Main Themes of Beka Lamb in the first six Chapters.

One of the main themes of the first six chapters of 'Beka Lamb' is change. This is seen when Beka begins to mature and decides to stop her bad habit of lying. "It was only a small beginning but Beka felt she had handled the job like a woman and in Belize, to be able to work like a woman was an honorable thing." This shows that she was beginning to realize her responsibilities when she decided to do her chores properly and with an extra effort in order to show her family that she could be different. She even further realizes that atonement requires more than just dusting and polishing and that she had to find a way to atone, as stated in the novel.

Another main theme is success. The writer shows that success is a process. Beka went from failing subjects in school to winning an essay contest. She changed from what her mother called a 'flat-rate Belize creole' into a person with 'high-mind' which also goes to show that education raises people's status. The writer also shows that success diminishes grief and pain as the novel stated, "It was only today, with a small success of her own, and the panic and fright subsiding... But the past surprised her, the pain wasn't so bad anymore!"

In addition, the writer uses one of Beka's dreams as a technique to show that she had a fear of failure. If she didn't cross the bridge, she would fall into the filth and excrement under it, which represented the failure. This showed that she was overcoming obstacles.

Another theme in this novel is about the depression, poverty, hopelessness, death and harsh living conditions of the society in Belize. The writer used various symbols to portray this negativity, such as the slop bucket, the shrilling of every cricket, the whining mosquito and the grumblings of frogs. She also used the Polar bear as a symbol which showed that nothing lasted in Belize. Most people preferred foreign ideals, products and services and wanted to migrate just as Dr. Lyban did instead of staying at the Belize hospital.