Duck Feet: Themes

Secondary school can be a strange, unsettling, and tough place in which to spend time. But it can also be an enriching, lively, supportive, and very funny environment. These contradictions are present in the plot of this novel and in the themes explored by Ely Percy.

There are six key themes in Duck Feet:

• growing up
• identity
• friendship
• family
• dealing with challenges
• prejudice

The final Scottish Set Text exam paper at National 5 focuses only on section one ('Part Wan') of the novel Duck Feet, covering Kirsty's First Year at school.

Looking for some quick revision? Try an interactive quiz for National 5 English.

Duck Feet is a novel that focuses on how Kirsty and her peers are changing and growing up. This type of 'coming of age' story is known as a Bildungsroman.

Part Wan allows us to watch the start of the pupils’ journeys to becoming teenagers.

Consider the following sections for comparison:

Chapter Five (‘Aw Grown Up’)

Kirsty gets excited by the prospect of the school disco, a rite of passage for secondary school pupils.

The first an second year school dance is this Wednesday an ah’m pure buzzin […] wuv aw been tolt tae dress up smart an ditch wur trainers.

The tone of this quote is one of childish excitement, focused on the act of dressing up. Kirsty and her friends want to appear more grown up than they really are.

Chapter Three (‘Social Dancin’)

The pupils start to find others attractive. However, there is still social awkwardness at the thought of dancing with each other.

Kirsty has a crush on one of her teachers rather than being attracted to boys her own age.

Mister Anderson’s oor teacher fur Social Dancin an he’s pure gorgeous: he’s only aboot twenty-odd an he’s got spikey blond hair an blue eyes, an he’s got a pure sexy bum.

Kirsty is focused on their teacher, rather than someone their own age, which suggests her emotional immaturity.

Chapter Twenty (‘Flooers’)

The pupils are obsessed with Valentines Day: its embarrassment, its secrets and its surprises. Unexpectedly, Kirsty receives flowers from Wully McCoy, who asks her out on a date.

Wully McCoy went an pure asked me oot on a date. Ah said naw, but Charlene’s still no talkin tae me.

The flowers are symbolic of the idealised romance that the teenagers are striving for. It is also quite a mature gift; flowers are typically a gift that an adult would give another adult. However, despite being excited by the idea of Valentines, Kirsty is too nervous or embarrassed to say yes to Wully asking her on a real date. This reinforces this dichotomy between fantasy and reality. Kirsty and her friends want to appear grown up and romantic, but lack the confidence or maturity to act on these feelings.

Chapter Seventeen (‘Puberty’)

The pupils become fixated on who has (or has not) started their period. This leads to crass and crude questioning by some of the more confident girls in Kirsty’s year. When Kirsty tells Charlene that she has already started her period, Charlene gets upset with her.

Charlene took the pure huff wi me when ah tolt her ah’d got ma period. It turns oot she’s no startet hers ataw.’

Charlene gets upset (taking the "pure huff") that Kirsty has started her period and she hasn't. This suggests that the girls view menstruation as a measure of who is and isn't 'grown up' and it is a point of comparison for them. In reality, this has no bearing on their maturity and their childlike comparisons actually reflect their emotional immaturity.

Identity refers to a person's sense of self: their characteristics, beliefs, and values that make them unique. Duck Feet explores many different types of identity and how people show, or hide, their true identity.

The start of secondary school can be a point at which young people’s identities change significantly. Often, pupils work out where their interests lie or adopt new interests to fit in with the crowd.

Though new personalities can emerge in secondary, it is also a time when pupils can mask their true feelings or identities for fear of being mocked.

All of this is true of Kirsty Campbell and her classmates in Part Wan of the novel.

Consider the following sections for comparison:

Chapter Wan (‘Duck Feet’)

Kirsty becomes conscious of her own shortcomings when she is placed in the beginners’ group at swimming. She finds this embarrassing for someone in S1:

Ah got made tae wear these big stupit yella airm bands an aw the boys in the class laughed at me. Aw ma pals wur up at the seven foot mark daein lengths an divin fur rubber hoola hoops.

Chapter Fifteen (‘Dead Meat’)

After watching a thought-provoking documentary in Home Economics, Kirsty decides to try vegetarianism. Though she puts effort into understanding the rules of vegetarianism, Kirsty is teased for this life choice at school and finds a lack of support at home:

When ah tolt ma da ah wis vegetarian he said, Aye that will be right. He said, Wur no caterin fur fussy eaters in this hoose.

Chapter Nineteen (‘Witch’)

When a new girl arrives at school claiming to be a pagan white witch, Kirsty works hard to accept the girl’s habits. Nevertheless, Kirsty is unsettled by her use of a Ouija board and remains sceptical about the practice of white “magic”:

Aw the folk in oor class are sayin she looks lik a witch. She come intae school this mornin wi her hair dyed black wi blue streaks through it, an Chris Ross an Chris Russell went up tae her an wur lik that, It’s no Halloween yi know. An then Tommy Campbell an aw his goons startet askin her where her broomstick wis.

Chapter Twenty-Wan (‘Stooshie’)

The pupils in Kirsty’s year debate the lyrics of a popular band, Stramash. The pupils share reasons why they identify with the songs (particularly their claims to working class roots). This leads to a heated episode in class, when one boy believes Harpreet is mocking his social class:

Tommy […] startet chasin Harpreet roon the class wi a lighter an a can a hairspray sayin he wis gunnae set her hair on fire cause he thought she wis takin the mickey oot him.

Chapter Twenty-Nine ('Pure Gay')

There is a “scandal” when Tiger Jackson from the band is emotionally blackmailed into revealing his sexuality publicly. Each pupil in turn reveals their ignorance. Homophobic language is used uncritically and wielded as slurs. Herd mentality is present here:

Tiger Jackson fae Stramash is gay. It’s in aw the papers n apparently he’s got a boyfriend that’s in an all gay rock band. Ah cannae believe it cause he’s got hunners ae lassie fans an (after Murray Hart) he’s got tae be the second sexiest guy on Earth.

In this chapter, Chris Rice feels compelled to counter jibes about his sexuality by using homophobic language/slurs. He is rightly called to account by teachers, but other pupils are not. He alters his appearance to try to be seen as more “heterosexual” and Kirsty notices a change in his attitude for the worse.

He’s gettin dead sarky tae. Everythin yi dae noo a days is either, Pure gay, or, So gay […] according tae him. Ah’m glad he isnae comin tae see Stramash anymair. Ah’m no even sure ah still want tae be pals wi him.

Part Wan of Duck Feet mainly focuses on friendships between Kirsty and her classmates.

Long-standing friendships begin to fracture, while new friendships form.

Kirsty finds friendships difficult to navigate as she struggles to keep up with the changing behaviours of others as well as changeable fashion trends and music fads.

Nevertheless, Kirsty demonstrates loyalty and compassion as a friend throughout this section of the novel. Kirsty begins thinking about romantic relationships later in Part Wan.

Consider the following sections for comparison:

Chapter Seven (‘A Bad Influence’)

Kirsty notices how Charlene is increasingly a magnet for trouble and is wary of being dragged into it. Even so, she still agrees to go to the shop at lunchtime (rather than remain in school for packed lunch with Harpreet) because it makes her feel more grown up. This backfires when Charlene goes ahead without her. Harpreet’s kindness softens Kirsty’s disappointment:

Harpreet wis staunin ootside the class waitin on me. So yi changed yir mind then, ah said, Yir gonnae go tae Tesco wi us. No, said Harpreet, But you can still come tae packed lunches wi me if yi want cause Charlene said tae tell yi she couldn’t wait so she’s away wi Laura McNish.

Chapter Fourteen (‘Circumstances’)

Kirsty faces pressure from her peers to break off her friendship with Charlene. Others can see that Charlene repeatedly lies, agitates and manipulates. Yet, Kirsty’s decision to dump Charlene is not easy, as she sees positives in her too:

After ah’d et ma sandwiches ah took oot the middle pages aw ma English jotter an ah writ a list on either side wi the pros and cons ae bein pals wi Charlene. Thir wis a lot o cons an no sa many pros, but the truth wis ah still really liked Charlene […] cause she made me laugh an she wis good company […] Ah also felt sorry fur her cause ah knew she only treatet other folk the way her family treatet her.’

Chapter Twenty-Two (‘Left’)

Harpreet’s family move to Penrith, leaving Kirsty bereft and lonely. Kirsty realises the significance of her friendship with Harpreet:

You’ll go away tae a new school an meet new pals an yi’ll pure forget aw aboot me. No ah won’t, she said. Aye right. Kirsty, she said, Ah promise yi yi’ll always be ma best friend. Well, ah said, When am ah ever gaunnae get tae see yi.

Chapter Twenty-Seven (‘Sick’)

Kirsty is worried about Charlene’s fixation with calorie-counting. Though they have had their differences and arguments, Kirsty remains loyal to Charlene and does genuinely care about her. Like a true friend, Kirsty recognises the difficulties that Charlene has experienced in her life:

Ah phone Charlene maist nights at the hospital noo jist tae see how she’s gettin on. It’s no that bad in here, she said. […] Ah feel really bad fur Charlene cause it cannae be very nice stuck in that place away fae aw yir pals. She says she’s pure depressed an it’s maistly cause the nurses are watchin her every move […].

Family dynamics are also a concern for Kirsty throughout.

Consider the following sections for comparison:

Chapter Wan (‘Duck Feet’)

We see that Kirsty has a good relationship with her immediate family. She tries to help her dad by thinking up ways to increase his confidence in learning to swim. She tries to convince her mum and sister to support him too.

Ah tried tae get ma ma on side but she jist laughed at me. Away yi go, she said, An don’t talk stupit. An who’s AW AE US, she said. Me, you, ma sister…Aye that will be shinin, she said, Yir no gettin me in a bliddy swimmin cozzie.

Chapter Nine (‘Nuclear’)

Kirsty has a close relationship with her immediate family but we learn that this is not the case with her extended family. This chapter explores the role of family in a young person's life.

Ah asked ma ma the day why we never see any ae wur other family. Whit other family, she said. […] Widyi want tae see them fur, she said, Yi hardly know them. Aye, ah said, That wis kinda ma point.

It is clear that Kirsty would like to have a relationship with her extended family (cousins, aunts, uncles). She feels like there is something missing from her life by not having these relationships.

Ah always fancied huvin a big cousin or a young Auntie roon aboot ma age that ah wis dead close tae.

Kirsty specifically wants a relation who is close in age to her. This suggests that she perhaps feels that her Ma, Da and sister don't understand her or what she's going through as a teenager. There is a sense of loss, which is reinforced by the fact that Kirsty resorts to making up family members in a family tree exercise at school.

Ely Percy handles some challenging situations in Duck Feet as young people in this stage of life are more exposed to harder aspects of life, wider social and emotional issues.

Humour is often used to deflect from the heaviness of the situation, as young people often do, or to convey their cluelessness about heavy-hitting subjects.

Consider the following sections for comparison:

Chapter Ten (‘The Real McCoys’)

A party at notorious bad boy Wully McCoy’s house goes wrong when Chris Rice has an epileptic seizure. Despite his terrible reputation, it is Wully who comes to the rescue by carefully instructing Kirsty on how to help Chris.

Ah wis tryin tae remember whit Chris had said in his talk aboot how tae help sumdy that wis takin a fit but ma mind wis a pure blank. A grabbed wan ae the auld pillas an a put it behind his heid an then ah shoutet at Charlene again tae open the door. She widnae. […] The door wis hurlt open an ah cannae remember whit happent next cause it aw happent dead fast: Wully McCoy wis kneelin doon on the flair an he wis firin questions at me […]

Chapter Twenty-Three (‘Space’)

The pupils are confronted with the repercussions of recreational drug use when Wully McCoy’s cousin’s girlfriend dies after taking an ecstasy tablet.

The chapter presents the various ways (both sensible and ridiculous) the school community attempt to tackle the situation and support children through grief. While teachers attempt to inform and educate through lessons and assemblies, some pupils are less tactful in their responses.

We aw got tolt tae shut wur eyes an then we had a minutes’ silence fur Lesely Ann; ah tried no tae look at Wully again after that because ah felt pure awkward, but it wis quite hard especially when oor heidy startet talkin aboot how Lesley Ann wid be missed, an then Charlene an Laura Kyle were pure whispern an starin right at Wully as if he’d jist grew horns.’

Chapter Twenty-Eight (‘The Mad Hoose’)

Charlene’s mental health continues to worry Kirsty and her classmates. Kirsty’s basic understanding of Charlene’s disordered eating means that she is surprised when Charlene remains in hospital despite looking “better”.

It wis Charlene’s review the day. Her ma wis up talkin tae the doctor aboot whether or no she wis tae get discharged. She isnae. She’s gettin kept in fur another four weeks. Ah wis quite shocked […].

Characters display their prejudices in a range of ways in the novel. We find prejudicial comments about: faith, sexuality and class. Though Kirsty can often identify prejudicial language, she is also guilty of using it too. Understandably for a girl of her age, she does not have the necessary maturity or vocabulary to call people out.

Consider the following sections for comparison:

Chapter Three (‘Social Dancin’)

Charlene purposely mis-names Harpreet (‘Harpreach’) and repeatedly calls attention to her faith as it marks her out as different. She also misidentifies Harpreet as a Muslim, saying she ‘went a trip tae the mosque’ at primary school and knows there are rules about what ‘your wans arnae allowed tae dae.’

Chapter Four (‘The Rules’)

Charlene continues to aim loaded prejudicial comments towards Harpreet, this time around the type of food Harpreet has brought for lunch. Charlene means to demean Harpreet and make her feel “othered”.

Kirsty […] Ah don’t know how ye can eat aw that foreign stuff the smell wid pit me aff.

Chapter Eight (‘Fashion Sense’)

Class prejudice, or classism, is explored in the novel. Ely Percy shows that young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds feel they need to conform to a specific standard in order to fit in.

Kirsty’s fashion choices are deeply affected by her friends’ opinions and peer pressure. She is worried that she will be socially outcast if she does not wear the correct brand of clothing, brands her family (and others) can scarcely afford. This is highlighted when Kirsty describes a situation with her classmate, David.

Nearly evrubdy in school wears stuff that says Tregijo […] This boy in ma class cawd David Donald, his family are pure poor cause thiv got aboot ten million weans, he come in wan day wi a Tregijo shirt an he got the slaggin ae his life […] Charlene said, Naw yi can well tell that’s a fake, she said, Cause the stitchin on the cuffs is different.

David and his family are described as being “pure poor” and Kirsty uses hyperbole when she refers to his family having “aboot ten million weans.” These phrases suggest moral superiority or judgement towards David and his family.

David's family cannot afford the Tregijo brand that everyone wears but he feels pressure to conform, so he buys a fake, presumably cheaper, version of the brand. His peers give him a “slaggin” which reflects the societal prejudice against people from a lower socio-economic background. Ironically, Kirsty and many of her classmates also appear to be from working class families so this prejudice seems somewhat internalised.

Chapter Eighteen (‘Shite’)

Kirsty’s Da reveals racist attitudes when he tells Kirsty that he would rather clean toilets than work in Iqbal’s paper shop. Kirsty fully understands what her dad’s sentiments mean, though does not try to hold him to account for his prejudicial comments.

Ma da didnae huv tae say it. Ah knew it wis nothin tae dae wi workin in a cornershop an everythin tae dae wi workin in a shop that’s owned by a guy who’s Pakistani.

Kirsty shows her intuitive nature as she understands that her Da's issue is not with working in a corner shop but about Iqbal's race. Kirsty shows she disagrees with his sentiments when she says: “Ma da didnae huv tae say it.” but does not call him out for it.

Chapter Twenty-Nine ('Pure Gay')

In this chapter, Chris Rice feels compelled to counter jibes about his own sexuality by using homophobic language/slurs. He is rightly called to account by teachers, but other pupils do not.

He alters his appearance to try to conform and Kirsty notices a change in his attitude for the worse.

He’s gettin dead sarky tae. Everythin yi dae noo a days is either, Pure gay, or, So gay […] according tae him. Ah’m glad he isnae comin tae see Stramash anymair. Ah’m no even sure ah still want tae be pals wi him.

Due to societal prejudices during the 2000s, “gay” was often used as a slur rather than a neutral term. Chris's frequent use of “gay” as an insult suggests his homophobia. This is an example where Kirsty actually takes a small stand against prejudice as she says she doesn't “want tae be pals wi him” anymore.

The overall theme of prejudice makes the characters flawed and, in a way, more believable. However, it also reflects social ideas of the time. During the mid-2000s, there was less understanding of differences in faith, sexuality, class and race. Therefore, the characters in Duck Feet reflect these prejudices in the way they speak and act.

Kirsty uses hyperbole when she says David Donald's family has “aboot ten million weans”. David's parents cannot literally have ten million children but Kirsty's exaggeration suggests his family home is very chaotic and hints at a negative stereotype of working class families.

Find out more about hyperbole and why writers use it with this short National 5 English revision video.

Check your knowledge of the different themes covered in Duck Feet (Part Wan, First Year) by Ely Percy with this interactive quiz for National 5 English.

Information and support

If you, or someone you know, have been affected by issues for young people, the following page contains a list of organisations and information that may be able to help: Information and Support: Bitesize