By the River - English Speach
"the big river rolls past our town takes a slow look and rolls away". Good morning/Afternoon everyone By The River a novel written by Steven Herrick successfully conveys the significant ideas about human nature within his verse novel. Herricks is able to show this by exploring three key themes Grief, Relationships and Coming of age throughout his novel by using symbolism, metaphors and similes.
Herrick looks at grief as a key element highlighting how humans face it in their everyday lives by using two main protagonist Harry and his father. "Nothing that lives, nothing that shines."by using repetition Herrick emphasises that Harry feels a darkness due to the loss of his Mother and best friend Linda. Although he feels this darkness He chooses to deal with his grief in a happier manner than his father, "Green the colour of my Dads handkerchief, ironed pressed into the pocket above his heart, a box of handkerchiefs mum gave him on his birthday two weeks before died" highlights that Harry's father is finding it hard to cope with the loss of his wife. Despite that this also shows that his wife will always be in his heart Herrick shows this by using symbolism.
Relationships is a highlighted them in herricks novel helping us to examine the relationships of love and friendship that are depicted by drawing attention to the relationships harry has between his best friend Linda and his family. "Linda had brown eyes that danced.. brown eyes that played" is used by herricks to emphasise that Harry's relationship between him and his best friend Linda was more than just a friendship to Harry as he chooses to escape from his family life through the close Bond between him and Linda. Harry's relationship between him and his father is very unique "sitting in the corner of my room reading a book under a lamp light. all night, awake, in case his son who can't turn a billy cart needs him." shows that although harry and his fathers relationship seemed distant on the surface him and
Herrick looks at grief as a key element highlighting how humans face it in their everyday lives by using two main protagonist Harry and his father. "Nothing that lives, nothing that shines."by using repetition Herrick emphasises that Harry feels a darkness due to the loss of his Mother and best friend Linda. Although he feels this darkness He chooses to deal with his grief in a happier manner than his father, "Green the colour of my Dads handkerchief, ironed pressed into the pocket above his heart, a box of handkerchiefs mum gave him on his birthday two weeks before died" highlights that Harry's father is finding it hard to cope with the loss of his wife. Despite that this also shows that his wife will always be in his heart Herrick shows this by using symbolism.
Relationships is a highlighted them in herricks novel helping us to examine the relationships of love and friendship that are depicted by drawing attention to the relationships harry has between his best friend Linda and his family. "Linda had brown eyes that danced.. brown eyes that played" is used by herricks to emphasise that Harry's relationship between him and his best friend Linda was more than just a friendship to Harry as he chooses to escape from his family life through the close Bond between him and Linda. Harry's relationship between him and his father is very unique "sitting in the corner of my room reading a book under a lamp light. all night, awake, in case his son who can't turn a billy cart needs him." shows that although harry and his fathers relationship seemed distant on the surface him and