Everybody needs a place to call home, but in this story, we hear about a person who doesn’t have a home. In the short story “The Traveller” by Ryan O’Neill, we get introduced to the main character, Lockhart, who has a hard time settling down in a place. He is always traveling. And that is why it is so hard for him to settle down in one place. If you don’t have a place to call home, then you won’t know the meaning of life and then you will feel lost.
The setting
The setting in the short story is mainly in Lockhart’s sister's cottage in Australia, where Lockhart has moved in. The only location we know of outside the house is Paul’s school because Lockhart picked him up one day from school. In the story, Lockhart also remembers, when he was poor. We get a look at the past. (s. 1 l. 5-8)
The short story extends over a day, from when Lockhart picks up his nephew from school in the afternoon, to the night after Narelle and Paul have gone to bed.
Lockhart
Lockhart has a problem getting attached to someone because he is very lonely and keeps everything to himself. Even though he travels a lot, he seems like he can not find a place to call home. He is always waiting for something new in his life. He has difficulty taking responsibility for anything, he won’t help his sister who is struggling, by taking care of her son, his nephew. He is also not reliable, Narelle gave him money to give to the orphanage but he kept the money to himself. (S. 2 L. 40-41 “where’s your house?” he asked. Paul pointed to a nearby street. “It is your house too,” he said, but Lockhart was silent.”
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