Flowers

Hannah PillFlowers essayThe short story, “Flowers”, by the Scottish writer Robin Jenkins, is a story in which setting plays an important role in developing the readers understanding of character and theme. This story portrays the perversity of human nature and how people are capable of part taking in good and evil actions. Jenkins’ story is about the tale of an evacuee, Margaret, which makes the reader think more deeply about the destruction and brutality of war. Throughout the story, imagery is used to vividly show a humans capacity of impulses of good and evil within us. It is suggested that Margaret has been “plucked” from her hometown and sent unwillingly to the Highlands of Scotland. Her fear and hate towards these “unfamiliar surroundings” are conveyed very well by Jenkins and this can also link in with her resentment towards the rural settings. This hatred is clearly shown towards her setting in the country by ” she didn’t want to be in the highlands… She didn’t want to be safe from bombs.”
This clearly shows how ‘spoiled’ and self-centred Margaret acts. By Jenkins using repetition he emphasises the word “she”, which suggests how self-centred Margaret really is as her life is depended on her wishes. The natural beauty of the highlands contradicts with Margaret’s idea of the story’s setting. Margaret’s hatred towards her surroundings is clearly shown by the language used by Jenkins “despises the natural beauty”. This perhaps suggests Robin Jenkins’ idea of convincing us to think about the potential consequences of selfish and destructive actions in our modern world against nature.Jenkins tries to present the perversity of mankind through Margaret’s characterisation. This is evidently shown throughout the short story in her acts towards the nature that surrounds her. Margaret’s journey down to the beachside shows evidently her perversity as she comes across a serpent, an “adder that lay neatly coiled”. Even something as small and…