Compass And Torch

Compass and Torch - Analysis
All young boys are at some point in need of their father’s affection and appreciation. Most boys will do almost everything asked, if they want to live up their father’s expectations and thereby be accepted. Is it possible to form a relationship as father and son instead of “the boy” and “the man”? In the short story “Compass And Torch” by Elizabeth Baines, the protagonist strives for his father’s affection and appreciation and to be reunited.
The short story is mainly set in the wilderness with a landscape that is wide open and filled with hills, grass and ancient rocks. This can be seen in the following example, “[…] the brow of the hill and the grass lightning up, bright yellow. Ancient rocks glint […]” (p 9, l. 75-76). The plot is about a young boy, who has been caught in his parent’s separation. The boy’s father has arranged a camping trip, but the mother is strictly against it. The story is told by a third person narrator, where we see it from the boy’s point of view. This can be seen in this quote, “Two torches are for father and son to back each other up. The man has swung up the car-boot door” (p. 8, ll. 70-71). The short story is divided into two parts, whereas one contains the present time with the camping trip itself, and the other half contains a few flashbacks. The flashbacks illustrate the preparation of the camping trip. To demonstrate that, I will use this quote, “Coming downstairs after finding his torch […]” (p 7, l. 18).
The relationship with the boy and the father is in a bad condition. It is in a bad condition, because they lack the ability to communicate normal with each other. Furthermore, we get to know that the father has not seen his son, “in four months” (p 7, l. 17). That shows us, that they are not seeing each other as much as they should do and thereby maintaining a healthy relationship. The relationship between the father and the son is confusing to the son, because the father has an inferior behavior against his son, and acts a bit as if he does not care. To demonstrate that, I will use this quote, “Great! Cries the man. He isn’t looking at the torch. He is looking away, seared by the glitter of anxiety in his little boy’s eyes” (p 8, ll. 45-46). As we know, the father has a lousy behavior against the son and acts cold as ice towards him. Nevertheless, the relationship to his son has an impact on him. In the end of the story, we hear that “[…] the aching certainty that already, only one year on from the separation, he has lost his son, his child” (p 11, ll. 162-163). The father is starting to feel sorry about his behavior so his son and regrets his absence. He was definitely not expecting to lose his son that quickly.
The protagonist of the short story is definitely the young boy who is eight years old. The young boy is talking a lot and he seems to be very curious. It is illustrated in this quote, “Is that the tent? What colour is it? Is it that round kind? Does it have a little porch?” (p 9, ll. 81-82). Furthermore, the boy is very protective and emotional. When his mother is telling his father not to go camping near the edge, he gets angry at his mother. He gets angry at his mother because he can sense her attacking him, and therefore – to gain his father’s acceptance – feels like he has to protect him. Despite his attempts to get, his father’s confirmation by bringing torches and telling he forgot his compass, fails. Furthermore, the boy has missed his father being around. That is shown, “Watching what dad is. Drinking it in: The essence of Dadness” (p. 7, ll. 8-9).
The text is holds various symbols. The two most important symbols are the compass and torch. A compass is used to find the right direction, if you are lost. The fact that both of them forgot about the compass implies that they cannot find each other. The boy and the father does not have any compass to lead them in each other’s direction, which means they cannot be reunited. The torch symbolizes hope, because without the compass, they will get lost in the wilderness. The torch also symbolizes how the relationship between the father and son will be in the future. This quote fits perfectly, because it is a metaphor for the relationship for father and son. “A torch is for lightning when the time comes, for lightning up the expedition of father and son” (p 8, ll. 52-53). When the father takes away the torch, he is also taking away the last hope of forming a relationship with his son. The horse is also used as a symbol. The horse symbolizes the lack of love, just like the father to his son. The horse is interested in the humans and is eager to get some attention from them. The father do not take any notice of the horse, and when it comes to close, he is pushing it away. He is treating the horse the same way he treats his son. The son starts to pay attention to the horse and wants what is best for it, just like the relationship to his father.
The main theme about the short story is about growing up and relationships. The boy is eager to get a better relationship with his father after the separation. The boy is having a hard time moving on after the separation and is definitely looking forward to spend time with his father on a camping trip, while living up to his expectations. The father however, is a bit sad over losing his son just one year after the separation.