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Skellig Themes

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David Almond’s novel Skellig is a world of magical realism that explores Michael’s life as he goes through many changes. The story follows Michael’s journey as he explores freedom, hope and perseverance, and adapts to change. Countless key themes can be interpreted within this perplexing novel; including freedom, evolution and persistence. These themes are mostly mentioned indirectly throughout the text and are symbolised by different motifs; for instance, feathers, birds, and wings are linked to freedom. The topic of evolution is also conveyed to show parallels between Michael’s life and adapting to change. Hope and perseverance is another theme tackled in the text and shows that even through the hard times, Michael hopes and is persistent. Within Skellig, freedom is discussed as an important theme interconnecting the characters’ lives. Freedom is portrayed as a motif connecting with birds and wings. In some ways, it connects with the stone motif showing that someone or something is trapped and needs to be set free. In the storyline, Michael learns more about himself and his ability to be free, with guidance from Skellig, Mina and his parents along the way. It is also projected that Michael and …show more content…
This connects to the theme of hope and perseverance. Michael describes the garage as a “demolition site or a rubbish dump” he also describes it as “rotting and falling apart”. Skellig is described as “filthy and pale and dried out”. These detailed descriptions the author provides provoke the reader to connect the dots between Skellig and the garage and gives the story a deeper meaning. The journey of Skellig and perseverance the journey of the garage also mirror the baby’s journey, going from helpless and weak to be strong and free. David Almond conveys a theme of hope and perseverance to the story as a way of showing its importance to Michael, Skellig and especially the baby’s

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