The Divine Wind

Words: 919
Pages: 4

The Divine Wind by Garry Disher conveys the story of friendship, love and betrayal through the eyes of Hartly Penrose within the tense town of Broom during WW2. These intriguing ideas that are explored within the context of brutality, weakness, loyalty and determination absorb the reader’s attention. The main ideas that Disher integrated through The Divine Wind are communicated through strong language techniques, characterization and narrative structure.

The frugality of one’s reflection is comprehended within the narrative structure of The Divine Wind. The retrospection from present to the past in The Divine Wind carries the reader along the notion of reflection. Within the prologue that is set in 1946, Hart explores the major events that
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The complicated climax that is conveyed with each character, motivates the reader to understand how Hart’s character progresses to maturity. The idea of love has translucent the strong unbound nature of Mitsy and Hart’s complicated relationship that “[they] were never quite equal, [they] were now even further apart”. As time progresses, the reader begins to acknowledge how the impact of war can alter even the strongest relationships “how can you love someone and hate someone at the same time?”. The theme of friendship that is perceived by Hart to the reader is deranged within Hart’s and Jamie’s relationship as “[they] were opposite” as “[He] idled abstractedly, full of useless longing and dreams, [whereas] Jamie snapped into action”. Disher conveys to the reader how the idea of friendships can “betray… ourselves”. The characteristics that are developed throughout the time laps of the narrative imports the ideas of love and friendships can deteriorate through the time of sorrow and …show more content…
As tension arises about the Japanese becoming “spy’s” and the Aboriginals “will guide the Japs through the bush in exchange for grog and tobacco” stereotyping the two cultures as enemies. The theme of racial discrimination is apparent throughout the novel, guiding the reader through impacts of war. The idea of loyalty is emphasized through Harts devotion of “[trying]not to think of Mitsy” through the time of wanting to escape as “[he] wanted to be taken out of himself”. From the event of crisis and betrayal, the reader begins to develop a sense of sympathy towards Hart. As the war intensifies the topic of Prejudice is explored within the Narrative. As “something big is going to happen”. Hart’s character explores the topic of war through the events of experience of “waiting for news of loved one…. it’s a condition encouraged by the unreality of war”. The moral themes of Racism, loyalty and prejudice that Disher used to engage the idea of war and its impacts one’s