7/28/2019 08 ENG SkelligEssay 18BelleS

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Belle Vorada Socatiyanurak 8C

Skellig Universal Theme Essay

Skellig is a fantasy based reality novel that is written by David Almond. Skellig is about two friends,Michael and Mina, befriending a mysterious creature called Skellig. In this novel Almond uses this

book to demonstrate the theme that it is important to appreciate or notice things that others do not.

David Almond demonstrates the concept that persons perspective differs from others, noticing

something small may lead to discovering something that is bigger and paying attention helps people

to a new realization about something that is already there.

To begin with, Almond uses the idea of how each character notices different things because of how

they view their own life. On page 59 when Mina had asked Michael to '' 'listen deeper, ' she said.

'Listen harder. Listen for the tiniest sweetest noise.'' David Almond identifies how Mina appreciates

the sound of the blackbird chicks chirping since she used the word sweetness. In this case, thisword explains the faint chirping of a blackbird which Mina finds very beautiful. Later on, Michael

responds, ''once I'd found it, and knew what it was and where it was, I could hear it along with all

the other, stronger noises. I could open my eye. I could look at Mina. Then I could close my eyes and

hear the blackbird chicks cheeping in the nest. I could imagine them there, packed close together in

the nest (60). At first, Michael had found it very hard to hear what Mina had instructed him to do;

he could only hear noises that he was used to everyday. However, after he had heard the quite

sound of the baby birds chirping he could hear it along with the strong noises that surrounded him.

The sound of the blackbirds did not fade away since he had the knowledge that the sound exists and

has given him a clear picture of what the birds looked like. This clarifies that a perspective of a

character is different from another.

Furthermore, David Almond describes how noticing small things may lead to finding something that

may be influential towards the future. On page 7 Michael had finished the Coke, waited a minute,

then went down to the garage again. I didnt have time to dare myself or to stand there listening to

the scratching. I switched the flashlight on, took a deep breath, and tiptoed inside." This shows that

Michael is quite curious about the scratching which had bothered him many times but did not have

the chance to. David Almond had written, I heard something scratching in one ofthe corners, and

something scuttling about; then it all stopped and it was just dead quiet in there. I stood daring

myself to go in. I was just going to slip inside when I heard Mum shouting at me (4). In conclusion,

if Michael did not notice the sounds of the scratching, then it would not lead him into knowing

Skelligs presence and the whole story would have never started, since the sounds of the scratching

had lead Michael into finding Skellig. David Almond had written it this way since the scratching

was a transition to finding Skellig and if Michael did not notice the little sound of scratching or

scuttling , above all of the noises, then the whole plot would have never started. Little things can

lead into revealing something that is very important.

7/28/2019 08 ENG SkelligEssay 18BelleS

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Belle Vorada Socatiyanurak 8C

Additionally, paying close attention to something, whether big or small, may hide a something

deeper. Minas main interest is in birds. She takes time to appreciate and listen for them too.

Sometimes in the dead of night when all the traffics gone I hear them calling to each other (51). In

this quote, the author has written about owls and how they call for each other, this happens at night

when nearly all of the human civilization is asleep. As stated above, when David Almond has written

when all the traffics gone he has put in a deeper meaning about how barely anyone is awake to

listen or appreciate the birdcalls even though the owls are closer to then someone images. As Mina

has been aware of the owls she has discovered more about their exotic calls towards each other.

Likewise, Michaels discovery on Skellig is very crucial to this novel, as written on page 8, he leaned

across a heap of tea chests and shine the flashlight into the space behind and thats when I saw him.

This clearly identifies that Michael did not know where Skellig was, amongst the ordinary and untidy

tea chest in the wrecked and what he thought was abandoned garage he had found Skellig. His

parents did not hear the sounds from the garage because their main focus was on Michaels sister

that is in risk of dying. As stated before, if Skelligs presence is not discovered then a big part of the

novel would not have started. Paying attention to something may give a new realization aboutsomething that is already there.

To conclude, David Almond demonstrates the concept that persons perspective differs from others,

noticing something small may lead to discovering something that is bigger and paying attention

helps people to a new realization about something that is already there. The way that he has

constructed the novel relates to a theme that it is important to appreciate or notice things that

others do not. For instance, if this is distinguished in reality, the situations may be highly important

such as if someone unknown commits a crime. Small clues or observations that may seem irrelevant

may be very relevant to finding the criminal. Another point is that there are a lot of undiscovered

things in this universe that could have been discovered if we only take time to notice and appreciateit. As a final point, this universal theme demonstrates that appreciation or being aware of an

existence is significant even though other people may not notice it.