Are You Still Playing Your Flute - Analysis of the Poem

Themes

Family commitments

Priorities in life

Neglect of one’s duties

Nature - Analysis of the Poem

Synopsis

The poem tells of the weather conditions in Jamaica although it does not have the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter. The weather conditions of golden sunny days and wet rainy days are just as good and are almost equivalent to the four seasons.

Step by Wicked Step - Moral Values

Family is everything

This is the main message in all the five stories from Claudia, Ralph, Colin, Pixie and Robbo. Love is the factor that binds the family together but sometimes the family unit breaks down due to a lack of understanding between parents. Most of the time, children are not prepared for such a situation and this lands them in an awkward and painful situation. It is important to minimize the impact of divorce on children and to make sure they do not feel unwanted or unimportant. Parents must always try to keep the family together despite the breakdown in their relationship.

Step by Wicked Step - Claudia

Claudia is a gentle person. Listening to Richard's sad story, makes her weep. She is loyal to her mother. She tries not to sound too happy when speaking to her father because she does not want to hurt her mother's feeling. She rejects Stella and refuses to enjoy her time with her father out of loyalty to her mother. She knows that her parents break-up is serious even though her mother sounded cheerful.

Step by Wicked Step - Richard Harwick

Richard is a loyal person. He is too loyal to his father that he becomes so angry with his mother for betraying his father's memory by marrying Coldstone. He hates his stepfather and calls him a black bat. He also thinks that his sister is disloyal for getting along with their stepfather. He refuses to listen to his sister's advice to make peace with their stepfather.

Step by Wicked Step - Themes and Settings

Themes:

Step by Wicked Step - Synopsis

This novel is really five stories within a story that are induced by a story, like a nesting puzzle. So, we have six stories in the book. There may be a lack of a principal plot here but it is of no consequence as the novel's main purpose is to serve as a forum for six various stories of Richard Clayton Harwick, Claudia, Colin, Ralph, Pixie and Robbo.