Themes of chapters 1-6 in "Beka Lamb"

Many themes were displayed in the novel "Beka Lamb",one such was the theme of poverty which was portrayed since the start of chapter one.The setting of the story gave a sense of depression and uncleanliness,examples of this were, "Beka was grateful for a slight breeze that carried the bucket's stench away from the house","brushing at her ankles with a cloth she used as a fly whisk" and also when Miss Ivy referred to sawdust as a means of eliminating the problem of flies.As the story moved alonged 'death' came into the fore front with lines such as "slapping at a mosquito" and the honeyed scent of flowering stephanotis,thickly woven into the warping which reminded Beka of the wreaths at her greatgranny's funeral and the most important of all however was the passing of Beka's friend,Toycie. Racism or some sort of discrimination was also prominent as Beka was cautioned constantly that the prize she received for winning the essay competition at school,was mainly awarded to bakras,panias or expatriates,her mother,Lilla,for instance called her a 'flat rate Belize creole' who changed into a person with 'high mind'. Politics stood out as they were all discontent with the situation,the writer,Zee Edgell used Beka's dream as a symbol that she was crying out for help and that she was voiceless in the situation she faced,she is trying to show her parents that she could succeed and she is maturing,which symbolizes change,there is also a comparison here between Beka's transformation and the political transformation.