Cone Gatherers The, Higher Essay

Question -

Chose a novel which explores the theme of good and evil. Show how the author shows this conflict throughout the story.

Robin Jenkins’s “The Cone-Gatherers” explores the theme of good and evil through the characters of Callum and Duror. Through the use of many effective techniques such as setting we are able to see the conflict continue throughout the novel.

The novel is set in the Scottish highlands during World War two. It focuses on the activity of two men in autumn, whose job is to gather cones on a large estate. They are doing this to replant the forest which is to be chopped down. This action of cone gathering, and selecting the good cones from those which are bad, metaphorically show the separation of good againt evil. The cones represent rejuvenation and hope for the future. The gamekeeper of the estate holds a vicious grudge against them. This grudge will only be settled at the tragic end of the book. The gamekeeper, Duror, represents the theme of evil. His deep desire for the destruction towards the innocent, child like cone gatherer represents the clash between good and evil.

The character of Callum is very innocent and unique. He is an adult but seems to have the mentality of a child. He is physically deformed and struggles to walk on the ground, however he is a very adapt climber and is very nimble once in the trees. When climbing he appears to “Find holes by instinct” which reiterates his prowess while climbing. This contradicts with his walking where he would be “hurrying to keep close behind, and often stumbled.” Metaphorically the tree’s are higher up than the ground and therefore nearer heaven. This might imply that he is more at home in heaven than on the Earth, giving him angelic properties. He is incapable of seeing badness in the world and only sees the good in people. His inherent goodness and purity strikes us as being heroic, connecting him with the idea of good and innocence.

Duror on the other hand is a twisted, obsessive creature. He despises people for any slight sign of weakeness which they show. He is the anti-thesis of the innocent Callum. We learn he is mentally unstable. He wants to expel Callum from the wood, so as it can return to being a sanctuary for him where only he trespasses. Unfortunatly, it seems the only possible method he accepts for expelling Callum is by completly removing him from Earth and killing him. The doctor of the village suspects

God knew how many inhibitions, repressions and complexes were twisting and coiling there, like the snakes of damnation.

The metaphor comparing his mind to that of evil snakes reinforces the comparison of Duror to being evil. It also implies the corrupt state of his mind, as it is coiling and entwining itself. It is not normal. This shows the deformed mind of Duror forecasting the cruel actions he will commit.

Chapter six is an important scene in representing the characters of Duror and Callum as good and evil. In the chapter we see Callum running towards a wounded deer in an attempt to save it. He is trying to help a dyeing creature and bring it some comfort.However soon after, Duror comes quickly to its side and slaughters it. He “cut its throat savagely” in “some kind of berserk joy”. The use of words likes “savagely” and “berserk”implies that Duror has gone insane. In fact from this point in the book Duror is depicted as something non-human and more of a demon. Later he appears to have “no shadow”. After cutting the neck of the deer, he appears to have been baptised by it. He is described with “his hands red with blood”. This metaphorically implies that he is being born again, but he is being born with anger and murder. The people around Duror also see him as non-human after this. Erchie Graham says “Which beast, your ladyship?” when told to get rid of am animal. Another important revelation of this chapter is Duror’s plan for removing Callum. He wants Callum to suffer “destruction, an agony, a crucifixion.” This is important as Callum can represent Jesus with his good nature and the idea of a “crucifixion” foreshadows the end of the book.

The ending of the book is very important and is the final confrontation between the characters that represent good and evil in the book. We see Roderick, who represents the hope for the future, climb a tall tree to show that he wants to be a cone gathers. However while in the tree he gets stuck up there and is in danger. His desire to be a cone gatherer symbolises a change in the class system. It suggests people will be treated more equally in the future. Previously the rich never wanted to be touched by the poor like the cone gatherers, but now he wants to become one of them. At the same time as he is stuck in the tree, Callum is killed and some cones fall out of his bag. The cones represent the idea of regeneration and a fresh start. Callum may have died but he has sacrificed himself, so a better world can exists afterwards. This is similar to the way Jesus sacrificed himself.

In the same way, Duror’s suicide shows the collapse of evil. By killing goodness he had to kill himself. This death is juxtaposed with the knowledge of Roderick’s safety from the tree. It suggests a positive change will occur, with evil being defeated and a more equal way of life flourishing. This belief is continued in the final sentence which ends the book on a positive note. We see Lady Runcie Campbell kneel in an prayer like stance towards Callum where she begins to weep. This sign of respect towards Callum shows how highly she now regards him. Previously she had been afraid to touch him, but now treats him like he is above her. While she was kneeling “purified hope, and joy, welled up in her heart.” This description suggests a positive change for the future. She is filled up with emotions that will benefit the world around her, making it a better place.

Through the characterisation of Duror and Callum and other techniques, Jenkins effectively illustrates the conflict between the themes of good and evil running throughout the novel. The ending of the book initially indicates that evil has overcome goodness. However it also implies that evil is defeated which allows a positive change to happen and goodness to prevail. This leaves us feeling a deep sense of joy and hope over the demise of evil.