Jenkins’s choice of title is as morally ambiguous as his central character, 16 year old Thomas Duffy.   Often acting as ‘just’ a simpleton, unable to show or appreciate affection; he is also the unexpected crusader against “ defilers of truth and abusers of authority” in Lightburn.   Polite, clean and tidy, he is an intriguing character, who has to face up to the consequences of the shocking climax of this contemporary Scottish novel, while his barmaid mother holidays in Spain with her boyfriend.   Human inadequacy, hypocrisy in a small Scottish community, and many of the baser aspects of life form the backdrop to this psychological characterisation of a strange yet likeable loner.

Possible areas for study:
• Characterisation of Duffy – insane, or a tragic hero?
• Why does this struggle for good end in evil and destruction?