Beach – Pathetic Fallacy, building
tension, anxiety of Neil parallels weather,
leads to embarrassing revelation, reaction,
deterioration of relationship between
Michael and Neil, ‘Mama’s boy’ comment.

The Beach - Analysis of text
response
The weather in
MacLaverty’s work
mirrors the feelings of
the central character,
Neil.
This skilful technique of pathetic
fallacy engages the reader and
effectively describes Neil’s
distress. As the temperature
increases so does Neil’s anxiety,
as he feel obliged to go swimming.
However, this is not possible
without Neil revealing his
psoriasis, which is unthinkable.
This leads to Neil tying
to conceal the truth by
inventing a ludicrous
excuse. Neil explains
that he has his
“period”, displaying his
immaturity, as this is
impossible.
The reader finds this quite
humorous. The family react in
very different ways, however,
none of them make Neil feel
uncomfortable or idiotic. Mrs.
Middleton takes on a motherly
persona and informs Neil that
he is “quite safe” and no one
will “force” him to swim

The Beach - Analysis of text
response
Neil’s relationship with Michael begins
to deteriorate because he will not tell
him why he refuses to swim. Michael
become infuriated with Neil:
‘Useless bloody Mama
hoy, ‘said Michael. He gol
up flinging a handful of
sand al Neil and ran down
to the water.”
The reader can see clearly that Michael is
angered, shown through the mild expletive of
“bloody”. The word “Useless” conveys a notion
that Michael is worthless and hopeless; hence,
this shows deterioration in the friendship.
Furthermore, this deterioration is emphasised by
the word “flinging”, suggesting that Michael is
acting violently towards Neil. The reader is
saddened by this disintegration in the friendship
of Neil and Michael; however, the turning point in
the story offers a way in which this can be
resolved.

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