Thematic Writing on the first six chapters of Beka Lamb

In the novel 'Beka Lamb,' many themes were introduced which include the themes of change, death, poverty and politics, maturity and success and failure. Change, being the major theme was developed throughout the chapters and is related to many of the other themes in one way or another.
The theme of death was introduced in the first chapter as the author uses her craft to create a gloomy mood which signified depression or death. 'The slapping of the mosquito' and the death of the polar bear further develops the theme of death. It shows hopelessness and depression. Change can also be associated with this theme as it shows a sudden and unexpected change when Toycie died.
Poverty and politics is another major theme in the novel. They are closely related as we learn from the discussions between Granny Ivy and Miss Eila, that the politics affected the economy as there was a lot poverty due to devaluation. The description of the houses as 'weathered wooden houses' and 'rusty zinc rooftops' further develops this theme and gives the reader a clearer image of what the situation was like in Belize. Also, the flashback that Beka had about the walk she and her friend had in Fort George shows that the girls preferred the wealthier areas and that the walk was a sort of escape from the town which seemed 'staler, dirtier and altogether less pleasant that the lovely areas they had left.' Change is also associated with this theme as we see that there is a symbiotic transformation as Beka's change is compared to political change and reform. It was implied by the readers that Beka's internal change occured simultaneously with the political amendment.
Maturity and development was continuously being developed throughout the chapters. Beka recognized that a 'change' began when she decided to stop lying. She matured from an irresponsible child to a responsible young lady with good ambitions. Her interest in the politics of her country and her attempt to understand and prove to her father that he was contradicting what he said about the political situation showed that she was on the verge of maturity. She also did a lot of housework to indicate to her parents that she was evolving into a young adult. Though she attempted on various accassions, she knew that the only way to prove her transition to them was to do well in school. Mr. Lamb compared Beka to a Bougainvillea plant with 'all flash and no substance' as well as 'phoneyness and having airs.' When he cut down the plant, it served as a symbol that Beka was changing. When Beka won the essay competion we see that her parents were immensely proud of her.
Lastly, the issue of success and failure was present throughout the first few chapters. We see that seven months before Beka won the competition she failed first form and she knew it would disappoint her parents so she resorted to lying. By contrast, when she won the competition her parents, even her grandmother was proud of her and had high expectations of her. The dream in chapter two was a symbol of change, success and maturity. It is a technique used by the author to show what was going on in Beka's life. In her dream Beka was crying out for help but no one heard her, she was voiceless. The bridge was a symbol of change and maturity. It reflects that she was going through a transformation. The people were telling her to jump which is risky. Perhaps this is to infer that there were factors trying to hinder her progress. Also as she was looking down at the creek, there was filth and excrement which infers that if she doesn't get the help, she'll fail!