Day : Literature Time !

SPM 2013 ( An important decision made by one of the characters )

The novel I chose is Step by Wicked Step by Anne Fine. The character Richard Clayton Harwick made an important decision in the story, which is running away from home. The decision made by Richard has affected three other characters in the story which are Richard’s Mother Lilith , Richard’s Sister Charlotte , and Richard’s Step Father Reverend Coldstone.

Richard was very young when his father died because of fever. Before his father passed away, he told Richard to listen to his mother, to take care of her and his sister, Charlotte. However, he felt that he was too young to be given this responsibility and it was unfair of his father to tell to do so. Things had changed to the worst after the death of his father.  Mr. Coldstone made all the rules in the house and Richard hated him. Richard was send to Boarding school for 4 years. Here Richard was bullied, starved, robbed, learnt to be silent and patient. He couldn’t stand the torturing here and so Richard made a decision to leave home. What he has yet to know is that the decision he made was going to be a big and important decision.

First and foremost, Richard’s Mother, Lilith had died of heart break. She was depressed just from the idea of Richard running away, she spent all of her fortune looking for Richard but he was no where to be seen. One day while he was still “running away” he saw a notice in the newspaper, asking him to contact Riddle & Flook for he is now the owner of Old Harwick Hall. When he went back to Old Harwick Hall, he found a letter which was written by Charlotte, in his tower room. From the letter , “ First Mother spent a fortune seeking you and all of us suffered Mr Coldstone’s anger as money slipped steadily away… Lilith ! Waste more of your dwindling fortune on this folly and I will make you pay for it twice over ! And so he did. Last year she died ( of him too close, and you too far.) “. The letter stated that Richard’s decision of running away had made her own mother died of heart break.

Secondly, Richard’s Sister, Charlotte had died from fever of child birth. After her mother, Lilith passed away, Mr Coldstone never spent a penny looking for Richard. Charlotte felt that she was the only hope left to find Richard, she had no money to begin with but upon her sixteenth birthday, Charlotte married Charles Devere, a prosperous man who had promised Charlotte that he would continue the search for Richard. And so she died in fever of childbirth as stated in the letter she wrote. “ If I die in fever of childbirth, as so many do, then Charles will send this letter to our old home… “ Richard went home after seeing the notice paper from Riddle and Flook that were hired by Charles Devere, and there he found the letter. This all means his sister, Charlotte had died in fever of child birth.

Last but not least, Richard’s Reverend Coldstone, he had died from fury just by the money spent by Richard’s Mother, Lilith for searching Richard. Mr Coldstone is a cunning man who took advantage of Richard’s Mother, Lilith for her frail and gullible personality. When Richard’s Father died, he got close to Lilith for all he was seeking was Richard’s family fortune. Richard’s Mother remarries Mr Coldstone, after that he made new rules and sent Richard to a boarding school because he was in his way of his motives. Richard was bullied in the boarding school and he decided to ran away. Before Mr Coldstone could get the fortune he was seeking for so long, Richard’s Mother, Lilith spent it all to search for Richard, who had ran away. He was furious as once again stated in Charlotte’s letter, “What ! Yet another costly search ! Let the ungrateful boy be lost for ever ! Lilith ! Waste more of your dwindling fortune on this folly and I will make you pay for it twice over !” His death might not be stated in the letter but even a dim boy could figure out that he died of fury from the fortune spent on searching for Richard.

Therefore, these are the characters affected by the one and only big and important decision made by Richard Clayton Harwick.