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Symbolism In Elizabeth Baines's 'Compass And Torch'

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Compass and torch

This short story by Elizabeth Baines, we hear about a boy and his father. They are going on a camping trip, to try to get a better relationship because the boy hardly sees his father after the parents divorced, so the relationship is the main theme in this story by Bainess. The story switches to an earlier time that day because the boy overhears his mother complaining about his father to her new boyfriend Jim. “ No hope of him relating to his son on any personal, day-to-day level! No hope of him trying to relate to him “ (p. 3. Ll 99-100)

The relationship between the son and the father, do not exit and they haven’t seen each other for some months. Already in the beginning Baines shows directly the father as ”the man”. …show more content…

Already in the title she used two symbols, compass and torch, and she I using it as metaphors for helping each other to a good relationship. The compass, symbolize a road to find a better relationship. The torch symbolizes hope because without the compasses they will be lost and how the father and son want their relationship to be in the future. “A torch is for lighting when the time comes, for lighting up the expedition of father and son (p.2 l 51-52). But they both forget their compass so their wishes failed, and when the father takes the torch away, he also takes the hope form a relationship to his son. The gate is a symbol of a new beginning, and when the gates swing back, it symbolizes there might be a return from giving up on something or and having a strong relationship. The horse is a symbol of communication, between the father and son. The instance how they both treat the horse, shows us, the engagement of a better relationship.” The horse sighs. She wheels around. Facing the open moor, she lifts her tail, spreads her hind legs and provides a close-up display which could easily fascinate an eight-year-old boy “ ( p.ll 125-127) The father and the son ignore the horse in the

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