EN 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: The Strongest
Document Summary
The characters in the novel frequently linger around gates and pass through gates outside homes and in the fields. The gates suggest major changes in the characters" lives, as when hetty passes through the gates as she walks toward the chase to meet captain donnithorne, leaving the innocence of childhood behind and walking into a very adult situation. The gates outside the characters" homes also represent the attempt to keep the affairs of the heart private. Those who are allowed to pass through those gates are allowed into the heart of the family and into its most intimate secrets. Adam does not create any disturbance when he comes through the gates at hall farm: he is an accepted and beloved member of the community, and he enters quietly and respectfully. In contrast, captain donnithorne creates a huge ruckus whenever he enters. He loudly calls to dinah at one point, and at other points he arrogantly makes his presence known.
