Analysis of Characters, Plot, and Themes in Steven Herrick's Cold Skin

This essay provides a comprehensive analysis of Steven Herrick's novel, Cold Skin. It delves into the fears, disappointments, and internal conflicts of the characters, including Eddie, Larry, Albert, and Mr. Butcher, within the context of a small Australian town. The essay examines how Herrick portrays these characters, their relationships, and their individual struggles, such as Eddie's disappointment with his name, Albert's expectations for his sons, Larry's issues, and Mr. Butcher's dissatisfaction with his job, and how Herrick uses hints and foreshadowing to create suspense around the murder of Colleen. The essay explores the characters' responses to these issues and how the author shapes the reader's understanding of their actions and motivations, and concludes with a recommendation regarding the characters' behaviors, and the overall effectiveness of the novel's suspenseful plot.

Essay on
Novel – Cold Skin

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Fears, disappointments and demons of the characters................................................................3
How Herrick get through this issue.............................................................................................4
How does Herrick Shape response to each character?................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Cold Skin is a novel written by an Australian author, Steven Herrick. The novel is based
on the story at the matter of Young adult fiction, representing a story about father and son and
the many ways of being a man. The novel was published on September 2007 by A & U Children
publisher and had won the Commended CBCA Older Reader's Notable Book award in 2008.
MAIN BODY
Fears, disappointments and demons of the characters
The story starts with the brothers Eddie and Larry Holding living in the small town of
Burruga in Australia, which is a coal mining town. Albert (father of Eddie and Larry) has named
Eddie after his dad, which he says was a bastard. So Eddie was totally disappointed with it as his
father calls him bastard. He was anxious because of the following reason. Albert Holding was
also one of the character in the book. He was afraid to drive the bloody military trucks wants to
work in coal mines but being refused by his father makes him attend his school whereas Larry
wants to stick to the school and is fond of drinking alcohol and ogling Colleen- most beautiful
girl in town. Mr. Butcher, Eddie's teacher is fed up of his job and want to teach at a big private
school, continuously spends weekdays trying to make Eddie's life hell and weekends in the city
by spending on women for his satisfaction and dirty deeds. The suspense begins to start when
Colleen's body is found in the river and every man in the town comes under suspicion whereas
Eddie is sure that his teacher is guilty for the case and he tries to direct the investigation towards
him.

The Different disappointments being mentioned by the author in the novel is first about
Albert- Father of Larry and Eddie, as he is obsessed seeing his children in the school and expects
them to be better than all and rise above the crowd. Secondly he didn't want his sons to work in
mines. The another disappointment arises with Eddie as he dreams of putting his strength and
size at working in the Coal mining industry in the town as he has seen the local young men leave
the school to work for this job and earn decent wages. But he feels disappointed as his father
thinks it is a very dangerous occupation and does not allow him to do so. Another is about Larry
who wants to go out of the town but is not able to due to his learning and education. Mr. Butcher,
a teacher In Eddie's school who is disappointed of his job in teaching in small town and wishes
to teach in Big Private school. Apart from all this Herrick has created one common fear for all
the people in the town about the murder mystery of Colleen, where all the men are being
suspicious part of the crime.
How Herrick get through this issue
Herrick is able to create confusion and issues as he gives two hints in the story. One is
Herrick states that the teacher of Eddie is fond of girls and prostitution and which makes to think
Eddie that the teacher is the main culprit. Herrick went through the issues of each character by
analysing the emotions in in-depth of each character. Another is the hint that we find in the story
is that Larry has fantasy on Colleen, the main victim of the murder mystery. The story further
elaborates as Eddie further tries to investigate on his teacher but the doubt remains on his brother
Larry too. Herrick also made the character of Larry emotionless, he has no sympathy towards the
animals.
Herrick observed Larry’s behaviour, to which the author thought that it was unhealthy because of
the drinking habit. Also Albert was termed as the most arrogant father. Eddie was too much into
studies and was serious for the studies, so he was termed as studious. Thus the author has
created critical issues that confuses the reader and think them regarding the culprit of the murder.
How does Herrick Shape response to each character?
As mentioned above all the character’s deal with their issues in different ways. Staring
from the Albert (father of Eddie and Larry) as he is concerned with the careers of his children
and make them engaged in school as they learn more and can develop themselves. Larry was
cruel to animal, so Herrick shaped our response that he is emotionless. Also Eddie was stubborn
as he does not listened to his father. Further the author describes about the teacher who deals

with is frustration issues regarding his job by spending on girls and prostitutes as well as
troubling Eddie in his academics. Further the author discloses behaviour of Larry as drinking
more alcohol and attending school as to turn it into his solution for problems. This is the clear
vision that states different insecurities of the people in town and what Herrick feels there are
appropriate ways to deal with he problems according to how critical the problem is.
Herrick states about the Larry's conditions and clearly states that the problem with Larry
is no big deal that makes him a heavy drunker and accordingly spend most of his time in
drinking. The problem is about the career opportunities and expectations regarding going out of
the town by Larry. Also stated that the schooling and learning makes a solution for it, but on the
same time drinking most of the time is a no way appropriate outcome for the problem. Hence the
author shapes the situation in such a way that readers find out the wrong things among the habits
of characters.
I would prefer to correct the habit of Larry as it is of no way sense or solution to his
problems. Also that could bring him out of the doubt factor as he has some weird fantasies for
the Colleen. Rest all the roles are better being placed by the author himself resulting in the
creation of suspense thriller at the end of the story(Herrick, 2007).
CONCLUSION
The essay observed states the different characters and components of the suspense and
confused story about Colleen's murder. Further the essay consists of the different problems and
disappointments being set by the author in order to make the story more interesting. Additionally
the essay states different dealings and solutions to these disappointments of the characters being
placed by the author and also consists every mystery being hidden behind this dealings of the
people. At last the essay concludes by asking the recommendation about the character's habits
and their role plays as well. Thus author makes a complete mysterious package of the novel that
keep the readers engaged till the last page and arrive through the suspense part and making the
story more interesting as well.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Herrick, S., 2007. Cold skin. Allen & Unwin.