Raymond Briggs Essay

During the 1980s on that point was fear of a nuclear attack. Mass protests were held in order to interdict nuclear armament. Many politicians gave formal sermons to the public, contendning them of the threat of nuclear war and the effects of the bombards. However, Raymond Briggs uses cartoon books and motion-picture show to illustrate the serious message, making it much interesting, so more people take notice of it. When the Wind Blows follows the lives of a conventional, elderly copulate in the countryside. Their names ar Jim and Hilda Bloggs. The name Bloggs shows that they atomic number 18 precise ordinary and could represent anybody.The first section of the cartoon clean house shows the idyllic countryside in which the couple live. Thither are fluffy clouds in the sky, exclusively now at the same time these clouds are very ominous, as we later square up give away. These clouds soon become mushroom clouds subsequently the bomb hits. There are bright colours fillin g the pages making their lives expect cheerful. The windmills in the background generate wind using the latest engineering, however, this technology is what creates the bomb. Jim reads the newspaper when he arrives home and we realise that the lives shown in the newspaper are so very different compared to his and his wifes simple lives. My carriage isnt very fast- pitiable or dynamic.Jim always tries to sound intelligent but gets things wrong constantly. This makes us feel terrible mildness for Jim because he is so hopeless. On the video, Jim squints quite often and Hilda always hobbles. This shows their vulnerability. The simplicity of the illustrations of Jim and Hilda is a contemplation of their characters. The couple provem very warm and kind because of their round bodies. They some(prenominal) have rosy cheeks giving them a plump and healthy carriage as well. The endearing name, Ducks, that Jim has for Hilda adds to their innocence.Jim and Hilda trust the government comp letely and pretend that without the ordained leaflets theyd have been totally non-prepared. However, we know that the leaflets are just there to comfort the people, because no one can escape the radiation unsoundness after a nuclear bomb explosion. Their naivety shows when they appear to think that there is going to be a war and not a nuclear bomb. I can soon touch it in after The Bombs gone off. There is some satire in their comments because, after the supposed war, they will be wiped out.During the build-up to the bomb, the lullaby rock-and-roll a Bye Baby plays in the background. This gives the story its title. The banter here is that, when the bomb hits, hot winds will sweep over the countryside do mass destruction. Lullabies are usually sung to children so it makes the couple again seem innocent and nave. We feel up to now more agreement for Jim and Hilda when they look back at the community spirit of World state of war Two with nostalgia. They never seem to see the grim reality of what is hazard to them.As the bomb hits, all the audience and reader can see is a bright white light. This represents the total obliteration that the bomb causes. The colours outside change from cheerful colours to ones of luridness. While Jim is reading out names of political organisations, there are strong drumbeats playing in the background, giving a threatening sense.The drums beats get louder, drowning out Jims voice, video display the nuclear war as being more important. Flashes of real-life footage likewise add to the threatening atmosphere and show the reality of what is happening. The names of organisations radiate onto the screen then they fall apart and become distorted. This reflects Jims thoughts of the names. They reckon nothing to him and, as far as he is concerned, they are just letters. The fact that they all fall apart shows that there is no safety, even from organisations set up to protect people.After the explosion, we see the inevitable 0de ath of Jim and Hilda. Bags take over to appear round their eyes, Hildas ankles start to sag and her hair locomote out. This is a very moving build-up to their death, as it shows the awful reality of the bomb. The couple have hardly any food to eat, but manage to find one fruit pastille. Their true love for each other is shown here as they cut the pastille in half, making it fair. During the aftermath of the bomb, both(prenominal) Hilda and Jim have fantasies. We feel sympathy for them here because their childish fantasies make them seem innocent. As the glass shatters, Hilda sees her past in the pieces of glass, which is shattered before her very eyes. This gives her character a past so we feel great pity on her, because we know she is going to die. It also seems like her life flash bulb before her eyes, something which people associate with the arrival of death.In both the film and book, the death of Jim and Hilda is not shown. In the book the last pages are brown, showing no h ope for the couple, whereas in the film version, there is a close-up of the ambuscade and it rises into the sky, appearing as the sun. This gives a sense of hope, because it shows that Jim and Hilda have gone to heaven. I think that the way Raymond Briggs has used the cartoon book genre to lead a serious message works really well. It is very moving and rouses the sympathy of both reader and audience.