Grief And Isolation In Steven Herrick's The Simple Gift

Composers utilise language to explore significant ideas. Steven Herrick’s prose novel, The Simple Gift is a valuable novel that showcases the development of belonging from the perspectives of three characters, Billy, Caitlin, and Old Bill. Herrick uses these multiple perspectives to further explain the damaging effects of grief, trauma, and isolation through Billy and Old Bill. In addition to the importance of valuing others communicated by Herrick with the characters Caitlin and Old Bill. The Simple Gift leaves the readers questioning the impacts of grief and trauma, as well as the importance of valuing others in life.

Herrick portrays the idea of the damaging effects of grief, trauma, and isolation heavily throughout The Simple Gift. The

In addition to Billy, Caitlin, and Old Bill have been impacted by valuing one another. After Old Bill had transferred the ownership of his old home to Billy, Caitlin thinks “He hands me a key, and we stand, his hand on mine, the key between us…. I reach for Billy’s hand and we walk inside. The key in this instance is used by Herrick to show a sense of symbolism, symbolising the access and the opportunity for change in life. It gives Billy and Caitlin access to a new place to call home, as well as a new life and a sense of belonging. It highlights the importance of valuing others. In this case, Herrick made Old Bill’s value extremely prominent. Old Bill is always shown in many instances throughout the book as an extreme alcoholic. Being near his worst near the start of the prose novel, Billy always offered a helping hand throughout, to keep Old Bill well and to never let him down. As they help each other out, There is a scene that occurs where a big favor is done for Billy by Old Bill. Old Bill had left his old home to Billy for him to live in. The aftermath of this consists of Old Bill’s point of view. “Billy. Offers his strong young hand. We shake and my in his stops trembling. For a moment. Herrick implemented this quote to signify the healing nature of valuing others through the technique of characterisation. Billy is depicted as strong and supportive of Old Bill as