The Thing in the Forest

Michael Bilyou

Eng. 102- Essay 1

P. Rambadt

2/18/2015

“The Thing in the Forest” by A.S. Byatt tells the story of a child Primrose who may suffer from Dissociative Identity Disorder and creates the characters of Alys and Penny to help with her struggle during the story. Throughout the story Primrose comes to terms with her traumatic experience and becomes one strong female character both physically and mentally strong. Similarly the characters of Primrose from the gripping teen fiction novels of “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins and Alice from Alice in wonderland. Both these characters come to face with an experience that would test them and come out stronger than before alike to Primrose in “The thing in the Forest.”

When the story begins of “The Thing in a Forest,” Primrose is sent on a train to the country side of England during World War two. Primrose unknowing why is in a traumatic state and creates Penny and slightly older child who embodies the strength that Primrose lacks. Penny there comforts here sitting on the train with her not leaving her side during this time as they share dinner and a chocolate bar (Byatt 36). Upon their journey they agree not to split up and try to stay together for as long as possible. For this primrose needed Penny her inner strength she lacked to comfort and nurture her as a maternal figure. Upon arrival to the relocation house they meet a young child Alys in the front yard on the first day as the kids are playing outside.

Primroses internal childhood she wanted to grip onto shows up as Alys, a small young child around the age of 6 with similar characteristics to Primrose. Alys was fond of Penny and Primrose and wanted to follow them as they noticed a clearing in a nearby forest. Penny being the “mature voice” of Primrose disagreed and said “You’re too little, you must stay here,” while Primrose herself followed with “You will get lost” (Byatt 37). As Primrose and Penny start to enter the forest, Penny want to...