Reply To: The Searcher: What role does the environment play in this book?

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February 25, 2025 at 1:54 pm #36754

“The West of Ireland looked beautiful on the internet; from right smack in the middle of it, it looks even better. The air is rich as fruitcake, like you should do more than just breathe it in; bite off a big mouthful, maybe, or rub handfuls of it all over your face.” Beauty and illusion. “He feels like this specific beauty is central to the illusion that lulled him into stupidity, turned him into the peasant gazing slack-jawed at his handful of gold coins till they melt into dead leaves in front of his eyes.” The environment provides a contrast to the darkness hidden underneath the beauty, making something ugly look innocuous. “The road up into the mountains feels different in a car, rockier and less welcoming, like it’s biding its time to puncture Cal’s tire or send him side slipping into a patch of bog.” “The mountainside is so deserted that he feels like an intruder.” “Cal doesn’t like the stark contrasts in this terrain. They have the same feel as the weather, of an unpredictability deliberately calculated to keep you one step behind.” When Cal learns that Trey is not a boy, he is pissed “because he would have liked at least one person around this damn place to be exactly what they seem.” Beauty and illusion.

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