Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Compass and
Torch Themes
- Divorce and Separation
- long time separation causes
someone to become harsh and
hard from inside; still has
feelings
- "He isn't looking at the torch. He is
looking away, seared by the glitter
of anxiety in his little boy's eyes"
[47]
- seems he does not care and understand feelings
- he knows that 'his little boy'
is nervous and has 'anxiety'
to know how his dad will be.
- he could
see how
much the
little boy
missed him
and felt
incomplete
- hence his incapability to fulfil his
little boy's wishes and live up to
his expectations is burning him,
leaves him 'seared'
- shows that he is weak from inside
and can't face this situation
- perhaps that is why he is looking away
- separation forces child to mature early
- " It's OK, the boy
decides, that his dad
hasn't looked at the
torch, hasn't studied or
handled it like Jim" [ 50]
- his recomparison with
Jim's 'kindness' shows
his wish for such a
caring father
- he wants to
feel the care
and
understanding
- however as he is not
getting it, he is always
ignoring the bad quality
- shows he
understands
dad's situation
- develops
hope of
reuniting
- shows how
he is being
forced to
mature
- This kind of understanding not
expected from eight year old
- Separation lays a child under pressure
and they often don't enjoy their childhood
- "her eyes were bulging and
wobbly with tears, and he
thought he couldn't bear this:
that this moment which he had
looked forward to, longed for,
as his moment of joy, was a
moment of sadness for her."
- "this moment
which he had
looked forward to,
longed for"
- shows how desperate
he is for this moment
and so much willing to
live it
- but mom's
'wobbly eyes' are
holding him back
- he is feeling sympathy
and disloyal to her
- her decisions influence his
- "he
couldn't
bear this"
- he wants to do both but pressure
of not being disloyal to either
- Hence he is having to sacrifice his wishes for happiness of other
- It is equally hard and painful for
parents to grow up children and
manage relationships after
divorce
- "her voice was low and light" and
"There was a choke in her voice now,
and suddenly a kind of snarl" [25]
- the check that
she is getting
emotional
- 'low and light'
when it should be
harsh and taunting
- so does
not want
to hurt
him
- she still
cares
about him
- 'snarl' imagine that
she is growling
- as if getting her anger out on him
- hence a snarl is to
boost herself up
- to stop her from being weak
- how they have to fight
their own emotions
- "When the boy
stepped into the
kitchen he saw
her start with
alarm and
shame." [27]
- even harder with childre
- she has to hide her
anger in front of child
- maybe to
keep his faith
- to stop him
from getting
demotivated
and depressed
- always has to
compromise
with her own
emotions
- Child could be a way split
parents could be brought
together
- "'Dad, hey, do you think
that horse wanted
something to eat?'" [153]
- horse symbolises mom
- son reminds that
they should not
leave mom behind
- as dad is
weak, he
might not
be able to
bring the
relationship
back
- but for sake of child,
the two parents might
have to live together
- as son's presence
would bond parents
and make it less hard
for them
- Childhood
- Empathy
- understand
others
- 'bulging
and wobbly
eyes'
- sticking in his mind
and always reminds
him of her and
raises questions
- understands
that mom
'doesn't want
him to go'
- childhood is the
time when they are
centred between
their own and
other's feelings
- they struggle to
come out of the
confusion
- can't make the
right decision
- hence end up
influenced by
others
- Forgiveness and
restart
- "its OK, the boy decides that Dad didn't
handle the torch like Jim" [50]
- understands dad's feelings
- hopeful that he will improve
- has the ability
to overcome his
desires
- ignores
mistakes -
forgives
- Insecure
- "Beyond the gate is the open moor, pale in the early evening
with bleached end-of-summer grass, bruised here and there
with heather and age-old spills of purple granite." [2]
- 'beyond the gate' means
outside her mom's protection
- 'bruised' grass
symbolises hurt and pain
- damage to represent
the fear in his mind
- so concentrating on
dad's 'calf muscles'
meaning he is strong
- that is why undecided
that 'after all he didn't
want to go'
- curiosity and getting closer
- dad's
quietness
makes him
appear weak
- so constantly
asks
questions to
find links
- also a way to
engage dad
- make it easier
for dad to talk
- Finding joy in every small
thing than regretting
- " The man says with robust authority: 'It's an
all-weather mountain tent. Two-man.' [86]
- ignores fathers
irritation 'robust
authority'
- find joy in the
fact that he will
be with his father
- jot that dad
sees him as
capable 'man'
- it is 'all weather'
meaning they will
fight all problems
- Fear of
Loss
- Mom fears losing son
- fears as it is the
only relationship
- "accommodating
his child into his
life?" [26]
- she is aware and
afraid that dad is
trying to come
closer to her son
- by phrasing it with a
question tag, she is trying
to be dominating
- "you wouldn't expect
him to start now,
would you?" [25]
- make him feel
subordinate, so that he
does not dare to do it
- at the same time trying
to consolidate herself
that he 'wouldn't do' it.
- at the same time very
cleverly hides it
- "he saw her
start with alarm
and shame"
- does not want to show this
dominance to son because she
fears he will hate him for being rude
- hence her careful way of
handling it shows she fears
losing his faith and trust
- Dad fears losing son
- "he could only half-listen to his child's earnest desperate voice"
- he is already
feeling as is his
child's voice is
fading away
- could also means
that he cannot listen
to the depth of his
heart and feelings
- this is causing the
fear of hurting him
as he can't
understand
- Son fears losing mom
- "the light seeping
through her fuzzy hair
made the bones of his
shoulder ache" [30]
- the light seeping through
the 'fuzzy hair' creates the
image of fading figure
- as if she is
moving away
from him
- this thought and
feeling is causing
him pain
- 'fuzzy hair' also makes
her seem distorted
- which links to the
idea of compass and
orientation
- she is disorientated
meaning she does not
know which way their
relationship will go
- this state of mind
and lack of
assurance makes
the boy feel insecure
- Son fears losing dad
- every action of dad
raises questions and
fear into his mind
- "does this make one of
the torches redundant?""
- as if implying whether one will
not be able to light up and find
the way
- hence if one
of them can't
find way, their
relationships
won't work
- Insecurity
- on his own
- "unsettled by his subtle nervy hurry"
- he can see how dad is avoiding him
- feeling on his own
- shows his weakness 'subtle'
- can't protect him
- unsuccessful relations
- "Does that
make one of
the torches
redundant?"
- torches
illuminate
and show
way
- one of the torches
not used; meaning
one person does
not find the way
- without both of
them playing their
role, they can't walk
on the same path
- he is weak
- "The boy's eyes are suddenly wide with fear and dismay: not with the notion that they'll get lost, but because of the
way the man's shoulders slumped and the tent in his hand dropped back onto the boot floor. "
- moreover dad may
lose his self
confidence and not
lead the situation
- become
weak and not
be able to
protect him
- won't be able
to find the way
without
compass
- he will
be
lost-no
relations
- unsuccessful
relations
with dad
- away
from his
mother.
lose her
- unsure about expendition
- "Beyond the gate is the open
moor, pale in the early evening
with bleached end-of-summer
grass, bruised here and there" [2]
- 'beyond the
gate' shows
outside mom's
protection
- 'bruised' grass symbolise
pain and damage
- damage shows fear of unsafe
- so reassures dad is strong by watching 'calf muscles'
- relationship with mom
- "The light seeping
through her fuzzy hair
made the bones of his
shoulders ache." [30]
- 'fuzzy hair' shows
she is distorted
- links to the
idea of being
disorientated
- furthermore links
to compass
showing orientation
and way
- meaning she
does not know
which way their
relationship goes
- unsure future
of relationship
makes it painful
and insecure
- the light seeping through
creates a fading figure
- as if she is moving away
- pain and fear of insecure without protection