A wonderful novel by famed Clive Barker, The Thief of Always, will capture you with its many elements including creative and deep characters, fake climaxes, and a gripping mystery that will clutch you ‘till the end. The main character, Harvey brings a relatable element to the story when his is very bored of his life in a small, quaint town. A man (or is he?) named Rictus comes and takes him to the Holiday house. With new friends, and enemies, Harvey works to unravel the tale of the eerie House, which at first seems homely, but then becomes more eerie as Harvey discovers a certain Mr. Hood. Will Harvey succeed or is his journey all just an illusion? With the aid, and betrayal, of Hood’s, well, servants, Harvey falls deeper and deeper into the
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Griffin foreshadows a great deal of the important events in The Thief of Always. The death of one of her three cats, Clue-Cat, gives the appropriate clue to the horrible curse placed upon poor Mrs. Griffin. Harvey and his newfound friend, Wendell, are in the kitchen when disaster strikes. Clue Cat suffers a gruesome death, and in response to Harvey, Mrs. Griffin says, “ Oh, look at you, child," Mrs. Griffin said. "You've got tears on your cheeks” (21). When Harvey seems embarrassed, she says, "Don't be ashamed to weep, [i]t’s a wonderful thing. I wish I could still shed a tear or two” (21). Mysterious, right? But also, Mrs. Griffin says, “What I feel is not quite sadness, [a]nd it’s not much solace either, I’m afraid” (21). Harvey asks if she has any sadness or solace at all, she says “No, I don’t,” [e]xcept maybe in these tears of yours. They comfort me. Your tears are sweet, child, and so are you. No you go out into the light and enjoy yourself. There’s sun on the step, and it won’t be there forever, believe me” (21). Two things are foreshadowed here. First being the ghastly burden placed upon Mrs. Griffin in the Holiday House. In a later event, Mrs. Griffin describes her past in the House to Harvey, and the reason she cannot cry. The death of Clue Cat motivates Harvey to dig deeper into this magic about the Holiday House. The second thing she foreshadows is the evil way of Mr. Hood. She foreshadows that the seasons will change, by saying it won’t be …show more content…
Griffin creates a lot of the mood in the story. She cooks all of the food, and whatever food the children want, as well as as much of it. That creates a homely feeling as if Harvey and Wendell are simply at a second home, as if the children have never left. Harvey is at the doorway of the house when Mrs. Griffin says, “Come in, there’s food on the table” (10). There being food on the table gives it a more familiar and homespun feeling, as also in the text Harvey thinks that this is a moment of decision, though he isn’t sure why. This is a bit of foreshadowing also but a strange man just offered to take him to a strange house where all his dreams will supposedly come true. Anyone in that situation would have second thoughts. But a nice old lady comes to the door, and offers him a table full of warm food, and he is famished. It might have reminded him of a mother, and Barker certainly implies Mrs. Griffin as a motherly figure. With this nurturing character in Mrs. Griffin, the house gains a more domestic feel, as if it is a real home and Mrs. Griffin is his real mother. Of course, Barker presents Hood as trying to cover up the fact that the House is really all illusions. Mrs. Griffin is proof of this, it is as if she is sheltering the children from their troubles is the outside world. Mrs. Griffin uses words that a mother would use when speaking to her own child. Mrs. Griffin is leading Harvey to his room and she says, “You look very tired, my sweet” and even earlier
Griffin foreshadows a great deal of the important events in The Thief of Always. The death of one of her three cats, Clue-Cat, gives the appropriate clue to the horrible curse placed upon poor Mrs. Griffin. Harvey and his newfound friend, Wendell, are in the kitchen when disaster strikes. Clue Cat suffers a gruesome death, and in response to Harvey, Mrs. Griffin says, “ Oh, look at you, child," Mrs. Griffin said. "You've got tears on your cheeks” (21). When Harvey seems embarrassed, she says, "Don't be ashamed to weep, [i]t’s a wonderful thing. I wish I could still shed a tear or two” (21). Mysterious, right? But also, Mrs. Griffin says, “What I feel is not quite sadness, [a]nd it’s not much solace either, I’m afraid” (21). Harvey asks if she has any sadness or solace at all, she says “No, I don’t,” [e]xcept maybe in these tears of yours. They comfort me. Your tears are sweet, child, and so are you. No you go out into the light and enjoy yourself. There’s sun on the step, and it won’t be there forever, believe me” (21). Two things are foreshadowed here. First being the ghastly burden placed upon Mrs. Griffin in the Holiday House. In a later event, Mrs. Griffin describes her past in the House to Harvey, and the reason she cannot cry. The death of Clue Cat motivates Harvey to dig deeper into this magic about the Holiday House. The second thing she foreshadows is the evil way of Mr. Hood. She foreshadows that the seasons will change, by saying it won’t be …show more content…
Griffin creates a lot of the mood in the story. She cooks all of the food, and whatever food the children want, as well as as much of it. That creates a homely feeling as if Harvey and Wendell are simply at a second home, as if the children have never left. Harvey is at the doorway of the house when Mrs. Griffin says, “Come in, there’s food on the table” (10). There being food on the table gives it a more familiar and homespun feeling, as also in the text Harvey thinks that this is a moment of decision, though he isn’t sure why. This is a bit of foreshadowing also but a strange man just offered to take him to a strange house where all his dreams will supposedly come true. Anyone in that situation would have second thoughts. But a nice old lady comes to the door, and offers him a table full of warm food, and he is famished. It might have reminded him of a mother, and Barker certainly implies Mrs. Griffin as a motherly figure. With this nurturing character in Mrs. Griffin, the house gains a more domestic feel, as if it is a real home and Mrs. Griffin is his real mother. Of course, Barker presents Hood as trying to cover up the fact that the House is really all illusions. Mrs. Griffin is proof of this, it is as if she is sheltering the children from their troubles is the outside world. Mrs. Griffin uses words that a mother would use when speaking to her own child. Mrs. Griffin is leading Harvey to his room and she says, “You look very tired, my sweet” and even earlier