1. What do you think about Larry
LaSalle and the way he is presented
in the novel?
Lesson objectives:
To evaluate how Larry is presented in the
novel Heroes
To analyse the development of the character
2. “Does that one sin of mine wipe away
all the good things?”
What is your opinion of Larry LaSalle?
3. Characterisation: Larry LaSalle
The Wreck Centre
“Larry was everywhere in
the centre”
“Haphazard”
“it’s a bad luck place”
“old doom hanging over the
place”
• Attractive and Glamorous
• Sets out to make an impression.
He likes being the centre of
attention and the status that
gives him
• He wins respect and admiration
of the young people because he is
good at what they admire
• He wins the admiration of the
town as a war hero when
ironically he is dangerous
• He hides his real identity
• Knows what to say for maximum
effect
4. Characterisation: Larry LaSalle
Anti-hero
Negative traits are difficult for the reader
to identify, as we meet him through the
narrator when Francis is a child. Joey Le
Blanc warns the reader that things may not
be as they seem. Is Francis a reliable
narrator at the start?
• He is predatory and calculating in his
approach to Nicole
• He always says the right thing but the
reader becomes aware that almost
everything he says is designed to create
an effect
• He manipulates people as he enjoys
having control
• He is destructive
5. Discuss what the character says…
Look at the quotes and discuss what you think they
show about Larry’s character.
“We have to keep the world safe for these young
people – they are our future.”p83
“I love the sweet young things”p108
“Does that one sin of mine wipe away all the good
things?”p109
6. Writing about Larry
Remember there is an essential dilemma at the hart of Larry’s
character. Can we ever take at face value anything that he
says? He appears to lack sincerity and honesty because he is
dangerous and betrays vulnerable peoples’ trust.
You should indicate that you understand the manipulative
elements in the character, such as his “grooming” of Nicole.
Indicate that he expresses his desire for her in the stylised
conventions of dance and then introduces an overtly sexual
element.
Larry is shown to see himself as a creative person, but in fact
he is destructive.
Cormier wants the reader to see beyond the physical
appearance of his characters and to interpret the feelings of
the person underneath.
7. Chapter 5: The Wreck Centre
• “It’s a bad luck place”
• The work was “haphazard”
• When finished “the work
still looked unfinished.”
• Wreck Centre named
locally because of the poor
quality work done to fix it
up.
• “my headquarters”
• Joey LeBlanc foreshadows
something bad about the
place “Doom”
Task:
What do we learn
about Larry La Salle in
this chapter?
Create a character
mindmap about him,
using evidence from
the text.
8. Chapter 6: Larry LaSalle and Francis
In chapter 6, the narrative jumps to the present day, but
Francis still refers to Larry LaSalle as having “that movie-
star smile”. He seems to still be in awe of him and yet the
reader is surprised that he wants to find and kill him.
When the men in the bar talk about Larry as the “patron
saint of the wreck centre” as if he is such a hero he is
linked with religion and a war hero, decorated with the
Silver Star, Francis does not want to be in the same
category as Larry. This makes the reader question why
not. What has happened between the two characters
since the days in Chapter 5?
9. Chapter 7
Find evidence to show:
• How Larry convinces Francis
• How naïve Francis is
What does this show about the character of
Larry and his relationship with Francis
10.
11. Chapter 11: Larry returns and changes
into the villain
Why is this chapter important?
• Larry is celebrated publicly as a hero
• He controls Francis when he deliberately mentions the table tennis
competition
• We learn more about the relationship between Nicole and Larry;
Nicole is drawn to Larry and yet frightened by his confident adult
behaviour
• There is a contrast between the innocence of Francis and Nicole
and the experience of Larry
• The events at the Wreck Centre are a turning point in the novel
What quotes would you select from this chapter to describe Larry as
a hero and a villain
12. Chapter 11 – Character Development
How has Larry changed?
Status in the town – full name.
“knife-like now, lethal”
Reader learns he is calculating and manipulative in this
chapter
Larry’s betrayal of Nicole and Francis
Larry convinces him to go. “a pang of regret gnawing at me”
“Like a whimpering small animal caught and trapped,” Nicole
is sexually assaulted by Larry.
Larry as a villain “a ghostly silhouette” = fear
“Its amazing how the heart makes no noise when it cracks”
13.
14. Writing about the events in Chapter 11
Francis is too naïve….
Take image and put in here
15. Heroism: What makes a hero?
LaSalle is a hero of the Wreck Centre. The
children adore him. Even at the end he is still
making Francis feel better about himself, and
prevents him from becoming a murderer
The scrapbook kept by the ‘Strangler’ at the St.
Jude’s club contains newspaper clippings about
all the ‘heroes’ of Frenchtown. The other men
regard it as something of a symbol, something
to be proud of, but Francis is ambivalent.
The Silver Star is the only medal awarded for
‘heroism’, we are told. Both LaSalle and Francis
have been awarded this medal, for saving the
lives of their fellow soldiers. LaSalle does so by
taking out a machine gun nest, Francis by falling
on a grenade – the grenade that destroys his
face. Is it significant that one wins it by
committing an act of violence, whereas the
other wins it by taking the damage himself? It
impresses the townsfolk – but Francis wants to
remain anonymous.
The question of what makes
a hero is asked all the way
through Heroes, by many
different characters.
16. Writing about the illusion of heroism
Other characters admire heroes, but they do not admire themselves.
Perhaps Cormier wants his reader to consider Larry as an anti-hero,
somebody who may carry out acts of bravery and heroism but also
have unattractive and destructive qualities. Should a person like that
be considered a hero?
• Initially Larry is presented as an inspirational figure
• It is ironic that on the night he is acclaimed by the town, he
destroys the lives of two people who regarded him as a hero. Larry
even questions whether that flaw in his character ruins all the good
things
• Francis doesn’t see himself as a hero because of his motives for
joining up when he says he was “a fake all along”
The nature of heroism remains ambiguous as nobody finds comfort or
happiness in their heroism – does this make the book a pessimistic
one, or just a realistic one?
Consider why Cormier called this book Heroes.
17. Larry changes from hero to villain during the
novel but in Chapter 14 he does not appear as
both Francis and the reader expect.
Find evidence to show how the presentation of
the character contrasts with the earlier part of
the novel.
Character development
18. Does Larry feel guilt?
“Does that one sin of mine wipe away
all the good things?”
Unlike Francis, Larry does not appear to be troubled by a guilty conscience:
• In his view everyone sins and one sin should not be allowed to wipe away all
the good things a person has done.
• He regards his desire for young girls as merely a flaw in his nature. He only
regrets that Nicole and Francis don’t see him as the hero they once did
• Cormier’s portrayal of Larry is a complex one and we could argue that his
depression at the end of the novel comes more from self pity than guilt.
• It appears to be easy for Larry to forgive himself.
• In their final confrontation, Francis is unable to get the revenge he planned –
why?
• Francis confronts Larry about the evil he has done and exposes the truth about
Larry’s character, he commits suicide – why do you think Larry shoots himself?
19. What do you think about Larry LaSalle and
the way he is presented in the novel? (20+4 marks)
Plan your five main points
Select evidence
Think about your main discussion points
