Sunset Song by Lewis Grassic Gibbons

1008 Words3 Pages

Lewis Grassic Gibbons Sunset Song contains two characters, Chris and

Ewan, whose relationship deteriorates throughout the novel. The writer

shows this deterioration through the various techniques that he employs.

Choose a novel in which the relationship between two characters

deteriorates. Explain the reasons for this and while assessing the

part each character plays in the deterioration. Make it clear where

your sympathies lie.

Lewis Grassic Gibbons "Sunset Song" contains two characters, Chris and

Ewan, whose relationship deteriorates throughout the novel. The

writer shows this deterioration through the various techniques that he

employs.

Plot is a major technique which Grassic Gibbons employs to portray the

deteriation of the relationship between Chris and Ewan. The plot

details the meeting of Chris and Ewan, describing Chris's initial

opinion of him being a "course, dour brute", an indication of the

English Chris. She knows him only through the local gossip of his

involvement with Sarah Sinclair yet soon instinctively likes him.

Chris's next encounter with Ewan is after the events of the fire at

Peesie's Knapp. He kisses her but she doesn't realise it is him at

the time. The kiss is described as being "dark, frightening and

terrible in the winter road". Chris response is described as

"kicked the man that held her...kicked him hard with her knee and then

brought her nails down across his face...she kicked him again"

During the night, she realises that she liked the kiss and her

sexuality is awakened. Later on, Ewan visits her home looking for her

brother and Chris notices a scratch on his chest that she inflicted

and realises that he kissed her. Both of them are embarrassed by her

realisat...

... middle of paper ...

...tionship is affected by external factors, the major one being the

First World War which completely changes Ewan's characteristics and

actions. It causes Ewan to act in a completely different way towards

Chris as he is violent and insulting. Chris completely changes her

feelings about him and it causes her to replace the love she had for

him with a feeling of hatred. When he returns to France, she doesn't

acknowledge him leaving. Theme is a major factor as it shows overall

how change occurs and how the relationship changed.

In conclusion, I feel more sympathy for Chris in the deteriation of

her relationship with Ewan as she was not to blame for it. The war

was the major cause in it which she could not have done anything

about. Grassic Gibbons was very effective in portraying the

deteriation of the relation of Chris and Ewan through his use of

techniques.

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