Chapter 5 contains an anecdote beginning with the above quote. This anecdote comes at a time when Kathy is describing the supposed plot to kidnap Miss Geraldine that somehow involves the woods behind Hailsham. The purpose of the anecdote is to describe a story that relates to the woods and the "plot" at hand.
Another, underlying, purpose is to reveal a sort of truth about Hailsham. This truth, though not directly stated, is that stories (whether they are true or not) are passed from grade to grade so that the whole Hailsham family knows them. This means that the new students learn from those who came before them who learned from those before them who learned from those before them until no one knows the origin of the story or the truth about it, only that it "happened." This fact of passing things along through the years either means that the students (I am now beginning to realize that they are more than that students, but I am not exactly sure what all this "boarding school" at Hailsham entails) don't want things to be forgotten, or they need something to keep thim going from day to day, something to entertain themselves in this place that they won't be leaving anytime soon. I believe that the anecdote is effective because it not only tells of the ominous nature of the woods behind Hailsham, but it also explains one element of the relationship between the previous and current students at Hailsham and the passing on of stories to different groups of students.
Another, underlying, purpose is to reveal a sort of truth about Hailsham. This truth, though not directly stated, is that stories (whether they are true or not) are passed from grade to grade so that the whole Hailsham family knows them. This means that the new students learn from those who came before them who learned from those before them who learned from those before them until no one knows the origin of the story or the truth about it, only that it "happened." This fact of passing things along through the years either means that the students (I am now beginning to realize that they are more than that students, but I am not exactly sure what all this "boarding school" at Hailsham entails) don't want things to be forgotten, or they need something to keep thim going from day to day, something to entertain themselves in this place that they won't be leaving anytime soon. I believe that the anecdote is effective because it not only tells of the ominous nature of the woods behind Hailsham, but it also explains one element of the relationship between the previous and current students at Hailsham and the passing on of stories to different groups of students.
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