STUDY RESOURCE - ATAR COURSE CONCEPTS
There are some course concepts you must understand before walking into any assessment or the
ATAR English examination. Questions will include the course concepts so you need to know what
they mean and how they relate to texts you have studied.
Use this resource as a study tool to help you focus on the course concepts. There is room for you to
add your own notes (especially quotes/examples from the text). This is by no means an exclusive list
of concepts 😊.
COURSE CONCEPTS
Appreciation
In what ways might
we appreciate the
quality or value of this
text?
PAST THE SHALLOWS by Favel Parrett
‘Parrett has authentically evoked the teenage voices of three brothers: in
particular, the engaging and vulnerable younger brother, Harry.’
The prose is often spare and understated because it expresses the overwhelming
sadness of the family’s situation in coming to terms with the loss of the mother in
the tough environment in which they live and work.
The novel explores many human experiences: loss, friendship, despair, tragedy,
families, and the challenges to communicate with the important people in
one’s life. This novel reveals people whose lives have been impacted by secrets
and are irreparably damaged. Literature has resonance and longevity when it
explores and exposes themes and ideas about humanity which are universal
across time and place.
There are also the ideas of living in small communities where there are few
choices and life is difficult.
Perhaps overall the title, reflecting the ocean, is the greatest insight into the
human experience in this text. Beautiful, mysterious, frightening and at times
treacherous, the many moods of the ocean when it is fully contemplated, when
we push past the shallow understanding or façade, show us the multi-faceted
nature of humanity and family life. It is this depth that has propelled the novel to
national and international success.
Attitudes
What are the attitudes
expressed by the
author or the
characters in the text?
Attitudes (opinions or
viewpoints) develop
because of our values:
contempt, bitterness,
concern, optimism,
hope, regret,
determination,
defiance,
consideration,
scepticism,
indifference, sincerity,
etc.
Author
Nostalgia for the innocence and hopefulness of childhood
Awe and respect for the power and unpredictability of nature
Awareness of the fragility of childhood
Harry
Caring
Considerate
Kind
Fear of the ocean and his father and alarmed by the thought of the nature of
both the ocean and his dad.
Miles
Responsibility
Concern for his brother
Sincerity
Steve Cullen
Abusive, bitterness and selfishness
Joe and Miles sailing away
Hopefulness (hoping for a better future)
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Audience
Who is the author
speaking to through
the text?
Context
Production- the
environment in which
the text was produced
(writer's context/
authorial context;
social, political,
historical context)
Reception - the
environment in which
the text was and is
received (e.g. in a
multicultural
Australian classroom
in a co-educational
school, in a
democratic society
that promotes
empathy towards
women and children
(and men) that are
victims of domestic
violence, and little
tolerance towards the
perpetrators of such
violence.
In addition to this,
consider your own
personal
characteristics, beliefs,
values and attitudes
that have influenced
how you have
responded to this text
Production context (of the author)
Past the Shallows is set on the coastline of Tasmania in a place called Bruny
Island. Australia, presented as a rugged frontier, has long been a bountiful source
for storytellers and poets. Past the Shallows hosts the rough southern region of
Tasmania as the background to a family’s struggle against nature,
modernisation, isolation and even themselves. The landscape mirrors the lives
of the family with the remote isolation typifying the children’s fractured place in
the world and the turbulent sea, a strong metaphor for the volatile and emotive
atmosphere that surrounds the family and indeed the community.
The family is caught between two worlds. A modern approach to abalone
farming has surpassed the family’s traditional approach and placed immense
pressure on them to take risks. A once reasonably stable homelife is disrupted by
affairs, money problems and death. A father, unable to cope, spirals out of
control while his community watches from the sidelines unable or unwilling to
intervene. There are those that are trapped in the isolation and those that will
get away.
Favel Parrett’s life that has shaped having lived in Hobart and she is familiar with
the Tasmanian coast. Her childhood was dotted by trips to the beach looking for
treasures and surfing. On this, she says:” You could always smell the ocean – the
salt and slight smell of rotting kelp in the air. . .To me, the setting became one of
the main characters in the book, as it brings something dark, sad and ancient to
the story." When Parrett's young Harry declares he feels the ocean ''right inside
him'', he's articulating the author's sacred connection with nature.
''I was this young and fairly impressionable girl and the ocean was always this big,
terrifying, wild thing to me. But just sitting on top of the water and letting the
energy pulse roll over you, there is the sudden realisation that the ocean is so
much bigger than you,'' Parrett says.
Her relationship with her brother as a source of companionship and security is
also seen throughout Past the Shallows. ''The way I feel about my brother is all in
my writing,'' says Parrett, who bequeathed James's blond curls to Harry. ''One of
the worst things that could have happened to me when I was a child would have
been losing my brother. Often siblings from broken families have to rely on each
other because that's all you've got.
What does Parrett bring to her writing?
Parrett’s first-hand knowledge, experience and understanding of the Southern
Ocean and Bruny Island gives her writing its authenticity.
• She grew up in Tasmania in the Southern Ocean area.
• She is a keen surfer and loves the sea.
• She respects and admires the ocean and is aware of its features e.g. tides,
temperature, challenges.
• Her knowledge and understanding as well as respect and well- foundered
fear of the ocean’s dangers have clearly shaped her descriptions of the ocean
and what happens
• Her observations of nature are based on her experiences of nature and they
are clear and detailed, especially that of Tasmania and the sea
• The way she creates the sea is like another character
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•
She has a close relationship with her brother on whom she loosely based the
character of Harry and the characterisation is clearly shaped by her love and
closeness to her brother
The blend of memory and fiction provide a rich tapestry of human experience
and aid the reader by giving a voice to the often-voiceless children in these
difficult situations.
Historical Context
Due to the harsh, rustic environment of the Australian continent, colonial settlers
in the late 1700s and early 1800s were forced to rely closely on a deep trust of
their fellow men in order to survive. This concept has endured to the present day
and has led to the prevailing value of “mateship” in mainstream Australian
culture, a principle that encourages a tight-knit sense of respect, solidarity, and
friendship among men. Today, “mate” is used as a common term of endearment
among friends. Past the Shallows takes place just off the coast of Tasmania,
Australia, and the story’s characters grapple with the same ancient, nearmythical landscape that humbled the continent’s early inhabitants. The notion of
mateship plays a clear role in the novel’s central themes, as Harry, Miles, and Joe
Curren’s loyal brotherhood imbues them with hope and purpose amidst their
suffering.
Reception Context (Australia, 2023)
Generic Conventions
(Narrative)
SETTING
The setting for any story is a significant part of the text’s meaning. While it is not
definite when this novel is set there are hints and the mood of the 1980s but the
geographical setting is very clear and indeed, a significant element of the novel’s
distinctiveness and appeal.
•
•
•
•
Hints to the 1980's and the mood of the 1980s
Geographically this novel is set in the isolated and rugged south
coast of Tasmania. Tasmania with its weather that is often
changeable, unrelenting in its cold and bleakness, is home to
small towns and settlements where the people depend on the
fishing industry for their livelihood. Swimming and surfing are
challenging because of the weather and the temperature of the
water. Parrett knows this area of Australia and Tasmania which
gives the novel much of its authenticity and realism.
The boys and their father live on the “scrubby fringes of
civilisation”
The role of water – both the ocean and the rivers – is a
compelling element of the setting and engenders much of the
text’s dark power.
The following extracts are from an article on Favel Parrett:
“It wasn't until years later, at the age of 25, that Parrett learnt to surf and
became intimate with life beyond the shallows. Surfing gave her new eyes. She
came to see how the sea sucked and moved with swells, with silent currents
and dark undertows that lay invisible to the naked eye; the way the board rolled
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rhythmically on the hips of the sea and how that energy radiated from wave to
rider.”
…If surfing gave her the power of intimate observation, the untamed coastline of
southern Tasmania, once her home, provides a dark backdrop for Past the
Shallows, serving as a state of purgatory for Harry and his brothers, Miles and
Joe, living with their brooding, malevolent father in a tumbledown shack on the
scrubby fringes of civilisation.”
•
The epigraph at the beginning of the story comes from the
explorer D’Entrecasteaux whose name has been given to the
channel of water between the south-east of the Tasmanian
mainland and Bruny Island. Bruny Island – and its Southern end
in particular – is a wild and untamed area which attracts tourists
for these features. Its pristine waters are well known for growing
mussels, scallops and abalone.
• The rugged, often bleak, difficult but pristine environment of
Tasmania’s south east coast is metaphorical for the brothers’
home life. Nature embodies and reflects the family’s frailties.
• The characters are faced with the challenging life of abalone
fishing
A unity of setting compounds the tragedy and the family’s fears and experiences:
there is no escape or relief or respite. The setting is important as a narrative
feature especially as it rarely changes place. This unity of setting focuses the
action and intensity on the small community of Bruny Island and the tension of
the Curren family and household. There are rarely any light moments or
different places for relief. This closed environment reinforces the family’s
difficulties.
The actual Curren house represents the dislocation and destruction of the family
unit and this is explored in chapter 4 after Harry has returned from the Hobart
Show with Aunty Jean. They unpack six bags of food indicating that this is not
the usual amount of food in the house.
SOCIAL SETTING
Socially and culturally the novel focuses on the small, coastal settlements where
the main work is associated with the fishing industry and specifically, abalone
harvesting. While the final abalone meat is a delicacy and is very expensive, it is
difficult work and the financial rewards can be limited. This is a culture
represented by white, essentially Anglo-Saxon and conservative values where life
is difficult and making a living is often precarious. This is the life of the Curren
family.
HISTORICAL SETTING
Consider the Indigenous history of Tasmania. There is evidence showing that
Indigenous people inhabited Tasmania more than 35 000 years ago. At the time
of British occupation in 1803, there were between 3000 and 10 000 Indigenous
people in Tasmania. This is said to be the only successful genocide in the history
of mankind, where Indigenous people were treated with extreme cruelty and
died out.
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MAJOR CHARACTERS
The characters
Writers very carefully choose what to tell us about their characters and they
make language choices to position us to view them in particular ways.
Parrett creates credible, engaging, compelling, complex characters who seem
like real people. They are valuable vehicles for Parrett’s perspectives on the
human experience.
Adolescent voices are authentic. Adult voices reveal flawed and complex
humans.
Parrett talks about how attached she became to the three brothers and
collected items which she thought “belonged” to each boy
Miles
Although Miles is the middle sibling, he takes care of, and takes responsibility for,
his younger brother, Harry, after his older brother Joe leaves home and the
father fails substantially in caring for the two boys. After Uncle Nick’s death,
Miles takes his place on the abalone boat. He is responsible for manning the boat
while his father, Jeff and Martin dive below. He is fearful of the day in which he
will have to dive but feels its inevitability, with fate seeming to have chosen
Miles’ path. Miles wishes he could have been a carpenter like Joe or like his
grandfather, who was a real craftsman of fine furniture.
Miles is stuck between many demanding and converging worlds. Only a child but
old enough to feel the burdens of responsibility forced upon him, Miles must
navigate the pressures like a boat in a raging storm. Harry needs Miles to shield
him from their father and Miles is seen shielding Harry from Dad’s abuse,
creating a childhood for Harry and taking him to Stuart’s place when things get
scary. This responsibility leads Miles to dive into the cold Tasman Sea to attempt
to save Harry after their father pushes him overboard. Miles must also please his
father who demands he works on the boat. This is despite a friend of his father’s,
Mr Roberts, urging that Miles do not work on the boat as he considers it unfair.
Joe takes Miles surfing and this is a brief respite for the young boy. Miles will
ultimately leave the town but not before almost all he cares about is taken from
him.
Miles Curren - Quotes
First day of school holidays. First day he must man the boat alone while the men
go down. Old enough now, he must take his place. Just like his brother before
him, he must fill the gap Uncle Nick left. Chapter 2
There were things that no one would teach you—things about the water. You
just knew them or you didn’t and no one could tell you how to read it. How to
feel it. Miles knew the water. He could feel it. And he knew not to trust
it. Chapter 2
‘Don’t you get stuck here with your dad’, he said. ‘Don’t you let him…You’re too
young to be out there working, Miles. It’s not right.’ Miles felt the words sink
down right inside him.
‘You’ve had it rough enough’, he said. (Mr Roberts to Miles) Chapter 11
Harry
The youngest of the three Curren brothers. Harry is a sweet, innocent little boy
who is neglected after the death of the boys’ Mum and left alone for the majority
of the day while Dad and Miles work on the fishing boat. Although Harry is
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terribly mistreated by Dad, he is unusually thoughtful and selfless for a child his
age, preferring to spend his money on his friends and brothers rather than
himself and taking care of Miles when he is ill. While he is younger and smaller
than Miles, he often risks his own safety trying to defend his older brother from
Dad’s abuse. Even Aunty Jean, who has a strained relationship with the Curren
family, seems to adore Harry and is moved to tears by his kind spirit, which
reminds Jean of her late sister. Unlike Miles and Joe, who love to surf, Harry is
terrified of the water and avoids going out on the family’s boat because he is
prone to seasickness. Although Harry is generally very sensitive and skittish, he is
inherently curious and loves to explore nature and collect “treasures” on the
beach. He shares a deep connection with animals that leads him to meet George
Fuller’s dog Jake in the woods, follow him to George’s shack, and gradually
befriend the lonely old man. Harry forms a close relationship with George, who
becomes a warm paternal figure in the little boy’s life. It is eventually revealed
that Harry is likely the biological son of Uncle Nick rather than Dad, a fact that
tortures Dad and ultimately leads him to throw Harry overboard from the fishing
boat in the midst of a bitterly cold winter storm. Harry drowns in the ocean
despite Miles’s attempts to save him, and the loss of their beloved little brother
devastates Miles and Joe. The Harry character may be viewed as representative
of the metaphysical approach to life. His frequent pausing to reflect on life, the
ocean, time and death in many ways seemed to be preparing Harry for death.
Joe
Joe had moved out when he was thirteen, leaving Miles and Harry to survive with
their father and ultimately Joe leaves them. Only Joe seems to grasp at
something beyond the small town where they live.
Aunty Jean
Jean embodies that human paradox of being in pain but not able to articulate this
feeling. On the surface Jean appears hard and difficult, but she does want to help
the brothers. Parrett effectively evokes these features of Jean:
 She is the only female role model the boys have left.
 She grieves for her sister and sees so much of her in Harry.
 She loves and protects Harry but cannot be gentle or tender with him.
When the boys have lunch with Jean (pp. 83–88), the reader gains a powerful
insight into the character of Jean:
She is strict, difficult, demands certain standards, has high expectations of the
boys.
There are secrets about the family tension and Miles finds baby things in the
cupboard. 'He just kept thinking about the little blankets and the baby clothes
and how all that stuff was perfect and clean and never used.'
Jeff
Jeff is characterised by cruel, vindictive, and bullying behaviour. There are several
incidents that reveal this behaviour:
 staring menacingly
 shooting the shark
 forcing Harry to drink alcohol
 his overall enjoyment at seeing the boys uncomfortable.
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Jeff - Quotes
The shark hadn’t hurt him – not even a scratch.
She lay on her side, her blue skin already turning grey, and Miles felt sick as he
watched Jeff slice through her white underbelly with ease. Her stomach and
insides slid through blood onto the deck.
She was pregnant.
Jeff hacked into the full womb and three pups spilled out; two dead and half
eaten, the other trying to swim in its mother’s blood against the hard surface of
the deck, tiny gills stretched open, black eyes searching. Jeff bent over and
stabbed it through the head, grinning as its body came up on the long knife, still
fighting. He chucked it at Miles and laughed as he wiped blood off his face.
Miles caught the baby in his arms. It was dead now, black eyes fixed.
It was fully formed, more than half a metre long, maybe only days away from
being born. It would have survived if Jeff had just let it go, let it slide off the back
of the boat. It had made it this far, battling its siblings, killing and feeding off
them. Waiting. It would have been born strong, ready to hunt, ready to fight.
Dad
The Curren family is dominated by the father and his behaviour. Steven Curren
epitomises the human paradoxes that are often found in families. As the only
parent of Joe, Miles and Harry he is the carer and the provider but his cruelty,
personal demons and behaviour create tension and conflict within the family and
impact on the daily lives of his sons. Interestingly, we only read his name once
when officials from the Fisheries Department visit their home. The lack of such
personal reference reinforces the coldness of this man. At the centre of his
behaviour is the grief, bitterness and pain involved in the death of his wife and
the family secrets of what happened on that fateful night. He is a complex,
deeply flawed individual who is plagued by addiction and tortured by the demons
of his past wrongdoings. Dad is implied to have once been an involved, caring
parent, as evidenced by Miles’s memory of his father taking care of Harry and
brushing his hair when he was younger. While Dad’s current patterns of cruelty
could potentially be attributed to an innate character flaw, this dramatic shift in
his demeanor suggests that there was a time when he genuinely cared for his
family.
Then they heard Dad yelling from inside. Yelling at them, at everyone. Yelling at
no one. And Miles could hear the words. They came through the brown walls,
through the air, and cracked open the night: ‘I never wanted you.’ (Dad) Chapter
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He just kept staring at Harry. And his hand moved away from Harry’s hair, moved
down to the string around his neck. And he cupped it in his palm—a white
pointer’s tooth.
‘It’s his’, he said, and his face went pale. ‘His.’
He let the tooth go. He stared down at Harry.
‘She was leaving, because of him. Because of you.’ Chapter 36
George
George Fuller is reminiscent of the marginalised characters who have appeared
in novels like Jasper Jones and To Kill a Mockingbird. Despite this early
characterisation as someone to be feared, he is both caring and kind to Harry and
the only person that Harry and Miles can actually turn to for help.
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The ocean
 The ocean both provides the family their livelihood but takes the life of
their beloved Harry.
 Miles and Joe love surfing – for them, it’s an escape from their real lives.
 Joe is even planning on sailing to the South Pacific.
 Parrett shows us just how fickle the ocean can be and reminds us that we
have absolutely no control over it.
 Harry fears the water and Miles both loves and hates it.
 Miles seems particularly aware of this danger.
 Each time Miles goes out on the boat, something seems to go wrong.
 Harry is not allowed on the boat, because he gets seasick before they
even leave the jetty.
 The climactic scene, on the boat in the storm, is both page-turning and
harrowing.
 The ocean has been a symbol of the inner turmoil of this family and
now, with a huge storm from the south approaching, this turmoil spills
over into the real world.
 As their father attacks the two sons in his anger, Harry takes more and
more of the brunt, forcing Miles to protect his younger brother.
Unsurprisingly, the two end up in the water waiting to die.
 Miles is unable to save his younger brother.
 Miles finds out that Harry is dead; it is an intense moment for the reader.
MINOR CHARACTERS
Genre
 Bildungsroman novel
The end of a childhood is a change that is inevitable but one that comes
prematurely for some of the characters. Miles is conscripted to work on the
family boat instead of enjoying the school holidays. An accident that sees a
worker injured secures Miles an unwanted ongoing position on the boat. It is not
until after the devastation caused by his father has passed that he is able to surf
with a childhood friend and enjoy the simple teen life for a brief moment.
The novel is presented in a way that places it in a state of change which Harry
notices intuitively. The story surrounding the Curren family, much like the
abandoned houses he sees with George, is a part of a larger changing world.
Generations and ages will come and go and the events of this story are but a
fleeting section of time.
 Gothic novel
“Gothic is preoccupied with death, personal turmoil, a sense of foreboding, and
buried secrets". Most Australian Gothic stories are set in the bush or outback.
Past the Shallows belongs to a coastal Gothic genre and it is set on the volatile
south coast of Tasmania. The setting is wild and unpredictable. The land is also a
haunted space because the settlers failed to acknowledge the Indigenous
population’s ownership. The key characters are men and boys in turmoil and the
beach works as both a physical and moral boundary. The coast can be a
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menacing location, particularly at night, and in many coastal stories there are
grotesque and disturbed characters such as the murderous alcoholic father in
Favel Parrett’s Past the Shallows. He is trapped by his addiction to alcohol and
becomes increasingly abusive in his relationship with his sons.
 Family drama novel
The novel is presented in a way that places it in a state of change which Harry
notices intuitively. The story surrounding the Curren family, much like the
abandoned houses he sees with George, is a part of a larger changing world.
Generations and ages will come and go and the events of this story are but a
fleeting section of time. Dad is frighteningly abusive towards his own children.
Aunty Jean longs desperately to care for Miles and Harry but lacks the ability to
do so. Joe similarly pities his brothers, but cannot help them in the ways in which
he seems like he should be able to.
 Novel
Characters
Setting
Plot
P.O.V
Stylistic devices
Ideas and themes
The power of relationships/ The power and impact of relationships
Idea vs Theme - what
is the difference?
A theme is an idea,
concern or argument
conveyed in a text.
The notion of relationships forms an integral part of Past the Shallows, largely
because it could be argued that our relationships with others is what defines our
lives. In the novel, however, Parrett chooses to focus largely on two aspects of
this theme.
o The paradoxical nature of family/ The complexities of family life
In Past the Shallows, the role of family is paradoxical. In many ways family
represents safety and intimacy. For example the brothers’ relationship with each
other, their mother and granddad. However, their relationship with their father
subverts this expectation as Steven is physically abusive, cruel, and dangerous.
All families have their miseries, secrets and joys, and the familial relationships
between the Currens are no different. Dad is frighteningly abusive towards his
own children. Aunty Jean longs desperately to care for Miles and Harry but lacks
the ability to do so. Joe similarly pities his brothers, but cannot help them in the
ways in which he seems like he should be able to. The loss of a mother, wife and
sister can completely corrupt the family dynamics and have impacts that last long
after their death. Even Mum herself was immortalised as somewhat of an angel
in Miles’ mind, although it becomes clear that she was not a perfect mother
either.
Family life can obviously thus be extremely complex and difficult. There is no
“ideal” family, and though Miles and Harry suffer terribly at the hands of Dad’s
abuse, there are certainly many subdued moments of tenderness between them
that redeem the life they live. This is, perhaps, something we can all relate to on
some level or another, and Parrett puts this theme at the forefront of the novel
in order to engage with her readers as such.
o Our inherent need for nurturing, caring relationships
This is mostly true of Harry, but could easily be said about the other characters,
too. All Harry seems to crave is to be loved, which is something he finally finds in
George when it becomes clear that Dad has no empathy for him, and Mum is no
longer alive. Even Miles, at times, can be distant, both physically and
An idea has a more
open meaning and can
be understandings,
thoughts, notions,
opinions, views or
beliefs.
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metaphorically. Parrett asserts that this is an intrinsic part of being human—to
want love, especially when we are deprived of it.
The importance of brotherhood
There is a genuine care and love shared by Miles and Harry, yet Miles feels
somewhat burdened by the responsibility of being the older brother. Amidst the
chaos of their Dad’s alcoholism, brothers Harry, Miles, and Joe Curren are subject
to rampant abuse and neglect. As their father’s behaviour grows increasingly
erratic and their family structure deteriorates in the wake of
their Mum and Uncle Nick’s deaths, the Curren brothers are forced to become
one another’s support system, and they remain steadfastly loyal to one another.
The infallible strength of their bond provides a level of solidarity and
understanding that is unique to siblings, and the brothers are able to find solace
in each other’s company even in the midst of traumatic circumstances. The
deeply loyal brotherhood between Harry, Miles, and Joe reflects the inherent
resilience of the human spirit in the face of cruelty, while also highlighting how
some burdens cannot be shouldered alone. With the three brothers at its
core, Past the Shallows shows how hardship can strengthen sibling bonds, and
how this brotherhood is a crucial element of enduring life’s challenges.
Despite quintessential moments of conflict and sibling rivalry between Miles and
Joe, Miles’s relationship with his older brother serves as an escape from his
troubled home life and the forced drudgery of his job on the family fishing boat.
Joe (who, at thirteen, moved out of Dad’s house to live with the boys’ Granddad)
is concerned for his brothers’ wellbeing, and often takes Miles out to surf and
fish in order to give his brother a temporary escape from his difficult life. These
shared serene moments with his older brother are a respite for Miles, providing
him with a sense of comfort and stability that he does not receive from Dad at
home or at work on the boat. While family is not purely a force of good in the
novel—after all, most of the brothers’ struggles stem from their father, an
abusive alcoholic—the boys’ relationships with one another show how family can
also serve as a lifeline in the midst of pain.
Since quality time with Joe is what buoys Miles in an otherwise heartbreaking
life, he is resentful and afraid when his older brother builds a boat and plans on
leaving Bruny Island to escape the painful reality of their disintegrated family.
Although Joe is nineteen and it is ostensibly normal for him to leave home, the
value Miles places on their brotherhood turns this act into a personal affront that
threatens to destabilize Miles’s sense of security. Miles’s deep distress
surrounding Joe’s departure speaks to how vital Joe’s brotherly friendship has
been in keeping Miles afloat emotionally, highlighting the way that family bonds
can be a balm for pain and suffering.
Similar to his brotherhood with Joe, Miles’s relationship with his younger
brother, Harry, is in many ways characteristic of a typical bond between siblings.
The abuse they both receive from Dad, however, creates a profound, unspoken
loyalty between Miles and Harry that gives each of them a sense of purpose and
a reason to persevere through their mistreatment. Though the youngest of the
three brothers, Harry is mature beyond his years and often makes sweet gestures
toward Miles such as buying him a goodie bag at the boat races, caring for him
when he is sick, and even trying to defend him from Dad’s ire. While Miles is
sometimes impatient and frustrated by Harry’s naïveté, his little brother’s
thoughtful treatment of him is a nurturing presence that helps fill the void of
Mum’s death and Dad’s neglect.
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Miles returns the favour of Harry’s kindness, remaining loyal and protective of his
little brother even under the looming threat of violence from Dad. After a
particularly harrowing episode of drunken violence from Dad and his equally
abusive friend Jeff, Miles tenderly packs a bag for Harry and leaves his little
brother at his friend Stuart’s house (where he knows he will be safe) and returns
home alone to face the brunt of Dad’s drunken wrath. Despite the abuse that the
two younger Curren brothers continually face, their brotherly bond gives them
the strength and resilience they need to endure their circumstances.
This strong bond of solidarity that Miles and Harry share culminates in Miles
facing his phobia of the deep ocean to save Harry after Dad throws him
overboard, a moment that parallels Miles’s childhood memory of Joe saving him
when he fell in the river. Although he is unable to save Harry from drowning, this
act is the ultimate display of Miles’s steadfast love, courage, and self-sacrifice as
he risks his own life in an attempt to rescue his little brother. Although family is
the cause of Harry and Miles’s hardship in this circumstance, as Dad is the one to
throw Harry overboard, the brothers’ close familial bond remains a source of
resilience and comfort for them both as they desperately try to stay alive in the
freezing water.
The novel resists a clean ending, as brotherhood ultimately does not save the day
and vanquish evil. Instead, the ending is steeped in both heartache and hope,
reflecting the realistic complexity of family life. While Dad’s abusive nature
wreaks havoc on the Curren family and eventually kills Harry, the unyielding
loyalty between Miles and Joe is made even stronger by the tragedy of their little
brother’s death. Miles and Joe’s brotherhood allows them to band together to
continue the legacy of Harry’s kind spirit, overcome the painful memories of their
traumatic upbringing, and ultimately break free of Bruny Island.
Kunkle, Jenn. "Past the Shallows Themes: Brotherhood, Loyalty, and
Hardship." LitCharts. LitCharts LLC, 6 Apr 2019. Web. 19 Jul 2021.
The fragility of childhood innocence versus the realities of adult life
Childhood innocence centres as one of the main thematic concerns that Parrett
demonstrates, largely due to the fact that the rituals of growth and maturation
are ones that every human undergoes, no matter their ethnicity, gender or age.
In the novel, this is largely seen in Miles’ character arc. He constantly battles with
balancing his responsibilities as the oldest son living in the Curren house and
maintaining his youth—he is still only (around)thirteen, after all. In fact, he is first
introduced as he is reflecting on the “First day of school holidays. First day he
must man the boat alone while the men go down,” the juxtaposition emphasising
his struggle in understanding his childhood innocence and responsibilities that he
is forced into. Miles wishes he could live in the idyllic, rose-tinted fantasy of the
world that his younger self may have adopted (hence the ethereal images of the
memories of his mother) but is quickly aware of how easily this view can be
fractured. This, however, does not stop him from longing for the simple days of
childhood. In a moment of vulnerability that we seldom see with Miles
otherwise, Parrett says, “He was just a kid. A baby. He was nothing,” as the
truncated sentences and blunt tone reveals how he is forced into growing up too
quickly and now has difficulty grounding his own identity.
The notion is also true of Harry, who is the epitome of childhood naivety and
innocence. Parrett has an obvious intent to encourage the reader to care for
Harry as to make his death all the more shocking and inhumane when it occurs.
“Harry had a way about him. A way that made you promise to take care of him,”
11
Miles states, the second person pronoun inviting the reader to understand
Harry’s virtue that, tragically, acts as his ultimate downfall. It is much easier to
adopt the bitter hardness of Dad than it is to continue to appreciate the world
with childlike wonder as Harry does. It is clear that Parrett is making the
commentary that, as unfair as it is, the most pure and wholesome things in the
world are also the most vulnerable.
The centrality of conflict, violence and destruction to human existence
Past the Shallows is a rather nuanced depiction of physical abuse against
children. However, it is important to note that Parrett is not simply providing an
illustration of this issue, but what it represents in terms of a more universal
understanding of the pains of being human. She ultimately makes clear that, as
horrific as it may seem, violence and destruction are inherent parts of our
existences.
Of course, this is the most obvious in how prevalent Dad’s abuse is, and how
widely spread the implications of such terrible actions are on the children. Some
would even argue that he is a two-dimensional caricature of what abusers look
and act like. However, it is also important to understand that we only see Dad
through the eyes of the young children, Harry and Miles, who may not fully
comprehend why their father lashes out in such a way. From their perspectives of
him, we can only garner that his first and only response to losing his wife is to
turn to anger rather than confront it in a healthy way.
Consider the role of the recurring metaphor of the ocean in terms of Parrett’s
purpose to reveal just how cruel some aspects of humanity can be. At the novel’s
climax, there is an overwhelming sense of just how intrinsic to the human
experience these notions of conflict and violence are. In one of the rarer
moments of description and detail, Parrett states, “Waves came in sets and in
this kind of surf, where the water suddenly hit shallow, you could get rogue
waves. Bombs. Sometimes twice the size of the rest.” By comparing the waves to
bombs, the composer makes clear her intention to turn the focus to the rabid
nature of the external world as a metaphor for the unpredictability of our lives.
The tragedy of abuse and addiction
Dealing with grief/ The long-term effects of grief and loss/ Coping with grief
Perceptions of monstrosity
Rather than talking about ‘monstrosity’, you should say something about the idea
of monstrosity. For example, ‘Society’s perception of monsters is radically
different to the realities of characters’ hearts.’ The contrast between Steven,
the boys’ father, and George Fuller, the town ‘monster’, demonstrate that true
monstrosity is not external, but intrinsic. Despite George’s deformities, Harry
finds a place of respite, love and protection in his home. On the other hand, his
father, a figure that traditionally represents love and protection, is monstrous in
reality. George’s kind and caring nature, despite being initially presented as a
reclusive monster, conveys a larger commentary on the fact that humans should
take to treat others with kindness and not judge a book by its cover.
12
The impact of past events on human’s ability to move forward or not/The
unresolved past and its intrusion on the present
Memory as an emotional driver
The pain of isolation
The failure of communication and its effects
Human truths: love, compassion, understanding, fear, loss, anger
Past the Shallows is a rather nuanced depiction of physical abuse against
children. However, it is important to note that Parrett is not simply providing an
illustration of this issue, but what it represents in terms of a more universal
understanding of the pains of being human. She ultimately makes clear that, as
horrific as it may seem, violence and destruction are inherent parts of our
existences.
Of course, this is the most obvious in how prevalent Dad’s abuse is, and how
widely spread the implications of such terrible actions are on the children. Some
would even argue that he is a two-dimensional caricature of what abusers look
and act like. However, it is also important to understand that we only see Dad
through the eyes of the young children, Harry and Miles, who may not fully
comprehend why their father lashes out in such a way. From their perspectives of
him, we can only garner that his first and only response to losing his wife is to
turn to anger rather than confront it in a healthy way.
Consider the role of the recurring metaphor of the ocean in terms of Parrett’s
purpose to reveal just how cruel some aspects of humanity can be. At the novel’s
climax, there is an overwhelming sense of just how intrinsic to the human
experience these notions of conflict and violence are. In one of the rarer
moments of description and detail, Parrett states, “Waves came in sets and in
this kind of surf, where the water suddenly hit shallow, you could get rogue
waves. Bombs. Sometimes twice the size of the rest.” By comparing the waves to
bombs, the composer makes clear her intention to turn the focus to the rabid
nature of the external world as a metaphor for the unpredictability of our lives.
The devastating impact of secrecy in small towns
Though still incredibly important to the novel as a whole, this theme is more
subtle than the ones previously mentioned. It is explored through passing
moments or quips made by the characters, probably as to reflect the generally
subdued culture of small town environments.
A disturbing, yet somewhat understandable, moral paradox lies in this thematic
concern—the other residents of the town are undoubtedly aware of the abuse
and trauma that has befell the Curren family, yet do virtually nothing to
intervene. Parrett is making an important commentary about social pressures
and even the phenomenon of the bystander effect and how it is amplified in such
a localised, claustrophobic setting.
“Don’t you let him …” Mr Roberts tells Miles, “You’re too young to be out there
working, Miles. It’s not right.” Parrett then goes on to end the paragraph with a
truncated sentence, “And he let Miles go,” the line break emphasising the
significance of this action. Similarly, “[Stuart’s mum] was worrying, having one of
her moments where nothing happened and just went still for a bit.” Truthfully,
neither Mr Roberts, nor Stuart’s mother, nor any other member of the
13
community, are necessarily immoral characters in recognising the abuse of the
children but not acting upon their ethical obligations. However, Parrett is making
the bold statement about how humans often fail to do what is right, particularly
in situations where everybody knows everybody’s business. This is arguably the
most devastating impact of secrecy—our constant refusal to confront the issues
that we face collectively and individually.
Interacting with nature and the landscape can be challenging/ The
interrelationship between people and place.
The role of nature in Past the Shallows gives a dramatic backdrop to the story as
well as holds a mirror to the characters’ thoughts, feelings and behaviours. The
ocean acts in some ways as a storyteller, reflecting lives and cultures in the
Tasmanian community. Nature is a double-edged sword, providing beauty,
substance and a livelihood for community as well as presenting an imposing
threat to the residents.
It is Harry who finds the beauty in nature above all. Although he is aware of the
perils of nature, spooked by water after the stories of his uncle’s disappearance,
he still takes time to enjoy natural beauty. Harry is struck by the appearance of a
cormorant. Out of time and place, the bird in some ways will represent him. He
seeks treasures on the beach and stores them at home. He watches the southern
lights and finds comfort in them during troubled times. He is enamoured with a
puppy and lets it lead him to George, a source of nurturing and safety. Joe and
Miles find their own source of beauty in nature. When they ride the waves and
integrate with them they find escape and cleansing.
Nature in return is unpredictable. On one hand it can provide the abalone and
salmon that will help the struggling family and yet, with a single motion, it can
throw a rogue wave and a shark into the boat causing loss and injury. Nature will
not relent its treasures easily for the divers as they risk their lives to battle seas
and currents in the precarious profession. Parrett suggests that man’s place in
nature is best when surrendered to its power, like a surfer on a wave or a boy
sitting in an orchard. Resisting nature is presented as futile. Furthermore, nature
is presented as a blueprint by which humans will act. A tempestuous sea is a
dangerous temper. A baby shark slaughtered unnecessarily when it could have
survived reflecting the struggle of childhood.
Water that was always there. Always everywhere. The sound and the smell and
the cold waves making Harry different. And it wasn’t just because he was the
youngest. He knew the way he felt about the ocean would never leave him now. It
would be there always, right inside him. Chapter 1
Harry picked up an abalone shell, the edges loose and dusty in his hands. And
every cell in his body stopped. Felt it. This place. Felt the people who had been
here before, breathing and standing live where he stood. People who were dead
now. Long gone. And Harry understood it, right down in his guts, that time ran on
forever and that one day he would die. Chapter 1
It was fully formed, more than half a yard long, maybe only days away from being
born. It would have survived if Jeff had just let it go, let it slide off the back of the
boat. It had made it this far, battling its siblings, killing and feeding off them.
Waiting. It would have been born strong, ready to hunt, ready to fight. (The
shark’s babies) Chapter 9
He lived for this, for these moments when everything stops except your heart
beating and time bends and ripples—moves past your eyes frame by frame and
14
you feel beyond time and before time and no one can touch you. (Miles, in the
surf) Chapter 22
But ultimately it wasn’t up to you. This ocean could hold you down for as long as
it liked, and Miles knew it. Chapter 37
Impact
Think about controversial moments in the novel that had an impact on you, and
moments where you felt empathy for any of the characters.
Some examples 😊:
The epigraph of the text is immediately confronting as there is a sense of
foreboding evoked by the diction and descriptive language.
The same foreboding is evoked by the short sentences on page 10.
'Miles knew the water. He could feel it. And he knew not to trust it.'
Right from the start we empathise with Harry as he is 'different' and left on the
beach when his brothers go surfing. His loneliness is further explored in the part
where Harry sees the cormorant. (p.p. 2-3)
Interpretation/
Reading
Gender reading
Applying a feminist reading:
Feminist literary scholarship makes us aware of aspects of the text we may not
have noticed such as the gendered nature of some imagery. In this novel the
mother is absent, the aunt is distant and the world is masculine. The sea is a male
dominion, providing food with men as the ‘hunters’.
Moreover, the novel’s lack of female characters reflects a more masculine
culture. In fact, many of the central themes and aspects of the novel express this,
from the exploration of violence and brotherhood. This is done both to adhere to
the realism of the environment—fishermen villages are generally more
masculine, after all—and to deconstruct the notion of masculinity itself.
Postcolonial reading
Page 4 - Reference to the history of the Indigenous people of Tasmania.
'People who were long dead now. Long gone.'
Psychoanalytical reading
Intertextual reading
Texts are not created in vacuum. Authors are conscious of a world of textuality
from their own reading and the texts they read build on others.
 The sea
A powerful motif and often represents the experience of human struggle. The
struggle is often physical with humans – usually males – fighting the elements of
the sea and either conquering or losing the struggle. What follows is usually an
15
emotional awakening, as the characters involved come to understand something
within themselves or about their relationship with the world. In many texts the
sea is a central character. The sea is not just a setting or backdrop: it creates a
space for discovery, connecting different places but also connecting with the
mind. The sea also has a spiritual connection through the Bible with Jesus’
disciples as fishermen who depended on the sea for their sustenance. More
recent Australian writers, especially Tim Winton, have also used the sea as an
essential part of their texts.
Indeed Favel Parrett’s second novel, When the Night Comes (Hachette, 2014)
again uses the sea and the Southern Ocean as a powerful creative force in her
work.
 Family
Another important experience that unites us all is the sense of family, and yet
family can also be a source of disunity.
Language features
DESCRIPTIVE LANGUAGE and DICTION
Consider the use of strong yet simple word choices and the power of the
adjectives. The words in bold below contribute to the creation of meaning in this
evocative opening:
Out past the shallows, past the sandy-bottomed bays, comes the dark water –
black and cold and roaring. Rolling out the invisible paths. The ancient paths to
Bruny, or down south along the silent cliffs, the paths out deep to the bird islands
that stand tall between nothing but water and sky.
Wherever rock comes out of deep water, wherever reef rises up, there
is abalone. Black-lipped soft bodies protected by shell.
Treasure.
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
Metaphors
The sea as a metaphor and a character. The sea can almost be seen as another
character and indeed is a strident metaphor for the complexity of the boys’ lives.
During the novel's climactic scene, six-foot swells threaten to swamp and capsize
Miles's Dad's fishing boat. When one such wave overcomes the side, Parrett
writes that "a mountain of water broke the sides." In this metaphor, Parrett
illustrates how Miles perceives the immense weight and looming quality of the
wave by likening the water to a mountain.
As Miles swims with Harry on his back, trying desperately to beat hypothermia
and make it to safety, Parrett writes that "Miles was in the orange light that
came before darkness. The sun burning brightly before it fell below the earth."
In this metaphor, Parrett illustrates how Miles perceives the onset of
hypothermia as a feeling akin to watching the sun's dying rays before it falls
below the horizon line—a metaphor that suggests Miles's body is shutting down,
on the verge of death.
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Simile
 ‘“Dad had Harry by the shoulders and he shook him like a rag doll.”
The simile, ‘like a rag doll,’ is used to create violent visual imagery that enhances
Steven’s damaging actions towards his son, Harry, as he is enraged during one of
their abalone fishing ventures.
 While describing the ocean-side setting of Past the Shallows, Parrett
writes that the shoreline cliffs are "like giant guardians standing tall."
In this simile, Parrett emphasizes the protective function of cliffs by personifying
them as giant figures who stand guard against the turbulent and often violent
sea.
 After Dad pushes Harry overboard, Miles goes to save him by climbing
onto the ship's rail and jumping. However, Dad holds him back: "He
climbed onto the rails, was ready to jump, but Dad grabbed him up—
held him like stone."
In this simile, Parrett underscores the crushing strength with which Dad holds
Miles down by comparing Dad's grip to stone.
 To illustrate Miles's enthusiasm for surfing, Parrett writes that "Miles could
get into his wetsuit so fast, even when it was damp and stuck to your skin
like glue."
In this simile, Parrett captures the unpleasant feeling of putting on a damp
neoprene rubber wetsuit by comparing the material's tight, wet, friction-causing
material to glue.
Personification
IMAGERY
The Pressure of Water (Tactile Imagery)
While describing Miles's caution around the turbulent ocean and his awareness
of invisible currents, Parrett writes that "Miles had only been down once, but
that was enough. He’d been scared of the darkness and of the kelp wrapping
around his legs. He’d been scared of the heavy feeling in his chest. And it made
his head buzz like crazy, the pressure. The weight of all that water." In this
example of tactile imagery, Parrett evokes the physical feeling of weight and
pressure on Miles's body when he was submerged deep underwater.
Hot Chips and Gravy (Olfactory Imagery)
In a scene where Joe comes to pick up Miles after work, Miles gets in Joe's van
and can immediately smell the hot chips (fries) and gravy Joe has bought for him.
In this example of olfactory imagery, Parrett immerses the reader in Miles's
perspective and articulates his hunger by showing how he focuses on the
comforting smell of warm food after a long day of work.
Fish Turning Bright White (Visual Imagery)
After going fishing with George, Harry, who doesn't like to eat fish, stands by
while George cooks the fish. First enticed by the surprisingly pleasant scent of the
cooking fish, Harry watches "in amazement as something that had been so ugly,
the colour of mud, turned bright white as it cooked." In this example of visual
imagery, Parrett immerses the reader in Harry's childish perspective, showing
17
how the process of a fish changing color as it cooks can appear like magic to a
child.
Firm and Sweet Flesh (Gustatory Imagery)
Even though Harry had been concerned about being made to eat the fish he and
George reeled in, Parrett writes that "the flesh was firm and sweet and Harry had
never tasted anything so delicious." In this example of gustatory imagery, Parrett
conveys how Harry's anxiety around eating something unfamiliar is soothed by
the surprisingly delicious taste and texture of the pan-fried fish.
IRONY
"Glad to see you working hard" (Verbal Irony)
Forced to help on the boat while Dad, Jeff, and Martin dive for abalone, Miles
self-consciously tries to look busy because he knows he will be criticized for being
lazy. He offers to help Martin clean his catch, but Martin insists it isn't Miles's job
and tells Miles to have a cup of tea. Jeff, a much crueller man than Martin,
surfaces just as Miles lets his guard down and takes a sip while looking at some
seals. In an instance of verbal irony, in which the speaker means the opposite of
what he says, Jeff says, "Glad to see you working hard, Miles." With this
comment, Jeff reinforces Miles's fear that he would be criticized for not working
as hard as the men.
George Knows Harry's Name (Situational Irony)
When Harry follows Jake the dog to George Fuller's shack on the outskirts of
town, Harry is hesitant to come too close to the property, as he has heard
frightening rumors about George. While playing with the dog, Harry notices
George step outside. Harry runs away fast, but he is confused when George
seems to be calling Harry's name. In this instance of situational irony, Harry is
haunted by the unexpected revelation that George knows who Harry is when
Harry has no memory of ever meeting George.
Mum Was Eloping with Uncle Nick the Night They Both Died (Situational Irony)
As the novel progresses, Miles pieces together the fragments of memory he has
from the night his mother crashed her car and died. While he had believed Dad's
story that Uncle Nick coincidentally also died the same night because he went to
check the moorings on the boat during a swell, Miles finally recalls how Uncle
Nick had been in the car with him, Mum, and Harry. He remembers how Nick and
Mum had touched each other flirtatiously. With the details that the car was
stuffed with luggage and Mum had talked to the boys about how much they
would enjoy Hobart, Parrett points the reader to the conclusion that Mum and
Uncle Nick had an affair, and were leaving town with Miles and Harry to start a
new life. Moreover, Miles's Dad ran Mum's vehicle off the road and into the tree,
then murdered Uncle Nick, who had survived the crash that killed Mum. In this
multi-layered instance of situational irony, Miles realizes he had accepted false
narratives concerning Mum and Nick's deaths while he meanwhile held in his
memory the truth of his father's guilt.
Uncle Nick is Harry's Biological Father (Situational Irony)
In addition to the dramatic revelation that Dad is somehow involved in Mum's
and Uncle Nick's deaths, Parrett concludes the novel with a further instance of
situational irony by revealing through an accumulation of evidence that Uncle
Nick was Harry's biological father. Miles remembers how Nick lovingly stroked
Harry's cheek when he got in the car the night Nick was eloping with Mum. Dad
also lets his resentment for Harry be known by repeatedly shouting about how
18
he never wanted Harry, and he takes his anger out on Harry with greater violence
than he does Miles, his actual son.
METONYMY
MOTIF
 The ocean/water/unpredictable sea is a recurring motif

The trauma of losing their mother

Cuttlefish

Shark’s tooth

Food
 Nausea
Early in the novel, the reader learns that Harry suffers from sea and car sickness.
The motif of Harry's contextual nausea gains a deeper significance once Parrett
depicts the connection between his sickness and his trauma. Having been in the
car on the night his mother died, Harry gets car sick because he is trying to
repress having to access his traumatic memory. Similarly, Harry's nausea on the
boat speaks to the anxiety and danger he feels in his stomach when trapped in a
context with Dad, an authority figure he cannot trust.
 Memory
Memory is highlighted as a powerful emotional force in the lives of human beings
and also functions as a narrative element that develops the storyline.
 pp 8–9 – the night everything changed
 p 77 – Miles sees the flowers on the tree
 p 87 – Harry gets a haircut
 p 90–93 – Grandpa’s treasures
 pp 129–30 – Miles relives a conversation with his grandad
 pp 166–8 – a photo triggers Miles’ memory
 pp 186–7 – flashbacks from the car crash
 pp 213–4 – the dangers of remembering
 pp 229–32 – a significant realisation
 pp 240–43 – fond childhood memories
 pp 247–9 – returning to a moment.
 Repression
Throughout Past the Shallows, characters repress the memories and emotions in
an attempt to distance themselves from addressing the unpleasant reality of how
their father treats them and how their mother died. Parrett establishes the motif
early in the book when Miles reflects on the danger of the ocean what happened
to Uncle Nick, stopping his thoughts before he relives the memory of his
mother's car crash. Similarly, Harry becomes carsick as Aunty Jean's passenger on
the road their mother died on, and he shuts his eyes and dissociates from the
moment until it passes. As the novel progresses, Miles's traumatic memories
surface more frequently and in greater detail. In the end, Parrett resolves the
motif by having Miles finally accept the truth of his father's involvement in
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Mum's and Nick's deaths—a truth Miles had needed to repress because of his
and Harry's reliance on Dad as their only living parent.
PARADOX
Paradoxes and inconsistences” throughout the entire novel. For example:
 Dad’s constant anger and abuse, despite the warmth and comfort we
often associate with familial relationships
 Miles being torn between the childhood innocence he misses and the
adult reality he is forced into
 Aunty Jean’s desire to help the boys while simultaneously being harsh
and somewhat irritating
 The ocean—a metaphor for the human experience in general—being
both beautiful, calm and healing and extremely violent, unpredictable
and volatile
 The other members of the town being able to recognise the family’s
toxicity yet being unable or unwilling to help in any major capacity

The past and the present constantly melding and intruding on each
other
REPETITION
Epigraph – past; black; deep;
The repetition of the word “knew” indicates a personal relationship with the
ocean. Miles is connected to the ocean on a deep level, meaning that he
understands that it can betray those who enter it.
Page 10
SYNECDOCHE
SYMBOLISM
The water symbolises the relationship and the complexity of the relationship that
Miles has with his father. He knows his father and he knows equally not to trust
him.
The Unpredictable Sea
The turbulent, powerful ocean in which Miles perceives both serenity and danger
is a symbol for his dysfunctional relationship with his father. Early in the novel,
Parrett writes that Harry gets seasick and so can't go out on the boat, while Miles
has a much higher tolerance for the unsteady waters. The boys' relationships to
the water reflect how they relate to Dad. While Harry spends most of his time
avoiding Dad's abuse by roaming far from the ocean in the rural landscape or
spending time with safe authority figures, Miles feels obligated to put up with
Dad's variable mood and outbursts of violence. Miles also finds occasional peace
at sea, particularly when the abalone catch is plentiful and he is able to leave
work to surf with Joe. Ultimately, the symbolic connection between the threat of
the sea and the father is brought together when Dad pushes Harry into the water
during a life-threatening swell. In this scene, Dad's violence is matched by the
violence of the ocean storm.
White Lilies
In Past the Shallows, white lilies symbolize mourning. While Mr. Roberts drives
him home, Miles braces himself to pass the tree where his mother crashed her
20
car and died. He is traumatized to see that someone has brought white lilies to
the tree, as the flowers trigger his memory of how people brought white lilies to
the tree immediately following her death as a gesture of condolence. George
Fuller also has a vase of white lilies in his home, suggesting that he, as someone
who knew Mum, may have been the one who brought the lilies on the tree to
mark the anniversary of her death.
White Shark-Tooth Necklace
The white shark-tooth necklace that Miles and Harry find in Mum's car seat is a
symbol of the truth of Mum's death. When they find the shark tooth among the
parts of Mum's crashed vehicle, which Granddad stored in his garage, Miles and
Harry recognize the necklace's significance but aren't immediately able to recall
what exactly it means. Miles keeps the tooth and eventually gives it to Harry to
wear while they go out on the boat during the swell. Dad discovers the necklace
on Harry's neck and understands immediately that it belonged to Uncle Nick.
Miles remembers how Nick gave him the necklace when he got in the car with
Mum and the four of them set off for the town of Hobart. The tooth necklace
provides the key to unlocking the full truth of what happened the night she died:
once Miles makes the connection, he recalls that Dad pulled Nick from the
vehicle and murdered him as revenge.
Light
While Harry, Miles, and Joe’s trepidation toward Bruny Island’s unpredictable
water parallels their fear of Dad’s erratic behaviour, the sun’s rays are a bright
presence that imbues the boys with happy memories of their Mum. They often
notice the light and feel comforted by it as they endure the island’s brutal
elements, just as they are comforted by Mum’s love even in her absence. This is
particularly evident when Harry’s fear of the dark is quelled by the sight of the
southern lights outside his bedroom window as he remembers seeing them with
his mother in the past. For the Curren brothers, the presence of the light that
reflects off of the dark, turbulent ocean water serves as a both a literal source of
warmth in the frigid winter and a figurative reminder of optimism, strength, and
renewal.
Abalone Shell
Symbolises the cycle of life, self-reliance and independence, and healing
Seahorse
Strength, power, perseverance, teaches us that we have the rtesources with us
to overcome adversities no matter how small we feel, power of the father figure,
observation and awareness.
Vulnerability
While seahorses have a tough exoskeleton that protects them from many
predators, they are still extremely vulnerable. For every 1,000 seahorses who are
born, only one will survive to reach maturity. Crabs are one of their natural
predators, but humans are their bigger threat.2
Seahorses are not strong swimmers either, but they’re strong tails enable them
to hold on to aquatic plants and other anchors to steady themselves.
The seahorse spirit reminds you that while people can appear to have tough
shells, the fact is – we all have vulnerabilities. It’s important to recognize this
reality in ourselves and in others.
21
Recognizing your own vulnerabilities and acknowledging them is a way to
empower and protect yourself, as well as to grow as a human being.
Medium and Mode
Medium= the means
of communicationspoken word,
graphics,
electronic/digital
forms
E.g. If the medium is radio, then the mode is speech or music. If the medium is
novel, then the mode is writing.
Texts can be multi-modal.
Consider the effectiveness of the medium and/or mode in presenting ideas,
perspectives, issues, etc.
Medium = Novel
Mode = written text
Mode = listening,
speaking,
reading/viewing and
writing/creating
Mood
Point of view
Perspective
The way we see the
world is shaped by our
values, attitudes and
assumptions. It is a
culturally learnt
position that shapes
the reader's view of a
text. It creates a
position of preferred
reading.
Perspectives are also
presented to readers
through the
conventions used in
the text.
Purpose
Nostalgia for a past when they were loved and cared for and had a seemingly
normal childhood (when their mother was still alive).
Point of view is interesting as it can move between characters. This book is
written in the third person; it is a limited (from the perspective of two
characters) third person narration. Omniscient third person narrations are useful
because even though they are not from one character’s perspective, they can
direct readers from one character to another by changing point of view and
letting us see into the minds of each character. These different characters
become focalisers who make us focus on different perspectives through their
individual points of view. We can sense how different characters are thinking and
can imagine the way they see the world. We are made aware of their thoughts as
they encounter different things and react.


Children’s perspective
Alternating between Harry and Miles again gives us more insight into the
“individual human experiences” and how their different expectations and
personalities influence the way certain situations are seen.
What is Parrett’s purpose and intention?
 Parrett’s purpose in writing the novel is to convey the idea that
storytelling plays a role in helping humanity understand themselves.
• To tell a story involving real human despair in a challenging and at times,
unforgiving landscape
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•
•
Representations
The way ideas are
portrayed and
represented in texts,
using language
devices, forms,
features and
structures of texts to
create specific views
about characters,
events and ideas.
Representation
embeds attitudes,
beliefs and values and
reinforces or
challenges existing
values and ways of
thinking or may
attempt to reshape
them.
To build the reader’s empathy and understanding of one another
To make the reader realise that sometimes life is miserable and that is very
difficult to overcome those challenges
Representation of human experiences in the novel
 Coping with loss and grief
 Unresolved tension
 Impact of tragedy
 Cruel use of power and control
 Abuse of authority as a parent: paradox
 Abuse of authority as an adult e.g. Jeff and Steven force Harry to drink
alcohol
 A family torn/under stress/in pain/unable to articulate/express their grief
and despair especially Steven Curren; this also affects Aunty Jean and
Dad's behaviour affects everyone
 How the past and secrets can impact and destroy
 Fear of the sea and its impact: Harry and Miles
 Escape from the family and the conflicts: Joe
 The power and impact of personal revenge e.g. Steven’s anger/hatred
towards Harry because of what has happened in the past and Jeff’s
revenge/anger against nature and the shark on the boat
 Cruelty and wanton destruction of nature by a human who should have
more respect
 The need for people to find caring, compassionate, and nurturing
friendships: Harry and George and Jake
 Life is complex with mysteries and uncertainties
 Life can be unfair
 The challenges of growing up
The ocean represents the human experiences of:
• Death
• Fear
• Tragedy
• Cruelty
• Risk
• Necessity
• Terror
• Joy and escape
• Violence
• Conflict
In Chapter 9 this combination of various human experiences of violence, conflict
and revenge and the emotions of terror, fear, anger and unreasoned rage are
represented in the incident involving Jeff and the shark.
Parrett positions us to see the contrast between how Martin kills the fish versus
Jeff’s wanton and chilling cruelty. Jeff’s killing of the pregnant shark is partly in
revenge for the shark’s attack. For a brief time the shark has control as if it
represents the power of nature: The eye of a champion- a wolf of the sea. Not
only does Jeff use an unfair advantage of a rifle but he laughs. Ironically through
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the incident they lose the abalone and salmon as if the ocean also has its
revenge. The true cruelty occurs when Jeff “hacked into the full womb” of the
shark and Jeff’s violent attack is sickening. The baby shark could have lived but
Jeff enjoys this revenge on the ocean. Martin suffers a broken leg which in turn
will mean that Miles will have to work longer and more frequently on the boat.
Harry, Miles and Joe represent victims of abuse and the father is a
representation of what abusers look like (also the duality within the character of
such abusers).
Jeff represents everything that is evil in human nature.
The absence of the mother represents an absence of nurture, love and care in
the boys lives.
The ocean represents the duality in nature, human nature and in family
relationships.
The storm in the climatic moment of the novel is both pathetic fallacy and a
culmination of the volatile situation within the Curren family.
Stylistic Features
•
Parrett’s use of short sentences and repetition represents family tension e.g.
the secrets surrounding the death of uncle Nick:
Not one bit. Not his beanie. Not his boots.
•
•
•
•
•
Her sentences also represent the paradox of the ocean. Miles understands
the dangers of water especially in not trusting it and this will be important
compared to Harry and Joe:
Miles knew the water. He could feel it. And he knew not to trust it.
Longer sentences are used to represent characters’ reverie and represent the
poignancy of their loss: The incident in the goat pen at the Hobart Regatta is
a tender and sweet moment which enables Harry to fondly remember times
with his mother. The sentence where Harry reminisces is long as it is echoing
Harry’s reverie about a world which does not exist. This long, flowing
sentence linked by five conjunctions- and- gives it a slow, gentle mood.
The area of this township is all poor, depressing and generally dilapidated:
“scrub and shacks…kit homes, most tiny, bare fibro, unpainted. ….Their
gardens full of rusty car shells, dead tractors, decaying boats marooned on
land."
This is a community under stress because of the challenges of making a living
and the Curren family are under even more stress so Parrett creates this
landscape and context to highlight the tension and conflict.
Parrett’s style is established from the opening page and this style continues
throughout the book: Parrett’s prose - powerful, sparse and understated,
deceptively simple, sometimes violent and yet also life affirming.
Language is accessible as it shapes the characters and their interaction with
each other, and the physicality of the ever-present ocean adds to the novel’s
power and interest
Through Parrett’s experiences of this area of Australia she brings realism and
authenticity to her descriptions
Later Miles goes surfing to escape the oppression and tension of his family
and this passage represents the paradoxes of the ocean: the best surfing for
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this area is in winter but this is the most inhospitable time to be surfing so
the sea is almost laughing at Miles in seducing him to surf in these freezing
conditions:
The cold water bit at his hands and feet as he began the paddle. Winter brought
massive swells, awesome to watch and not much fun to be in, but today the bluff
was still like liquid mercury. Near perfect three-foot lines. The paddle was easy.
The waves were easy. The ocean was at peace.
The repetition and the use of short sentences builds the suspense and thrill of
the ocean and its dual pleasure and pain.
Text Structure
The opening and ending echo each other and create a bookend effect,
sometimes also known as a circular plot as the story returns to where it started,
but the slight differences in the ending imply that all has not stayed the same.
The opening immediately establishes some important features of Parrett’s
narrative style:
Out past the shallows, past the sandy-bottomed bays, comes the dark water –
black and cold and roaring. Rolling out the invisible paths. The ancient paths to
Bruny, or down south along the silent cliffs, the paths out deep to the bird islands
that stand tall between nothing but water and sky. Wherever rock comes out of
deep water, wherever reef rises up, there is abalone. Black-lipped soft bodies
protected by shell. Treasure.
The novel ends with the same evocative description with a change:
Out past the shallows, past the sandy-bottomed bays, comes the dark water –
black and cold and roaring. Rolling out the invisible paths.
To somewhere warm.
To somewhere new.
So, the ending gives a structural symmetry to the story and a resolution to the
tragedy
The story is also non-linear with flashbacks as Miles remembers his mother and
later the accident.
Miles’ recollection of the memories of Mum often fractures the narrative in quite
startling ways—this could reflect on how our past never truly leaves us and can
intrude on our present actions when we least expect it. More broadly, it could
even suggest the inherent confusion and unpredictability that comes with being
human.
Structure:
• Non-linear and the flashbacks are important in providing background to the
mystery and secrets of what impacts on the family: something sinister and
tragic has happened to result in the death of their mother. So, the reader
learns about the past at the same time as the past comes into focus.
• This narrative framework introduces some of the key ideas including secrets
and the power of secrets to damage the family as they do not deal with
them.
Memory and Structure:
• There are two main secrets- one involving Uncle Nick and the other involving
the mother and her death. Clearly both experiences have affected the family.
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As the story progresses there are hints and suggestions about how Nick and
the mother died and why. As early as Chapter 2 this secrecy and dark
mystery is represented in the references to not only Uncle Nick having died
but that seems to be linked to the Curren family’s economic situation: “the
bank owned the boat now. Because the bank owned everything.”
Tone/ Voice
Values and Beliefs
Power Relationships
Working for social justice/working to change society
Protecting the rights of children
Parents and children; grown-ups and children; Indigenous people and colonisers;
nature and humans; humans and nature
Resources:
1. Kunkle, Jenn. "Past the Shallows Plot Summary." LitCharts. LitCharts LLC, 6 Apr 2019. Web.
4 May 2025.
2. ReadingAustralia © Copyright ETANSW 2018
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