The Good Terrorist Literary Elements

Political Fiction

London, 1980s, during the IRA bombing campaigns

The point of view is that of Alice, the key character who drifts from commune to commune and gradually morphs from Communist revolutionary to actual terrorist.

The primary mood of the main character seems to be boredom and apathy. The general tone is threatening and violent.

Alice is the protagonist. Society in general is the antagonist.

The major conflict from Alice's perspective is between herself, and her fellow Communists, and society, which she views as fascist and imperialist.

The group builds a car bomb but it detonates early due to their incompetence; the bomb kills multiple people.

The formation of the Freeborn British Communists foreshadows the bombing of the Knightsbridge hotel and the resulting deaths

Alice states that ordinary people would not understand what she had done, which is an understatement because of course they would not understand; she has drifted apathetically into committing mass murder.

The narrative alludes to many of the political situations of the day, including mass murders committed by the I.R.A.

The imagery is very dark and depressing, enabling the reader to visually picture the squalid nature of the "squat" that they are living in, which also mirrors the squalid nature of their lives and activities.

Alice is participating in mass murder, yet she also is the type of person who is a nurturer, for example, she gentrifies the squalid house that they are living in to make it a genuinely pleasant living environment. At the same time she is disengaged from other people, and nurturing and motherly.

There is a parallel between Alice's hatred of the "establishment" and the author's own feelings about them.

Comrades - the word Alice uses instead of actually addressing everyone by name.

No specific examples