The Simple Gift
In Steven Herrick’s novel the simple gift the central character billy survives only because of the support of those around him. –Disagree
Steven Herrick’s novel ‘The Simple Gift’, tells the story of Billy, a 16 year old boy who trades his father’s brutal home for a life of no address. Throughout the novel we learn that Billy does not survive because of the support of those around him. He instead survives with his independence as he was able to make a living of himself without anyone’s help. Belonging was able to give Billy a sense of identity and also made him connect to the carriage he lived in. Although Billy was homeless he still cared for others. He was a boy who had nothing left in life but still gave plenty.
By being independent Billy is able to survive and is able to make a living. He runs away from his father’s home not knowing where to go and ends up in a small town called Bendarat. In Bendarat he is able to find a small carriage called ‘The Hilton’ in a freight yard in which then calls home. In order for Billy to eat he would go to McDonalds and take leftover scraps from customers. Billy was also able to find a job in a place called the canary and also understood the meaning of money and how much a dollar was worth. As he settled into Bendarat he is able to make a daily routine and every “morning he woke and he knew where he was going for the next few months — to the Library to McDonalds to the river and home here to the Hilton.” Billy`s assistance didn’t make the person he became.
As Billy left his home he was able to belong and fit in. Belonging was able to give Billy a sense of identity and also made him connect to the carriage he lived in because he felt like he belonged there and makes “a vow to visit the carriage once a week to sit and read alone on the leather seat”. While Billy meets old Bill another homeless man living in the carriage next to him, he begins to understand the nature of belonging. As Billy felt like he belonged he was able
Steven Herrick’s novel ‘The Simple Gift’, tells the story of Billy, a 16 year old boy who trades his father’s brutal home for a life of no address. Throughout the novel we learn that Billy does not survive because of the support of those around him. He instead survives with his independence as he was able to make a living of himself without anyone’s help. Belonging was able to give Billy a sense of identity and also made him connect to the carriage he lived in. Although Billy was homeless he still cared for others. He was a boy who had nothing left in life but still gave plenty.
By being independent Billy is able to survive and is able to make a living. He runs away from his father’s home not knowing where to go and ends up in a small town called Bendarat. In Bendarat he is able to find a small carriage called ‘The Hilton’ in a freight yard in which then calls home. In order for Billy to eat he would go to McDonalds and take leftover scraps from customers. Billy was also able to find a job in a place called the canary and also understood the meaning of money and how much a dollar was worth. As he settled into Bendarat he is able to make a daily routine and every “morning he woke and he knew where he was going for the next few months — to the Library to McDonalds to the river and home here to the Hilton.” Billy`s assistance didn’t make the person he became.
As Billy left his home he was able to belong and fit in. Belonging was able to give Billy a sense of identity and also made him connect to the carriage he lived in because he felt like he belonged there and makes “a vow to visit the carriage once a week to sit and read alone on the leather seat”. While Billy meets old Bill another homeless man living in the carriage next to him, he begins to understand the nature of belonging. As Billy felt like he belonged he was able