Broken Lives by Estelle Blackburn

“Broken Lives” by Estelle Blackburn is a relevant expository text that through research has lead to a solid argument; 19 year old John Button was wrongfully convicted of killing his 17 year old girlfriend in a hit-run. In her efforts to influence her readers of such views, Blackburn has entered into the world of a serial killer, presenting a credible, solid account of these events and their surrounding matters. In result the reader accepts the book as a genuine explanation of an increasingly explicable miscarriage of justice. The reader feels obliged to adopt Blackburn’s views.

The notion of justice is Blackburn’s principal value, and her attitudes express the unfairness of Buttons imprisonment. Together they underline the purpose of the book; to convince the public of buttons innocence and Cooke’s guilt in the death of Rosemary Anderson, and hopefully have Button’s name cleared. Blackburn makes it clear that there were inconsistencies throughout the police investigation and a failure of justice in the High Court etc. The police are seen as incompetent.

Eric Edgar Cookes feelings and emotions, were created, to make him a disgusting creature, in the eyes of the reader. This creation of Eric Edgar Cookes feelings, emotions and motives are even acknowledged by Estelle Blackburn as being her own.

'My Reconstruction of Eric Edgar Cooke's complex personality, his thinking and motives is entirely my interpretation.' Throughout the entire novel, Cooke's feelings and motives have been created by Blackburn, so the reader dislikes Cooke, and is sympathetic to Button. 'He felt vengeful, too. He wanted to spoil things for those happy people' (p27). This demonstrates Blackburns creation of Cooke's feelings and motive. This creation is carried out throughout the book, sustaining this dislike, or disgust for Crooke, as he had a greed for power and vengeance.

'This was more - this was an urge of more power and a realisation that he had more power...He wanted to hurt someone - any -one. And she was it' (p53). Blackburn uses this urge for power and vengeance as a motive for all his crimes, and making the reader believe that society was against him. In doing this Blackburn has succeeded, the reader does believe that Cooke was the one who killed Rosemary Anderson, as he had done it before.

Estelle Blackburn structured the book, to put John Button, a loving boyfriend, who would never do anything to hurt his girlfriend, against Eric Edgar Cooke, a serial killer with no remorse for his actions. Blackburn focuses chapters on just Cooke or Just Button, Yet when the murders happen, or Cooke is out prowling, you get paragraphs in between, with Button and Rosemary, having a good time, and just being in love with each other. Blackburn hopes that the reader will view this as Button being unable to commit a crime such as murder, to his beloved girlfriend. Blackburn pushes her opinion on the reader throughout the book, by placing Button next to Cooke, the readers opinions are shaped into those of the authors, into believing that Cooke was the murderer and that Button was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and was treated unreasonably and unfairly. An example of this is in the chapter called ‘The Marker Boy’ (p91). 'The Marker Boy' is based around John Button as he was growing up, and how he worked crop dusting, as the chapter title suggests, a marker boy. It also discusses how he couldn’t even kill an animal.

'But he still wasn’t tuff enough for shooting roos or knifing sheep' (p92).

This is there to show that he wasn’t a killing machine, and that he couldn’t stand death within itself. Blackburn takes advantage of this by placing him next to Cooke, in his chapter 'The Brookward Flats Prowler' (94) it graphically details the murder of Jillian Brewer, who was killed by a hatchet and scissors, by Cooke. With Button being placed next to Cooke, the reader is manipulated into agreeing with Blackburns opinions of Cooke being the murderer, proving Buttons innocence with the death of Rosemary Anderson.

Estelle Blackburn has used Information to a large extent, as the information that has been given to the reader, manipulates them into disliking,