Theme: Death Author: David Metzenthen book: Boys of blood and bone

Introduction:

The theme that I have chosen is death. I chose this theme because death plays a part in Andy's life and it plays a part in Henry's life. It affects us all in our lives because people die all the time and people go through hard a time when people die and that's what happens in the book. I will be explaining how death is used in the book from the First World War and during the present day.

Henry/ Present day:

Henry in the book thinks about death when he thought of the First World War. When he read Andy's diary he had hoped to see stories about people fighting and people dying but when he does he finds out that the fights aren't in detail and the deaths aren't in detail either so that made Henry disappointed. (A passage from the text pg. 37 He was keen t find reference to the fighting - but when he did the entries were simply and disappointingly written without detail.)

Henry imagines being in the war trying to pick up a man who has died and imagined what it would be like to hold the man who has died and then dig a hole and bury them in the hole. (A passage from the text pg. 38 Henry tried to imagine what it would be like to pick up someone who was dead; maybe take an arm, a still-warm wrist, and help carry the person to a rough hole and lower them in. They'd be heavy. There would be blood and wounds. You'd shovel the dirt in carefully. At the start. He could imagine. And then they'd be gone.)

And later on in the story Henry actually would experience how it felt when someone he knew had died and the thoughts and things that he went through. (A passage from the text pg. 174 Trot was dead.The word, although Henry had not said it out loud, began to take some form, as if it was solidifying. He'd never had to deal with the word, or the world like this before. Trot was dead. He was gone. Now. Gone.)

Andy/ First World War 1918

Andy goes to the First World War and he goes to France to fight for his country Australia. During that period of time Andy goes through the carnage that he see on the battlefield and before they went to France Andy and his friend Darcy were discussing about killing another the Germans and they were saying that they would like to kill a German before the war had ended and if they didn't then what was the point in joining the war. (A passage from the text pg 23 The battles over there just seemed to getting bigger - but if it somehow did end, missing out in killing someone was probably not the worst thing a bloke might have to live with. So'd they joined up and never fired a shot? So what? But shoot someone?)

Andy during the war has to face the fact that death is in his face and death would either get Andy or Andy would cause death on another human being, at first Andy was afraid of death but later in the war he wasn't afraid of death and that dead people were all over the battlefield and he had to get over being afraid of death. (A passage from the text pg 152 Andy nodded and felt a sensation move through his limbs, strange and lingering, not unlike a type of satisfaction. Something significant had just happened to him. He was no longer scared of the dead. The dead were dead. They were just dead. German or friendly, whoever whatever, they were just dead.)

At the near end of the book Andy is wounded and he knew what death felt like when he was wounded in the battle, he could see Cecelia and Francis-Jane and then feel the pain and what he is going through. And then see his friends are by his side and they would help in any way and reassure him that he was fine and was going to make it alive. (A passage from the text pg. 278 you're gunna be orrght Andy'. Darcy's face was dead-white under grime. 'Boys're takin'ya back to VB. Just stay with me, mate, orright?' He got hold of Andy's hand. 'Don't leave me. Just'ang on tight and you'll be right.' I'm comin' back with ya, cobber. I'll be with ya every step of the way.')

A poem about death

EATH, always cruel, Pity's foe in chief,

Mother who brought forth grief,

Merciless judgment and without appeal!

Since thou alone hast made my heart to feel

This sadness and unweal,

My tongue upbraideth thee without relief.

And now (for I must rid thy name of ruth)

Behoves me speak the truth

Touching thy cruelty and wickedness:

Not that they be not known; but ne'ertheless

I would give hate more stress

With them that feed on love in very sooth.

Out of this world thou hast driven courtesy,

And virtue, dearly prized in womanhood;

And out of youth's gay mood

The lovely lightness is quite gone through thee.

Whom now I mourn, no man shall learn from me

Save by the measure of these praises given.

Whoso deserves not Heaven

May never hope to have her company.

This poem relates to the theme death because it uses the word death and explain what death does and what it is. It explains what death is and what death does to people. The poems relates to Trots death and how Trots family, friends, Janine and Henry are going through.

My life regarding Death:

Death is something that I respect when my grandma died I was at the funeral to pay my respect to my grandma as Henry was at Trots funeral to pay the respect to Trot. But I still pay my respects to my grandma by praying to her that in her next life that she would have happiness and luck and the wonderful things I have.