Ruth Becoming The Boat (LIFE AND DEATH THEME) Flashcards
“Maybe they wanted to dump it, whoever owned it.”
Metaphor for the pupils of Hailsham being dumped, their fate is decided, previously belonged to Hailsham, no longer living with any purpose, slowly dying
“It’s paint was cracking, and how the timber frames of the little cabin were crumbling away.”
Metaphor for Ruth, they were losing her, her youth was crumbling away, getting older, closer to death
“It had once been painted a sky blue, but now almost white under the sky.”
Ruth losing the colour in her life, being drained of life
“Made their way to another tree trunk, hollow and more emaciated than mine”
The boat is surrounded by dead tree trunks, symbol for other donors and how they lose their lives, they are all slowly dying
Significance of this moment to Tommy, Ruth and Kathy
- a moment of realisation
-ruth’s life is coming to an end
-witnessing their fate
-ruth is as frail and battered as the boat
