Seventy-Two Derwents

by

Cate Kennedy

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Seventy-Two Derwents makes teaching easy.
The antagonist of the story and Tyler’s mother’s boyfriend. He has a criminal record, which Tyler’s mother does not explain, and is currently on parole. He begins exhibiting predatory behavior towards Tyler immediately after meeting her, asking prying questions about her dating life and watching her while she sleeps. He attempts to cultivate a confidential relationship with her, bringing her candy but insisting that she keep it a secret, thereby attempting to isolate her from her mother and older sister. Eventually, he attempts to use this relationship to take advantage of Tyler by asking her to give him her urine, which, the story implies, he plans to submit as a substitute for a parole-required drug test. She complies, but records their exchange in her journal and turns it into her schoolteacher, Mrs Carlyle, who reports the incident to the authorities, causing Shane to lose his parole. He comes back to the house and immediately attempts to attack Tyler, beating Ellie and threatening her mother in the process. Tyler’s mother eventually stabs him in the stomach with scissors.

Shane Quotes in Seventy-Two Derwents

The Seventy-Two Derwents quotes below are all either spoken by Shane or refer to Shane. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Relationships and Intimacy Theme Icon
).
Seventy-Two Derwents Quotes

In cartoons time passes really fast and sudden. Also, things happen that aren’t true. Like a cat will be running along and will go through the wall and there will be an exactly cat-shaped hole left behind in the wall. Mum’s old boyfriend Gary threw a bottle at the wall once and it didn’t leave a shape like that it just smashed.

Related Characters: Tyler (speaker), Tyler and Ellie’s Mother, Shane
Page Number: 229
Explanation and Analysis:

I didn’t know Ellie has bad dreams too. Sometimes I dream of a wolf. He’s coming for me and his eyes are on fire and he’s looking everywhere for me but he can’t find me. I don’t tell Ellie about this but I say sometimes I feel like I have a stone inside my stomach. Ellie doesn’t say anything for a while then she says, hey, what are those pencils called that you like? I tell her Derwents and she says we’ll get you those, you wait.

Related Characters: Ellie (speaker), Tyler, Shane
Related Symbols: Derwent Pencils
Page Number: 240
Explanation and Analysis:

Just before when I was going to bed Mum said let’s have a secret, you don’t have to go to school tomorrow, Tyler. I will ring up and tell them you are sick and you can stay here and help me finish the Plushies. It is the same as when Shane leans down and whispers, grown-ups can make their voices go all soft and excited like it’s a big special secret to share just with you, they know just how to make kids feel happy but it’s never what you think. I felt the stones in my stomach because I remembered that tomorrow is the first orientation day for Grade 6s to go over to the senior campus to visit but I just said yes.

Related Characters: Tyler (speaker), Tyler and Ellie’s Mother, Shane
Page Number: 243
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Seventy-Two Derwents LitChart as a printable PDF.
Seventy-Two Derwents PDF

Shane Quotes in Seventy-Two Derwents

The Seventy-Two Derwents quotes below are all either spoken by Shane or refer to Shane. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Relationships and Intimacy Theme Icon
).
Seventy-Two Derwents Quotes

In cartoons time passes really fast and sudden. Also, things happen that aren’t true. Like a cat will be running along and will go through the wall and there will be an exactly cat-shaped hole left behind in the wall. Mum’s old boyfriend Gary threw a bottle at the wall once and it didn’t leave a shape like that it just smashed.

Related Characters: Tyler (speaker), Tyler and Ellie’s Mother, Shane
Page Number: 229
Explanation and Analysis:

I didn’t know Ellie has bad dreams too. Sometimes I dream of a wolf. He’s coming for me and his eyes are on fire and he’s looking everywhere for me but he can’t find me. I don’t tell Ellie about this but I say sometimes I feel like I have a stone inside my stomach. Ellie doesn’t say anything for a while then she says, hey, what are those pencils called that you like? I tell her Derwents and she says we’ll get you those, you wait.

Related Characters: Ellie (speaker), Tyler, Shane
Related Symbols: Derwent Pencils
Page Number: 240
Explanation and Analysis:

Just before when I was going to bed Mum said let’s have a secret, you don’t have to go to school tomorrow, Tyler. I will ring up and tell them you are sick and you can stay here and help me finish the Plushies. It is the same as when Shane leans down and whispers, grown-ups can make their voices go all soft and excited like it’s a big special secret to share just with you, they know just how to make kids feel happy but it’s never what you think. I felt the stones in my stomach because I remembered that tomorrow is the first orientation day for Grade 6s to go over to the senior campus to visit but I just said yes.

Related Characters: Tyler (speaker), Tyler and Ellie’s Mother, Shane
Page Number: 243
Explanation and Analysis: