The Personification Of Nature In Starlight, By Richard Wagamese

If someone looks up at the evening sky, they can see faint stars whose bright light has been lost due to light pollution. They can hear the sound of cars speeding by, along with the sound of their music blasting as they pass. The world today has been altered from its original state. There is pavement on the ground instead of grass, buildings instead of forests and the smell of cigarettes instead of flowers. The truth is that the current world is predominantly man-made. The entire lives of human civilization are manufactured. We created money, jobs, school, houses and almost everything else in everyone's daily lives. People have gotten so used to this artificial world that has been created that they have forgotten all about the natural world.

However, the novel Starlight, written by Richard Wagamese, explores those abnormal sights, sounds and feelings created by nature. The story follows the lives of Starlight and Emmy. Starlight has a deep connection with the land and shows Emmy how to connect with nature as he can. Wagamese uses personification in his world-building of the earth. This makes nature in the novel feel as if it moves as one as if its own character. It is easy for the reader to see the thought-out and detailed description of the environment. Wagamese represents nature as this entrancing, fantastical being that has a deep effect on others that sees it as it is. The influence of nature in this story helps Emmy develop as a character by teaching her how to love herself, find a place where she belongs and make peace with her past trauma, demonstrating the importance of Emmy’s strong connection with earth and land throughout the

Starlight is the person who taught Emmy the ways of the land. He is the reason her character had this arc of development. Every time he would teach her about the land she was able to see the raw authentic version of him that he doesn’t always show. This helps her trust him, and all of the time they spend together in the land brought them closer. Emmy likes the way she feels with Starlight, that security and trust building between them let Emmy bring down her guard of worries and fears, letting her just be herself. Removing that guard meant that she could experience life to the fullest and get caught up in the moment losing track of time. This causes Emmy’s perception of the world to change and be drawn to that change. The sense of love and belonging that she feels with Starlight is something that Emmy didn’t know she was longing for as she never knew what that meant before meeting him. The love and connection that grows between Emmy with nature and Starlight helps her find a place where she felt at