The Cone Gatherers

Choose a novel or short story in which the fate of a main character is important in conveying the writer's theme.

Robert Jenkins' "The Cone-Gatherers," gives an archetypal depiction of the never ending struggle between good and evil. By using two contrasting characters, John Duror : the self implosive villian and Calum : the innocent ,christ like, hunch backed cone-gatherer he explores how one can become corrupted and bitter by evil. Duror's passionate loathing for Calum's physical short comings and all deformaty or phsycological alement in general reflects humanities ability to hate and inevitably kill over disagreements or differences in belief. Jenkins' use of the war as a back drop illustrates to the reader that the driving force behind the war is the same to that of Duror's animosity. Jenkins uses the fate of a main character to help coney this theme also, the use of various techniques including characterisation, key incident and setting convey how good and evil are universal forces affecting everyday people's lives and whole countries in negative ways, just as in the case of Duror and Calum.

The novel is built up around the two brothers Calum and Neil, in post war Britain. The brothers are working on the estate of a high class aristocat, Lady-Runcie Campbell collecting the cones from trees as part of the war effort. Also on the estate is John Duror the game keeper who resents the presence of the cone gatherers, he begins to spread lies about Calum in order to have him removed from the wood and organises a deer drive which he knew Calum would spoil (due to his sympathy for all animals). This plan works to an extent but also gives a glimpse that he himself may not be sound of mind. Shortly afterwards the brothers are caught in a violent storm and are forced to take refuge within Lady-Runcie campbells beach-hut - which they are forbidden to do - and are found by the Lady herself who is also seeking shelter. She then wants them removed from her grounds, Mr...