Clive Barker, the author of the novel The Thief of Always, develops the story well using the setting to drop hints and symbolize elements of the story. Harvey, on a mission to get back his childhood and destroy Mr. Hood and his Holiday House, encounters lots of interesting places, which are used as clues in the book. The setting is very important to the plot, and builds depth. The setting is a key element in the Thief of Always.
Millsap, the town which Harvey lives in, is one of the biggest settings in the book, even though Harvey is rarely there. Millsap is used to symbolize the boredom of the real world, making Harvey want to leave it and agreeing to going with Rictus. On the first couple pages, the reader gets an overview of the Millsap …show more content…
Because water is linked to the eeriness of the house, the lake is the perfect setting to show there is something creepy about the Holiday House. In the scene when Harvey first visits the lake, he finds it quite ugly and creepy. As Harvey looks into the water, he thinks, “This was a place where dead things belonged”. (p.23) Barker makes several creepy references to water in the book, and the main one being the lake. At the beginning of the story, Rictus asks Harvey if he likes swimming. Harvey should have realized something was up when he first visited the lake and saw its inhabitants and condition. Lulu is also connected to water and the lake. Harvey sees her at the lake when he goes there, looking like she wanted to dive in. Why would she want to go someplace so horrible? Also, the quote “where dead things belong” makes sense, because the fish-children have outlived their normal lifespan. The lake is probably the most important hint in the story. The lake, in a way, is the one flaw with the House. Curious, Harvey visits the lake to see what’s there, and is disgusted. Barker describes it as: “It was large- so large that the far side was barely visible-but gloomy and dreary both the lake and the dark stones around it covered with a film of green scum”. (p.23) The words “gloomy” and “dreary” are much like the words at the beginning to describe Millsap. Harvey dislikes Millsap, and he dislikes the lake.
Millsap, the town which Harvey lives in, is one of the biggest settings in the book, even though Harvey is rarely there. Millsap is used to symbolize the boredom of the real world, making Harvey want to leave it and agreeing to going with Rictus. On the first couple pages, the reader gets an overview of the Millsap …show more content…
Because water is linked to the eeriness of the house, the lake is the perfect setting to show there is something creepy about the Holiday House. In the scene when Harvey first visits the lake, he finds it quite ugly and creepy. As Harvey looks into the water, he thinks, “This was a place where dead things belonged”. (p.23) Barker makes several creepy references to water in the book, and the main one being the lake. At the beginning of the story, Rictus asks Harvey if he likes swimming. Harvey should have realized something was up when he first visited the lake and saw its inhabitants and condition. Lulu is also connected to water and the lake. Harvey sees her at the lake when he goes there, looking like she wanted to dive in. Why would she want to go someplace so horrible? Also, the quote “where dead things belong” makes sense, because the fish-children have outlived their normal lifespan. The lake is probably the most important hint in the story. The lake, in a way, is the one flaw with the House. Curious, Harvey visits the lake to see what’s there, and is disgusted. Barker describes it as: “It was large- so large that the far side was barely visible-but gloomy and dreary both the lake and the dark stones around it covered with a film of green scum”. (p.23) The words “gloomy” and “dreary” are much like the words at the beginning to describe Millsap. Harvey dislikes Millsap, and he dislikes the lake.