Essay: "The Simple Gift" by Steven Herrick
When an individual has reached their lowest
point in their life a show of kindness and a push in the right direction enables
a different view on life to develop and fro their perspective of themselves to
change. The catalyst usually is unseen, subtle and we don’t appreciate it until
the change has finally begun happening. Old Bill represents us, our society in
one character, the ignorance, extremes and the major downfalls of human
characteristics that we all display, shown in the free verse poetic novel, The Simple Gift by Steven Herrick.
Old Bill is characterised as despondent and
withdrawn and at the deepest and lowest of lows. Heis a homeless alcoholic and
has become a symbol that embodies the characteristics of one whose had the worst
of life thrown at them. Each poem is set out in a matter that uses enjambment,
emphasising the falling of old bill, how every day it just gets worse “and I
fell with her and ive been falling ever since. And this pub, these clothes,
this is where I landed”. This description alongside “an old man with long grey
hair and beard sitting on the train track looking at the beer stain the wooden
sleepers” uses catharsis through the introduction of character and emotive
language and helps us develop a sympathetic view towards old bill. He appears
to be struggling with something, an issue that he has not spoken of and how low
he has become. “I should give them up, these will kill me, he unwraps the
carton, hands shaking lights one and takes a huge drag”. This issue has
distorted his view on life and has made him depressed, depressed to a point
where he sees no use in trying to save himself. The ignorance to his health
shows how low he has become. He is truly distant from society in a place where
no one can help him, where his view on life is dull and truly not worth living
in.
That is, until the arrival of Billy
Luckett. Herrick uses this character as a catalyst for change. He is kind youth
who offers old bill weet-bix, alcohol and ciggerates and shows him that there
is still hope in life. However, being the typical human he is, old bill is
reluctant to change. “Piss off son, Piss off. Leave me alone”.
However his view slowly begins to change
due to how hard billy is trying to push for change in his perspective. “every
morning this week that bloody kid has woken me up at 6:30 am with weet bix and
milk”. He even manges to go out and look for a job “I find myself walking to the cannery with
the kid, looking for work” “but at least im not drinking so much and I can’t
smoke in the , cannery, bloody hell, the kids gonna turn me into a health
freak!”. Old Bills view on life begins to finally change. Kindness and
persistence allows one to truly penetrate the wall that we all build around us.
He still has some reluctance but soon this is dimished. This simple act of
kindness, this simple gift, causes old bill to rethink his ways. “I feel sorry
for swearing at the kid, abusing him for bringing me breakfast. Breakfast! Of all
things”. Through pure determination, annoyance and persistence, billy has
managed to slowly change old bills views on life. “I like the kid, I like his
company, he’s got me waking early and eating a decent breakfast”. The
juxtaposition and contrast in his view on Billy shows this change directly and
measures out the amount of change that has happened. “ I wake early, I eat
properly and ive taken to walking every day”
Sometimes all it takes is just a nudge to
push someone in the right direction, to show them a view of life that they have
not seen before or that they’ve lost. Old bill began changing his views, from
one of no hope and of despondence to one of hope and of fulfilment. He embodies
the human traits of ignorance and of extremes. However, through the persistent
kindness displayed by billy he is able to finally lift himself up and change
his perspectives. He represents us, how even at our worst, we still can be
helped, we still can change our perspective.
All it takes is a nudge or a push.
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