Isobelle Carmody's The Gathering
"The Gathering" by Isobelle Carmody portrays the dark side of human nature. It shows that man's behaviour does not vary over long periods of time and across different cultures. It shows that each and every single person has an evil or dark side to them and it is whether they succumb to this evil or follow the paths of light and goodness that decide what kind of person they are.
Cheshunt, where the story is set appears to be a fairly normal town. When Nathanial and his mother arrive, Nathanial instinctively knows that something is not quite right. Nathanial is there for a reason. He and the other members of The Chain must learn the power of friendship to defeat the evil Kraken.
The dark side of human nature is seen in many characters: Cheshunt's …show more content…
He burns Nathanial's dog, The Tod, who is Nathanial's only true friend and Nathanial loves. "The match landed in his tail and flames swept forward up over him. Devoured him. He arched and coiled, yelping in pain and fright, and then he screamed, a long inhuman howl of agony and terror."(page 214). When Buddha burns The Tod it is a vicious, cowardly act and is evidence of how dark man's nature can be, that he can murder a poor, defenseless creature that is incapable of fighting back, also that the act was carried out in front of Nathanial to cause him immense grief and feelings of powerlessness. What is even more disturbing is that this is such a real act that could happen in our everyday …show more content…
He has a very weak character. Despite Seth being a "brain" (page 10), looking "like one of those perfect guys off Coke ads" (page 10) and coming from a good family, "His father is a policeman" (page 55) he is pathetic. He is sneaky and drinks alcohol to escape facing reality. He can't deal with his own problems (his parents are divorced and he can't deal with being in the Chain and the effort it takes to defy Mr Karle) and uses his weaknesses as an excuse to attempt to commit suicide, "Seth lay on his back between them, his face dead white." (page 142) He breaks promises "'You promised,' Nissa said icily." (page 138). He also betrays those around him "Mr Karle gave Nissa a radiant smile. 'Got him? But you misunderstand, Nissa. I didn't get Seth. He came to us.'" (page
Cheshunt, where the story is set appears to be a fairly normal town. When Nathanial and his mother arrive, Nathanial instinctively knows that something is not quite right. Nathanial is there for a reason. He and the other members of The Chain must learn the power of friendship to defeat the evil Kraken.
The dark side of human nature is seen in many characters: Cheshunt's …show more content…
He burns Nathanial's dog, The Tod, who is Nathanial's only true friend and Nathanial loves. "The match landed in his tail and flames swept forward up over him. Devoured him. He arched and coiled, yelping in pain and fright, and then he screamed, a long inhuman howl of agony and terror."(page 214). When Buddha burns The Tod it is a vicious, cowardly act and is evidence of how dark man's nature can be, that he can murder a poor, defenseless creature that is incapable of fighting back, also that the act was carried out in front of Nathanial to cause him immense grief and feelings of powerlessness. What is even more disturbing is that this is such a real act that could happen in our everyday …show more content…
He has a very weak character. Despite Seth being a "brain" (page 10), looking "like one of those perfect guys off Coke ads" (page 10) and coming from a good family, "His father is a policeman" (page 55) he is pathetic. He is sneaky and drinks alcohol to escape facing reality. He can't deal with his own problems (his parents are divorced and he can't deal with being in the Chain and the effort it takes to defy Mr Karle) and uses his weaknesses as an excuse to attempt to commit suicide, "Seth lay on his back between them, his face dead white." (page 142) He breaks promises "'You promised,' Nissa said icily." (page 138). He also betrays those around him "Mr Karle gave Nissa a radiant smile. 'Got him? But you misunderstand, Nissa. I didn't get Seth. He came to us.'" (page