book review
gYou see the real question is, can people change?h how does Border Crossing answer this question?The novel Border Crossing by Pat Barker, is a disturbing, unsettling and part psychological drama novel in which Danny Miller, the central figure, poses the question ecan people change?f Barker explores the influences of onefs past, the dark and often terrifying world of child violence and the possibilities for redemption. The author suggests that from the view of the society, they are unwilling to believe offenders, such as Danny Miller, can ever change because people fear that those people may recommit their crimes. Although Dannyfs clinical psychologist, Tom Seymour states that individuals learn to alter themselves when adapting to new and different environment, these behaviours, do not represent that people have the potential to fully change. Danny Miller is the vehicle that Barker uses to explore explicitly the issue.Barker suggests whether people can change depends on the difference between an individual when theyfre a child and adult. After Danny was being released from the prison with a new identity whose name is Ian Wilkinson, Tom visited him in the hospital. He sees gthe boy had changedh relates solely to hi
This shows the society is very concerned about peoplefs well-being, in other words, they will give no chances to offenders to alter themselves. s appearance, but the name eDanny Millerf has changed his perception of the face, gthe childfs pre-pubescent features rose to the surfaceh as the child Danny still lies beneath the adult features. For example, Danny is not allowed to gwork with childrenh or simply anyone, because why would parents want to have their child under the supervision of a murderer and why would anyone work with a convicted murderer? Martha Pitt, Dannyfs probation officer according to Tom is over involved with Dannyfs well being, because she will never believe that Danny can change, gnot absolutelyh and gnot without doubt. However, in reality, Tom has changed only very little. Elspeth, Mr Greenefs wife is also not convinced that Danny has changed. Tom experiences genuine fear because he can see that Danny is what he calls a gborderline psychotic stateh, it is because he feels a sense of responsibility for Danny, so he doesnft tell. It tells us that societyfs point of belief of if individuals are placed in a completely new environmentCthey will have to learn to adapt to new situations, that is, to glearn new tricksh. Tom and Danny are similar in some ways, Tom committed a potentially fatal and violent act when he was a little boy. This is a sign of Tomfs own lack of self-awareness, irresponsibility and his inability of convince himself of a truth. Tom feels Danny is leading a normal life, that he had achieved gsuccessh because he has been kept out of hospital and prisons, but he knows that Dannyfs success has been gprecarious, shadowed and ambiguoush. By the end of the novel it seems that his relationship with Martha allowed him to grow and adapt to a new life with new hopes, which satisfied him. But he believes he is not gthe person whofd done thath and that he has changed. Again, this shows that he was unable to confront the difficult situation, and again he pushes the responsibility, to Lauren, and sees it as her fault of being obsessed with wanting a child, he blamed Lauren for using him as a gsperm bankh. Being a psychologist, Tom knows the importance of communication, yet he refuses to talk with his wife, Lauren. The author suggests that from the view of the society, they are unwilling to believe offenders, such as Danny Miller, can ever change because people fear that those people may recommit their crimes.
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Acceptance Essays
