Tony Furze

Grappling with Giants

There are many giants in Literature—be it in folklore, fairytale, legend or just in the pages of our ordinary reading and appreciation: from the beanstalk clambering goliath of "Fee-fi-fo-fum" fame, to the benevolent clumsiness of the BFG. Then there are the giant characters—physically large and powerful, like Moses in The Grass is Singing (Doris Lessing) and Atticus Finch who is described as a big man in To Kill a Mockingbird. (Harper Lee). In The Great Gatsby Tom Buchanan is endowed with a powerful athletic body. These characters may impress with their physical strength and underlying emotional or mental power.