Critical Essay †“By any other name” by John Lavin Essay

In the short account By any other name written by John Lavin, the origin of relationships is developed throughout the story by Lavins choice of terminology and descriptive writing. By looking at Lavins chosen aspect and characterisation in the story, I will sample the theme of relationships.The story is set in the slums of Glasgow around the 1930s is about a boy called Peter and his fight for survival with his parents in echt low conditions.To examine the theme of relationships it is important to examine the setting of the story. The setting Lavin created and how they bushel on with each other affect the characters.Due to a rapid harvest-time in urbanisation, overcrowding and unequal living conditions were very common.Disease and death and motive stalked through the sunless hovelsThe use of personification here offers the commentator an insight into the terrible conditions that many had to endure this period of time. It in addition shows how poor the family were.Smell of cats and sickness and primitive drainageThis creates a very fetid image of the area they loved in. It also gives the reader the shock factor. I also obtain that it puts a very hard strain of the family has they have to live in such horrible conditions.Peter does not get on very well with his father and they dont have a very good relationship with each other.He was always drunkard just as I was always hungryThis shows that Peters father spent all the familys money on make whoopie and since they had no money they could not afford to put no feed on the table. I also feel this shows that Peter had no discover for his father and also resented that his dad spent all the money.I as yet fell pity I had for him, the only emotion he forever stirred in meThis gives the me the reader an insight into the feelings Peter had for his father. Peter I think felt sorry entirely had no real perceptiveness for him, as he was always drunk and never really cared for him.A mangled thingHere Peter is talking about his father. This is a very impersonal thing to say about your father but this was true in Peters case. I also feel this shows that Peter lack any sort of emotion.Peter had a very good relationship with his stick.My mother had the loveliest hair I ever sawI feel this shows that Peter shows a lot of affection for his mother and that he loves her dearly. He also I think admires her for putting up with his father and the terrible living conditions that they had to endure.Grey autumn dayI feel that his sets the tone for his mothers death as she died from TB. I also think that his conveys very well how Peter feels, as he is now all alone as he does not get on with his father.Peters parents did not have a very good relationship.They seldom spokeThey did not have any real conversations. The short sentence I feel sums up and emphasize how poor their relationship was.I think John Lavin has done a capacious job of convey the theme of relationships between family membe rs.