Willy the Wimp

Willy the Wimp

The second framed section is of complete contrast, it is of high modality, he is in brighter colours, and is positioned at the top centre of the page. It is a close up taken from a low angle, so you are looking up at him. There is a sense of demand as he faces you front on. He is showing dominance as he towers over you, exerting power and confidence as his body exceeds the frame, as he stands there with his hands are on his hips. The red in his pants, symbolises power and masculinity.

The visual imagery throughout is of great detail and delivers an immense amount of information about the character. Framing is used in a number of the illustrations throughout the book. The use of framing in this picture draws your attention to the two images of Willy. One being from the past, the size is small and positioned to the left of the page. It is of low modality, his body is slumped, hands in his pockets, it is a long shot and his facial expressions are not visible, this image symbolises when he was weak and is of less importance in comparison to now.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading “Willy the Wimp” and believe it is a story everyone can relate to. Even if you have never been bullied, one still has the desire for self-improvement. Although the written text is simple, combined with the fantastic detailed imagery, this book delivers emotion. The themes are relevant to today, making it easy to connect with the story and the character, and as you empathise with Willy, you hope he succeeds on his personal journey. The story makes an everlasting impression and it makes you ask yourself how students today who are bullied cope with the situation. This book is recommended for children between the ages of 5-8 years, as they themselves are learning how to deal with peer pressure and bullying.

The text and illustrations work hand in hand to tell the story. Just by reading the text you can obtain an understanding of the story, however, with the inclusion of the detailed imagery, the reader is able to get a deeper understanding of the character, his emotions and the true messages portrayed within the story. The book entails a small fraction of written text, in which Browne has opted to use simple sentences. Adjectives and sensing/feeling verbs is the only descriptive language used to describe the character and his emotions. There is no written physical description of the character and little information is given about how the character is truly feeling, instead Browne uses the visual imagery to express this to the reader. In doing so, it make the reader engage more with the illustrations and makes you feel more inclined to look at the pictures more deeply. The statement “Oh, I’m sorry” is repeated throughout, and for majority of the story this line of direct speech is all Willy says. Showing repetition of this statement highlights his weak and timid nature. The story is told through the eyes of Willy and through the use of external focalisation, we see the world from his perspective. As you progress through the book, you start to empathise with Willy, understanding why he wants to change and how he feels about himself.

“Willy the Wimp” by Anthony Browne is a story about bullying and self-image. The story follows the journey of Willy as he transforms himself from being a young timid chimpanzee to a more masculine and tougher character. Willy is introduced to the reader as someone who wouldn’t even hurt a fly. After constant bullying from the Suburban Gorilla Gang and being called “Willy the Wimp”, he decided to seek help.