A Book Report on the Novel Issac Campion
Isaac Campion is a novel by Janni Howker, set deep in the heart of the British empire in Southern England around the town of Hard Acre, a fast growing industrial town over looked by the Campions Horse farm on the outskirts. The family had emigrated from Ireland and run a business that has been pat down for generations in the family.The book starts on the note of Isaac being rude to the local minister and running to see his brother Dan. Unfortunately after a foolish bet between sons of a rival family Dan the older brother of the three children dies in a terrible accident, much to the disgust of his loving father Samuel. Things don't go great from there as the business isn't doing as well as it could and with growing friction between the father and Isaac the middle son, it isn't looking good. The family is hoping that their poor fortune will turn when a shipment of horses come over from Ireland that will lift the troubled times, but in a fierce storm it would appear they were lost to the sea with their crew. In an ending twist Isaac spots the ship moored and not sunk in the storm therefore ending the families recent hard times.The central character to the book and the characte
Such as the giving of the cake on his first day of work, acts of defiance against a clearly bitter father. At times however blinded by rage and the short sightedness of a twelve year old boy he openly says how much he dislikes Samuel the father and his treatment of him. Where there was a big fall line between poverty and survival, the family although reasonably well off are facing hard times and are near the edge of the big drop to poverty one which is easily in but impossible to get out of. Only later at the end when he is calm and slightly matured does he make the thought through decision to leave home and escape his fathers judgment, growing alcohol problem and discipline. She is a kindly mother who is always just and fair and notices Samuels dislike and unfair treatment of Isaac and does her best to stop it when ever she can, even tough she is weaker and a woman she feels it her duty to stick up for her son but still knows when to interrupt and when she cannot, remembering this is the Edwardian age and wife beating was a common practice undertaken by the rich and poor alike. IN the end Isaac chose to leave contrary to his earlier thoughts stated earlier in the book. Isaac posses many traits of a twelve year old boy, he has a sharp mouth on him as he often speaks back to people such as the local minister, and when he shouted at his father, contrary to this as the book progresses we see less and less of this side as he does have a deep respect for his family in some ways, especially his mother whom on a number of occasions sticks up for him against the tyranny of the father. Samuel Campion is the father of the of Isaac and two other children, he is the strong personality of this book, whom had a strict upbringing and someone who was not to be messed with. Contrary to his thoughts and feelings to his beloved mother. Isaacs mother Alice Campion, is in some respects the savour of Isaac and protects him from his fathers wrath. The father and Isaac's relationship is one of the key elements of this book, we see from the start that the father favoured the oldest son Dan, this simply sets off the bomb of an ever growing friction between them and lashings out by the father to his son becomes more frequent as the book goes on, and as times get harder. He does however feel a certain binding, a duty to his family and his father, now being the only son left in the family he feels it is his duty not only to stay and take over the family business but get the family out of the troubled times that befall them and be the glue that holds the tradition in the family. He enforces rules on Isaac as he in a way blames Isaac for what happened that day his beloved Dan died and feels he needs someone to blame. Isaac often looks to her for support and they share a bond that does not exist between him and his father. ?Themes of the novelThe themes of the novel are thrown out at you throughout the novel, as well as the blatant moral tones and stances taken by different characters, such as the morals of an innocent young twelve year old Isaac wanting freedom and adventure and a stern Irish father set out to destroy his sons confidence.
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