By the River

The story of Harry Howdy living In a small country town and his growth Into a young man Is a ‘bloodcurdling'. That Is, It describes his coming of age, a process that moves children, sometimes quite roughly, into the adult world. The death of his mother and the loss of a dear childhood friend certainly force Harry to enter this adult world, as they teach him the importance of close and supporting relationships. Harry has to take on adult responsibilities earlier than expected after the loss of his mother to a fatal disease.Both he and his brother Keith, take over the housework â€Å"my rather and me shared the duties our mother left us† to help their father, who Is busy In full time employment, providing for the family. It is Harry and Keith who keep the household running by â€Å"cooking† and keeping â€Å"the bathroom shining like a medal†. Harry has to combine these adult responsibilities with the grief that he feels, not only with the death of his mother , but also the death of his close friend Linda Mahoney. Linda Mahoney was Harry close school friend and her support enabled him to cope with the death of his mother and the small mindedness of his town.She shared her levels, ambitions, and her delouses orange cake with Harry. â€Å"She held out an orange cake and a card† and â€Å"l sat in the shade, enjoying her dreams and the sound of her eager voice until she stopped, closed her book, look up at me and ask, ‘What do you want to be Harry? ‘ â€Å". This highlights Land's kindness to Harry and the way that she wants to encourage his dreams. When Linda drowned in a flood when Harry was 14, he grieved for her. From then on, Harry visited her memorial cross â€Å"so that our town had something worth remembering†, to tell her stories and to be close to her.He kept the area tidy In memory of Linda. Just like his father looked after his mother's memorial. His school friend, Johnny Barlow, also grieved Land's d eath. As the story in By the River progresses, Johnny Barlow became Harry close friend. This was despite the Barlow family having a bad reputation in town. The father â€Å"lines up empty beer bottles†; the eldest brother â€Å"received two years Jail, for beating up a businessman†, the other brother Wayne, â€Å"motorbikes, the pub and girls†. The youngest son Johnny suffered as a result of the poor reputation of his family.He'll turn up Like his brother, locked In Jail'. In Harry corning of age, his father teaches him to form his own opinions of people and not to rely on other people's misjudgment. While everyone in their town judges Johnny, Harry becomes friends with him. Harry discovers a ring on Linda Mahogany grave and learns that Johnny cared for Linda and that he is actually capable of emotionally hurting despite what some people might think, â€Å"she sat between us, remember? † Together they grieve for Linda and live through the judgment of the town.By the River' Is a powerful Illustration of the life of a young boy who grows up following the death of his mother and close friend Linda Mahoney. It provides vivid examples of the difficulties of living in a small country town. Through Harry experiences in assuming adult responsibilities, through his coping with grief and through his reassessment of people's characters, Harry transitions from childhood Into adulthood. In the beginning, Harry only wants to escape his town. Through his becoming of an adult, Harry realizes that, If he Is going to leave this