Discovery Essay on "Away" Michael Gow

“To discover is to gain sight or knowledge of something.” How have ideas about discovery been shown in Away and The Book Thief Discovery allows main characters to gain sight or knowledge into themselves and others. This is evident in Michael Gow’s Away, as seen through the characters of Gwen, Coral and Tom. The three gain sight and knowledge into their lives through the different perceptions and ideas of discovery. Similarly, in The Book Thief, Liesel gains sight and knowledge into the world around her, with the help of books which allow her to become educated about the immoral acts that are occurring in society.

As a result of her discovery, Coral gains sight and knowledge when she is awakened from her slumber by Tom at the amateur night. After the death of her son in the Vietnam War, Coral was emotionally disconnected from reality. This is evident at the play of A Midsummer Night’s Dream when Coral explains in her soliloquy that she was “sitting there in the dark wiping away tears”. Coral feeling emotional at a humorous play makes it clear how trapped in her grief she is. At the Gold Coast Luxury Hotel, Coral speaks to Rick and says “Come into the dark, give me your hand..a boy like you”. The dialogue conveys that Coral is delusional and is trying to envision Rick as her son by inviting him into the dark. By doing so, it highlights her deep loss for her son and need for a discovery to accept her son’s death. Coral gains sight into the real world, and knowledge that she can continue on with her life at the amateur night. During the play within a play, The Stranger on the Shore, Tom helps Coral to find her legs and walk, in a metaphorical and literal sense. This is Coral’s release from her grief, back into the real world. This gain of sight and knowledge leads to the idea that discovery can challenge the individual,