Engelsk Noter

The red line by Charles Higson

The red line is a short story written by Charles Higson. The story takes place in the London tube.
The story is told through a describing third person narrator, and in the story there is 3 main
characters Berto, Denise and the unnamed man.
Resume
- in the first chapter (Oval) we hear about “the unnamed man” (se længere nede), about his
way of living, and his view of the world.
- The second chapter (Embankment) we hear about Berto (se længere nede), he has come to
visit Cathy in London, an English girl he met in Venice, but Cathy has a boyfriend, but they
have an open-relationship, Berto doesn’t really understand this arrangement, so they argue
and Cathy leaves him. He now is alone on the tube, he doesn’t now how to find Cathys
house, so he just continues to ride the tube, because he is afraid of talking to people.
London vs. Venice
Moderns city old city
New, exciting old buildings all looked the same, and were falling
down
“grey and unfussy” (p.64/36)
- Berto prefers London
- The third chapter (Leicester Square), we hear about the unnamed man again, there is no
more karaoke on his regular bar => changes => insecurity, doesn’t like it. Tries to find
another bar, where they have a karaoke machine, he finds some other bars, but they play the
new music “bang, bang, bang, tss, tss, tss” = he gets angry, a sign that something bad will
happened.
He only finds pubs filled with drunks, drunk addicts, girls with dirty hair. p. 66 l. 22. = he
hates these peoples.
“He had to do something about the stubble which was spreading all over London” p. 66 l.
37 => motive for murdering Berto. Doesn’t like whats is happening, maybe point of no
return for the unnamed man, it’s time to do something drastic.

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 - The fourth chapter (Goodge Street), Berto is still lost and confused (cannot find Hackney on
his map), Stays in the carriage, because he finds it safe, like a capsule. ( - ironic, since he is
killed in the carriage).
The place in the story where the characters meet each other.
Berto starts to describe Denise: (Sympathetic, typical English girl, Fresh, pretty and open
face, approachable)
Berto describes The unnamed man: (funny dressed, friendly, plastic bag on his lap = normal
(but he hides his knife there), face like a cherub (englebarn)).
= Berto has prejudice against these peoples.
- The fifth Chapter (Euston), we hear about Denise (se længere nede),
Denise describes Berto: dark-skinned, black hair, dark eyes, thinks he looks like a model =
finds him attractive, but she is afraid of him, “The look of a hunter. Cold, superior, in
charge” p. 69 l. 4 = her prejudice of Berto (she is blind by hear fear, Berto is only looking
for help).
Denise describes the unnamed man: looks like a child = harmless (ironis, she should be
afraid of him, not Berto)
- The sixth chapter (Tufnell park), the unnamed man describes Berto: the type that is ruining
London, covered in hair = finds it disgusting, and says he listens to the “bang, bang, bang,
tss, tss, tss” music. (Berto listens to a tape to learn English).
The unnamed man is ready to something about Berto. (Kill him).
- The seventh chapter (Archway), Berto tries to gain the courage to ask Denise for directions,
he has to act like a grown man.
- The eight chapter (Highgate), Berto finds the courage to ask Denise for help => she runs
away due to her fears.
- The ninth chapter (East Finchley), Berto goes towards the unnamed man to ask for direction
(an innocent and naïve description)
Berto gets stabbed (a graphic and intense description, a contrast to the situation above).
The line of blood on the floor reminds Berto that he should have taken the red line to
Hackney. (he is on the black line = evil, darkness, he gets killed, he should have been on the
red line = passion, love = Cathy). He faces reality, comes out of the safe carriage (bubble).

Themes

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 - The prejudice people have to others. Ignorance => fear => prejudice
- Other themes: isolation => obsessions => more isolation

Characterization
Unnamed man:
- Obsessed with his appearance, wants to become Bob Seger ( = wants to become
somebody else => insecure). Admires Bob Seger, hates the new music.
- Wants to achieve perfection, don’t like the way other people looks.
- A narcissist, looks like a child => innocent.
- Has no bodyhair – a ritual to him
- Looks: his skin is clean, pure, white.
Clothes: Evening jacket (from charity shop)
White trousers => angel, good, innocence
Black shirt => darkness, dark power, angry
Red Shoes => love, passion
- distance himself from others (they are all dirty)
- likes to be the centre of attention, loves attention (he gets that when he sing)
- hates changes => loss of control => insecure (karaoke machine gone)
- he is a twisted person, has a lot of hate and anger inside, we see that when he cold-
hearted kills Berto, he only kills Berto because he thinks he is the disco-type, a
drug taker, a person who listens to the new music, just because he has bobyhair,
and a dirty look.
- Self-centered, self-secure,.

Berto:
- the most important character – he is the victim
- Italian (dark skin, black curly hair, dark eyes)
- Brave (“now he was lost, but he wasn’t going to let himself get scared” p. 63, l.
36)
- Shy, are afraid of talking, because people laugh at him
- Lost:
o Physically: on the tube

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 o Mentally: no sense of English humour, doesn’t understand the “English”
way of living, with an open-relationship. ¨
- Naïve of him to come to London (in Venice he and Cathy had spend all their time
in bed => no communication).
‘
Denise:
- Consumed with fear, paranoid.
- Terrified of being raped. Fear all men, she is controlled by fear.
- Afraid of the subway (because of the rapist), but also afraid to take a taxi (the taxi-
driver could be a rapist).
- Neurotic.
- Prejudice against men’s sexuality
- Easily influenced by the media.
Cathy
- Modern, selfish, heartless, bad temper, easily gets angry.

Postmodernist features
- you never get the whole story = fragmentary = There are several version of the
same situation.
- no main character, not one narrator.
- Violent/bloody details of the death. Are described in a comical way.

Berto’s norms: traditional, old-fashioned (a catholic), sensitive, not very out-going, family.
Vs.
London norms: multi-cultural society (individualism),survival of the fittest, keep yourself to
yourself. Mind your own business.

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