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need notes on "the simple gift" (1 Viewer)

freaked

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Feb 18, 2005
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If anyone has notes and could post them it would be greatly appreciated.
 

leaderofrouge

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Oct 31, 2005
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There seems to be a lack of avaliable notes on The Simple Gift by Steven Herrick.

i think people will know about this site: www.sparknotes.com, but for those who don't this is a good site for most notes
 

lyndallg

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i hope this helps :)

In Steven Herrick’s novel ‘the simple gift’ we see various types of belonging.
We see that belonging is not about places but it is about people.
This is shown when Billy is leaving Longlands Road. He describes the houses using personification saying that they are ‘lonely’ (p4). We also see Billy’s hate for the street when personifies the rocks saying that ’the rocks bounce clatter roll and protest at being left in this damn place’. This gives us the feeling of not wanting to be there.

When Billy wrights. ‘She didn’t sneer or feel uncomfortable. She sat on the seat and put her feet up as though she belonged’. This also shows that belonging is about the people your with and not the place.

Emotive language is used to stir emotion and show that Billy did not belong when he lived with his father when billy says that ‘the wind and rain hits you in the face with the force of a father’s punch’. (p10)

We see Ernie being friendly to Billy when he is talking to Billy and says “get out of there you’ll freeze to death. That’ll teach you to hitch a ride with National Rail. No free rides with this government, son. Just kidding. I hate the bloody government. “
Here Ernie uses the metaphor you’ll freeze to death which show that he is sympathetic. Ernie was using Humour to help lighten the situation for Billy. In this part of the text we also see that even though Ernie belongs to National Rail as a worker, he still doesn’t agree with the Government.
I believe that in ‘the simple gift’ Steven Herrick is trying to teach us that belonging is like a gift. People can choose to be friendly, accepting and giving the gifts of friendship and kindness. Or it can be opposed.
 

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