In the novel, “Beka Lamb”, written by author Zee Edgell's, a strong focus is placed on her native land of Belize and the issues that its citizens face. This novel is about the upbringing and changes that a young girl goes through. In the first six chapters of the novel, Zee Edgell introduces the themes of death, success, maturity and change, with change, being the major theme that is developed throughout the novel and is related to many of the other themes in one way or another. To portray these themes, the author uses a range of techniques to arouse and maintain the interest of the reader.
Beka deals with death at a young age. Death was introduced in the first chapter as the author uses her craft to create a gloomy mood which signifies depression and/or death. The ‘slapping at a mosquito', ‘insistent grumblings of frogs’ and the death of the polar bear further develops the theme of death. Gran reminisces about the polar bear, in chapter three, that came to Belize and died, instantly showing the reader that nothing prospers in Belize and that the final outcome is death. It shows the hopelessness and depression in Belizean society. In chapter one, the writer uses the wreaths at her “greatgranny’s” funeral and the swatting of the flies to symbolize the discomfort of death. Zee Edgell uses the "whining mosquitoes, shrilling crickets and insistent grumbling of frogs" to show that even the smallest creatures aren't happy with their environment, so why should Beka those be? The writer uses these subtle hints to sort of foreshadow what is yet to come, which in turn arouses and maintains the readers interest. The reader is interested in knowing how Beka deals with her development and the deaths that plague her existence.
The issues of success and failure were present throughout the first few chapters also. The writer shows that success is a process. We see that