Exploring Characterisation & Style in Zigzag Street

Nick Earl successfully uses a range of different techniques throughout his novel Zigzag Street to engage with the audience such as characterisation, theme and style. Nick Earls’ use of characterisation has the most important role in engaging with the readers. His use of the theme reaches out to the audience as it is something as what is happening in Richard’s life is something many people can connect with. Earl has an individual and uncommon writing style of the use of italics instead of quotations when someone other than Richard is talking, which catches the attention of the readers.

Nick Earls’ use of characterisation successfully engages with the audience as they have something to relate to. Richard Derrington is heartbroken and the audience reads about how he is trying to find his way again. Many people have been heartbroken by someone at least once in their life which creates an instant connection to them. Jeff Ross is the friend Richard trusts and listens to in the novel, he is the one who talks sense into Richard without holding back. Jeff uses the power of words to help Richard like a therapist or psychologist, he can get through to Richard and the readers see him as the one who keeps Richard from losing his mind. Anna is someone who many individuals meet in real life, a crush, a lover, a

partner, someone who leaves one’s life and breaks their heart even if that was not what they intended but it is something that happens and it can change and affect an individual like it did with Richard.
Nick Earls’ Zigzag Street surrounds several themes such as comedy, losing one’s self from a break up, the power of words and more. Zigzag Street makes the reader laugh out loud throughout the novel “The master of crap. The Krapmeister. It’s a special gift.” The novel has the readers laughing at the most unexpected times “I must admit I didn’t think it was the most dangerous piece of advice I’d ever give you… From Krapmeister to Fartmeister.” The comedy engages the audience because people like to laugh, they like to read funny pieces of work, it makes them happy and because of this the book has been called given the name of a comic masterpiece. Richard Derrington was “trashed” by his girlfriend, Anna and he doesn’t know what to do with his life “He’s doing his job badly… his renovating attempts haven’t gotten past the verandah”. This theme successfully engages the audience as most people have gone through a break up at least once in their lives. Jeff Ross is the voice of reason for Richard, he is the one who gives him advice and tells him when he needs to get his thoughts straight. Jeff is the one who helps Richard the most through the power of words “Yeah, great theory, but for god’s sake get over it…” Jeff is the one that gives Richard that little push he needed to move on “Maybe you did nothing wrong with Anna…Maybe you don’t need to change…It’s part of you…That’s not you…But it’s not your life. Your life is an abundance of consequences. And that’s fine.”
Nick Earls has used an interesting style in writing Zigzag Street.

His use of italics instead of quotations when someone other than Richard is talking makes it interesting and it is as if Richard is having conversations with himself, as if thinking the answers. Zigzag Street is made from narrative writing, it is written in Richard’s point of view making it a first person narrative. Narrative writing is used as the purpose of this novel is to tell the story of six weeks in Richard’s life. Earls also uses a bit of expository writing explaining specific topics to the reader who doesn’t know what it is about such as “The dry sink thing” and “Some of Jess Ross’ best

stuff”
All these different techniques used by Nick Earls in his novel Zig Zag Street had a different way of achieving the same purpose, which is to engage the readers.