A Northern Light- Theme Essay
Theme Essay- A Northern Light
A Northern Light is a story about mystery, freedom and romance. The author uses these themes to keep you in suspense, help you relate to the book and help you experience what emotions the main character goes through.
Without mystery there would be no suspense. Life itself is a mystery. Not everything is what it seems. When Grace Browns body is discovered there is the theme of mystery is introduced. After Mattie says that she knows who the man was in the boat with Grace, there is mystery in where he is. Mattie knows something the others do not. This creates suspense. “His name’s not Carl Grahm. It’s Chester. Chester Gillette.” The words rush out of my mouth before I can stop them. (pg. 6)
There is mystery in Miss Wilcox’s real name. She is not who she says she is, and this keeps you interested and wanting to read more. There is mystery in Emily Baxter’s writing and what she does. “They wanted Emily Wilcox, not Emily Baxter.” (pg. 308) The need to escape from family pressures and social restraints is inside all of us. Mattie wants to get an education in a big city, but is held back by her family, Royal and her promise to her mother. She feels the need to get away from all the stress of farm work and instead work on something she enjoys doing. Such as writing in her composition book. She wants to be around to support her family and start a life with Royal. But she also wants to experience a world different from the North Woods. She sees Minnie being tied down with her twins and not being able to do anything other than care for them. Mattie is stuck between wanting the love of a family, and her love of books. “Miss Wilcox had books but no family. Minnie had a family now, but those babies would keep her from reading for a good long time. Some people, like my Aunt Josie and Alvah Dunning the hermit, had neither love nor books. Nobody I knew had both.”
A Northern Light is a story about mystery, freedom and romance. The author uses these themes to keep you in suspense, help you relate to the book and help you experience what emotions the main character goes through.
Without mystery there would be no suspense. Life itself is a mystery. Not everything is what it seems. When Grace Browns body is discovered there is the theme of mystery is introduced. After Mattie says that she knows who the man was in the boat with Grace, there is mystery in where he is. Mattie knows something the others do not. This creates suspense. “His name’s not Carl Grahm. It’s Chester. Chester Gillette.” The words rush out of my mouth before I can stop them. (pg. 6)
There is mystery in Miss Wilcox’s real name. She is not who she says she is, and this keeps you interested and wanting to read more. There is mystery in Emily Baxter’s writing and what she does. “They wanted Emily Wilcox, not Emily Baxter.” (pg. 308) The need to escape from family pressures and social restraints is inside all of us. Mattie wants to get an education in a big city, but is held back by her family, Royal and her promise to her mother. She feels the need to get away from all the stress of farm work and instead work on something she enjoys doing. Such as writing in her composition book. She wants to be around to support her family and start a life with Royal. But she also wants to experience a world different from the North Woods. She sees Minnie being tied down with her twins and not being able to do anything other than care for them. Mattie is stuck between wanting the love of a family, and her love of books. “Miss Wilcox had books but no family. Minnie had a family now, but those babies would keep her from reading for a good long time. Some people, like my Aunt Josie and Alvah Dunning the hermit, had neither love nor books. Nobody I knew had both.”
Cited: A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly