The Bike

             "The Bike" .
             Choose a short story in which a technique (e.g symbolism) is used by the author and is ,in your view ,vital to the success of the text. .
             Explain how the writer employs the technique and why, in your opinion, it is so important to your appreciation of the text .In your answer, you must refer closely to the text and to it's theme as well as to the written use of the chosen technique.
             "The Bike" is a short story written by Fred Urquhart set in Scotland between the Russian revolution in 1917 and the general strike in 1926. The technique which is used by the author and that I find crucial to the success of the novel is symbolism. The theme of the on which the story is based is familiar to everyone the choice to by little luxuries or to do with out and save up for something special. The technique called symbolism is when something stands for something of a wider significance.
             The main theme or idea running through the story could be described as disillusionment: Annie hopes that both the ownership of the bike and her friendship with Charlie will bring her happiness, but neither turns out as she had hoped .The author brings these two ambitions together at the end in the final line "nothing would ever be the same again" this applies to both the bike and to her relationship with Charlie.
             Symbolism is a technique used effectively to convey this theme of disillusionment, and is I my view crucial to the success of the text .The main usage of symbolism is to parallel Charlie and the bike. One example of this symbolism is when we are told that Annie had to wait for her bike, as she had to wait for Charlie to form a relationship with her, "Charlie never encouraged her by look or by word". The writer employs the technique by first telling us that "it took here almost three years to save the amount" before buying the bike also she must therefore had to work at the factory for at least that amount of time and as a result must have known Charlie for about that length of time, and through all that time "Charlie never encouraged her by look or word".