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
Harry goes on a hike with George Fuller and Jake and they pick apples from an orchard. From their vantage point atop a small hill, Harry spots the dilapidated remnants of the small farm where George grew up. As they enjoy a picnic, Harry asks George whether he remembers his parents. George answers yes and Harry admits that sometimes he can’t remember his own Mum and that he does not think Dad likes him very much. George shares memories of Harry’s mother from when he knew her as a young girl.
Harry’s preoccupation with George’s parents and confession of his own familial struggles reveals how deeply the deaths of Mum, Uncle Nick, and Granddad have affected the Curren family, and particularly how Dad’s grief has ruined his relationships with his sons. George further establishes himself as a grandfather figure for Harry, patiently listening to his young friend and indulging him in stories of the mother he struggles to remember.
Themes
After their picnic, Harry, George, and Jake return to George’s shack. George offers Harry a bag of the apples they picked earlier that day, but Harry turns them down because he knows Dad will ask where they came from. George slips two apples in Harry’s jacket pockets and the young boy enjoys one on his way home. He is glad that George showed him where he grew up and reflects that he and George must be “real friends” now.
Harry’s hesitance to accept the apples implies that Dad’s abuse is extremely volatile behind closed doors, to the point that he would lash out if Harry came home with the fruit. As a surrogate grandfather to Harry, hiding the apples in the little boy’s pockets is George’s act of rebellion against Dad’s cruelty.
Themes
