Stream of consciousness
A lot of Paddy’s recountThe act of giving an account of something that has taken place. and descriptions are fragments of stories. He tends to jump from one thing to another in the manner of a child whose concentration does not stay with one topic for long.
Doyle uses a stream of consciousnessAn uninterrupted flow of a character’s thoughts. for Paddy’s description of how the boys play “Grand National”. Liam breaks his teeth, but in the boys’ unforgiving world, "It was no one’s fault except his own.”
Interwoven with the description of Liam’s broken teeth are digressionA passage or section that deviates from the central theme in speech or writing. on explaining the game, the time Kevin broke Mrs Quigley’s window and the possible reasons for the Quigleys’ childlessness.
These non sequitursA conclusion or statement that does not logically or correctly follow from the meaning of the statements that led to it. can be very comical at times, but the fragmented style of storytelling is also evocativeSomething that is emotionally moving or inspiring. of a child’s speech patterns and therefore makes Paddy’s voice more realistic.
Doyle also captures the childish desire to run and be carefree in his fast paced description of the Grand National game.
