The Secret River By Kate Grenville Analysis

In the outset of “The Secret River”, Kate Grenville conveys William as a person who steals from others in order for his family to survive, which displays the fact that William is a well respected person among the Thornhills but in the eyes of society he is a thief. However, as the story unfolds, Thornhill shifts to be conveyed as more of a greedy thief and dispossessor of other people who thinks more about himself rather than his family despite having his own opinion on what he thinks is right for his family. The first chapter of the novel gives insight to the reader of the harsh reality the Thornhill’s have to face in order to survive. This idea is expressed when William and some of his other family members attempt to steal books from a book seller. The Thornhill’s were described to …show more content…
The use of diction choice helps to accompany Sal’s actions to the greater idea of the family’s uncertainty in moving to Thornhill point. During the trip to Thornhill Point, Sal was described to “not face forward” and instead “strained backwards.” This creates an impression that the rest of the Thornhill family are not looking into the future but instead are looking at the past. Despite the family’s uncertainty to move to a new area, William shows the most enthusiasm out of all the members of the Thornhills and thinks of the vastness of “such a small boat [sailing on], such a small sea.” This reflects on William’s insightfulness into the wide range of opportunities Thornhill Point has to bring. This insightfulness is mainly as a result of his happiness in being able to get hold of the land. However it goes without saying that the rest of the Thornhill’s feels uneasy of moving to Thornhill Point which displays Thornhill’s act of self-pleasure without any thought of his