Growth In Steven Herrick's By The River

Everyone grows up eventually, and each person passes through childhood and into the adult world in their own way. By the River, by Steven Herrick is a novel which shows how Harry Hodby grows and matures into a young man. The story is a ‘coming of age’ novel and Harry’s growth creeps up on the reader. Harry experiences death at a young age, with his mother passing away. As a result, he gains extra responsibilities in his youth. He experiences other different types of losses. All of them help him gain greater maturity and develop as a young adult, although these movements are painful at times. The most important event, though, is for Harry to accept his life and move forward, which he learns near the novel’s end.

Firstly, readers discover how

This happens to everyone, and is part of growing up. When Harry sees Wayne Barlow and Miss Spencer together, Harry, without thinking, ‘pick[s] up a rock, hurl[s] it blind[ly], turn[s] and run[s].’ Harry and the readers discover that Miss Spencer consequently becomes pregnant, and leaves Harry’s town forever, ‘the taxi taking away the only good thing left in town.’ Harry is blinded by jealous and hatred and ‘spends all night thinking of Miss Spencer and hating Wayne Barlow forever.’ Near the end of the novel Harry shows maturity when he admits to Johnny: ‘I’ve given the Barlow’s a few of those [rocks] before.’ To do this shows courage and understanding of himself. He matures and grows because of this significant event, which pushes Harry into

From coping with of loss, gaining responsibilities, and learning to accept his town and his life, Harry is able to make this transition. His journey that is not an easy one and Steven Herrick shows this by the end of his novel, by the river, that Harry is more maturity and can venture into the future more