Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Past the Shallows, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Brotherhood, Loyalty, and Hardship
Addiction and Abuse
Tragedy and Blame
Father Figures and Responsibility
The Duality of Nature
Summary
Analysis
The day after the shark incident, Miles washes down the fishing boat after work. He muses at how normal the day seems aside from Martin’s absence, with his sore ribs and the bullet hole in the deck the only remnants of yesterday’s chaos. Miles points out to Dad that the boat’s engine is sputtering, secretly hoping it is broken so that they will be prevented from going out the next day. Dad, frustrated at an unsuccessful day of diving, snaps at Miles that he does not have a choice of when they go out. He storms off to a nearby pub, leaving Miles to moor the boat alone.
Miles’s disbelief of the previous day’s events speaks to the cyclical nature of the environment, as the mayhem of the shark attack has passed just as quickly as it occurred. Dad, however, seems to be frustrated at yesterday’s setback. His decision to go out drinking rather than help Miles suggests that he relies on alcohol as a crutch and prioritizes this habit over his son.
Themes
After struggling to move the fishing boat to the mooring site, Miles cannot get the dinghy to start up. Mr. Roberts, another abalone fisherman, pulls up in his new, luxurious dive boat and helps him tow the dinghy. Miles lies to Mr. Roberts and tells him that he had asked to finish up on his own, rather than admitting that Dad’s erratic behavior forced him to do so.
Whereas Dad leaves Miles to fend for himself, Mr. Roberts takes it upon himself to help the young boy. This moment characterizes Mr. Roberts as a stand-in paternal figure, making it obvious just how neglectful and irresponsible Dad is by comparison.
Themes
Back at the wharf, Miles accepts a ride from Mr. Roberts because he does not want to go into the pub to find Dad. Most of the other locals resent Mr. Roberts because of his success as a fisherman and his relatively affluent lifestyle, but Miles admires him for his savvy business strategies. As they drive, Miles asks about Mr. Roberts’s son Justin (who now attends private school), remembering how they used to be friends and surf together.
Again, Mr. Roberts takes responsibility for helping Miles, serving as a de facto father when Dad abandons him. Mr. Roberts’s success as a fisherman and reliability as a father only further highlight Dad’s abuse and neglect.
Themes
Passing a tight bend near the river, Miles sees fresh white lilies tied to a tree and the sight causes him to choke on the breath mint in his mouth. Mr. Roberts pulls over and they sit in the car while Miles recovers. He tells Miles that he never passes this spot without thinking of Miles’s mum, sympathizing that “it must have been bloody terrible.”
This passage provides hints as to the circumstances surrounding Mum’s death, as it is implied that she was killed in a car crash and that Miles was in the car during the accident.
Themes
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Miles replies that he does not remember the accident, but he spends the rest of the drive reflecting on how amazing it is that the tree has survived the crash that left a permanent scar in its bark. When Mr. Roberts drops Miles off at his house, he tells the young man that he should not let Dad force him to work.
Mr. Roberts acknowledges the trauma Miles has experienced and seems to be at least vaguely aware of Dad’s abuse, but he does not take responsibility in helping Miles, beyond the ride home and a few words of encouragement. This speaks to the general complicity of many adults in the Curren brothers’ lives, who witness Dad’s mistreatment but fail to intervene on the boys’ behalf.
Themes
