The mountain and the valley

A sudden death of a loved one often needs to be followed with a time period of reflection and contemplation of one's past with, and future without, the deceased. Everyone has their own way to cope with the loss of someone they love. In The Mountain and the Valley, Effie's death causes David to reflect and regret his behaviour towards her. Ernest Buckler uses several different devices and techniques to magnify the effect of Effie's death on David's future, such as, David's behaviour towards Effie, the theme of David encountering new experiences during his coming of age, and also literary devices such as flashbacks which were apparent through out David's attempts to coupe with the loss. These devices cause Effie's death to be portrayed as a major turning point in David's life. Ernest Buckler's writing style and techniques enhanced the importance of Effie's death in David's life. As David reflected upon him and Effie's relationship prior to her death his immense amount of regrets make it apparent that his personality and behaviour is changed due to her death. Ernest Buckler portrays David and Effie as having a awkward relationship be

David resented it but he did just that. "He was never, even for a moment, all child again"(146). The impact of Effie's death is clearly portrayed due to Ernest Buckler's writing style. "I bet you wish she was your girl" (143). A death has the power to destroy or create one's life. In a sense death created a new path in David's life, a path that allowed him to acknowledge that he is no longer a child and that his actions, if not thought out thoroughly, could cause regret in the future. David used Effie as a object which he used flaunted and bragged about. As David is reflecting on the changes that have happened recently in his life and the consequences which have derived from some of his actions, Ernest Buckler effectively uses literary devices, such as flashbacks, to continually emphasize the effects of Effie's death on David's life. The field was wet and he did talk to Toby about what he had done. David often found himself feeling as though he was betraying her. Effie's death also causes him to acknowledge that he isn't a child anymore. He tried to pretend that, by sheer will, he could go back in time and change the course of his actions. Yet his thoughts didn't stop him from pressuring her with his desires, even despite the fact the she noticeably ill.