Imagine you are homeless, and all you have is “beer, last nights left-overs, some glossy red apples, Dad’s champagne and cigarettes”.Unfortunately for 15 year old Billy life isn’t as fascinating as he hoped. Steven Herrick's character Billy from his novel “The Simple Gift” is important to this novel because he is used to challenge the reader's understanding. He shows us the power that positive and negative relationships have on adolescents. The type of relationships you have can majorly impact your sense of belonging. To belong means that you are accepted as a member or part. Such a simple word yet it carries a powerful concept. He also demonstrates how being an optimistic and a strong character can help lead you through times of trial and
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Since a young age Billy has been physically abused by his violent and constantly drunk father. Who disciplines Billy by giving him “one hard-backhander across the face”. “The wind and the rain hits you in the face with the force of a father’s punch”; Billy compares the sharp stinging sensation of wind and rain to his father punching him. This way we gain even more insight to his abusive childhood and through this metaphor we have a more in depth understanding of what Billy is feeling and it adds power to his words. It is also something we are able to connect to, because most of us know what spitting rain and whipping wind feels like. Also something as simple as the wind and rain reminds Billy of his abusive life with his father. Proving that he has also been affected mentally by abuse, because he is reminded of it even miles away from his father. In this novel Billy is also isolated, this is because he has no one to turn to, his father is abusive so he finds the comfort in the companionship of his dog Bunkbrain. We are able to see that he is negatively affected by this abuse because he hides outside, away from his father’s anger and out of the reach of his fists. He loses his sense of belonging as a result of the abuse he has constantly suffered. This leaving Billy no option but to abandon his home in search for a real sense of belonging, in the process ultimately becoming …show more content…
Along the way to Benderat Billy meets Ernie, a friendly train driver who instead of throwing him off shows sympathy and sets him on his way towards Benderat. He goes to the Benderat Library where he also meets a lovely librarian Irene. She puts her prejudice aside despite his unkempt appearance, and treats him as a normal person. She does this by recommending books, letting him take them out and even letting him stay longer than is allowed. Through small and simple acts of kindness both Irene and Ernie displayed a great tenderness towards Billy. To them these acts may have seemed insignificant. However they were much more to Billy,(what did they do for Billy) While living in Benderat Billy makes friends with Old Bill a drunk hobo, and Caitlin a young and ambitious school girl. Together this trio are able to lift eachother up and overcome all of their separate trials. Including Billy’s which is searching for a sense of belonging. He finds this in the confinement of a home which he receives from Old Bill. His new home comes with everything any homeless boy would ever need. A bed, four walls, a working toilet, but most importantly “It feels like a home”. By having good friends Billy is able to find what he never had, a place to call his own home.
Overall Billy is important to this novel because through his experiences we are able to learn valuable life lessons.
Since a young age Billy has been physically abused by his violent and constantly drunk father. Who disciplines Billy by giving him “one hard-backhander across the face”. “The wind and the rain hits you in the face with the force of a father’s punch”; Billy compares the sharp stinging sensation of wind and rain to his father punching him. This way we gain even more insight to his abusive childhood and through this metaphor we have a more in depth understanding of what Billy is feeling and it adds power to his words. It is also something we are able to connect to, because most of us know what spitting rain and whipping wind feels like. Also something as simple as the wind and rain reminds Billy of his abusive life with his father. Proving that he has also been affected mentally by abuse, because he is reminded of it even miles away from his father. In this novel Billy is also isolated, this is because he has no one to turn to, his father is abusive so he finds the comfort in the companionship of his dog Bunkbrain. We are able to see that he is negatively affected by this abuse because he hides outside, away from his father’s anger and out of the reach of his fists. He loses his sense of belonging as a result of the abuse he has constantly suffered. This leaving Billy no option but to abandon his home in search for a real sense of belonging, in the process ultimately becoming …show more content…
Along the way to Benderat Billy meets Ernie, a friendly train driver who instead of throwing him off shows sympathy and sets him on his way towards Benderat. He goes to the Benderat Library where he also meets a lovely librarian Irene. She puts her prejudice aside despite his unkempt appearance, and treats him as a normal person. She does this by recommending books, letting him take them out and even letting him stay longer than is allowed. Through small and simple acts of kindness both Irene and Ernie displayed a great tenderness towards Billy. To them these acts may have seemed insignificant. However they were much more to Billy,(what did they do for Billy) While living in Benderat Billy makes friends with Old Bill a drunk hobo, and Caitlin a young and ambitious school girl. Together this trio are able to lift eachother up and overcome all of their separate trials. Including Billy’s which is searching for a sense of belonging. He finds this in the confinement of a home which he receives from Old Bill. His new home comes with everything any homeless boy would ever need. A bed, four walls, a working toilet, but most importantly “It feels like a home”. By having good friends Billy is able to find what he never had, a place to call his own home.
Overall Billy is important to this novel because through his experiences we are able to learn valuable life lessons.