Compass and Torch
The short story is written by Elizabeth Baines in 2003.

The short story starts with a boy and his father, they are going to a camping trip to try and make a relationship, and the relationship is the main theme in this short story, the boy who is the protagonist has a desire to be together with his father and he would do anything just to get his blessing.

The relationship between the boy and the father is almost like it was nothing, (non existing) and they have not seen each other for a while. The writer already shows us from the beginning that the father is addresed as the man, and when the writer does that, it means that it signifies a lack of love between the father and the boy because the word ''man'' which is used alot in the story, does not mean anything about a father and a son relationship.

The boy is 8 years old, and is a very clever boy. He wants to give his father a second chance to make up for the bad things he have done. Even though his relationship with his father is really bad, he still tells his mother to stop saying bad things about him.

The father drinks in the essence of dadness which is used to show how much the little boy have missed his dad, and having him around, he ( the boy ) constantly tries to reach his dad trying to impress so he can notice him.

The short story has used some symbolics in it, and they are very important for the text, because it they were not in here, the text would not make any sense. There are 2 symbols just in the start of the text, Compass and torch. These two symbols are both good for helping each other on finding a good way to a better relationship. If we start with the first symbol, the compass symbolize a way to find a better relationship, which means it guides u to your destination which in this text is the boy to reach his father.

The torch symbolize hope, because in the start it is turned off, and it becomes lighter for every step forward the boy makes. It also symbolizes aid for the father and the boy, it aids them by telling them how their relationship will be in the future. But both of them forget the compass and then their wish can not be fullfilled, the father also throws the torch away, and it leads us to that he throws the relationship between the boy and himself away.

The gate to the moor is also a symbol because it is a barrier that they can open to find a path or another road, and it also means that it can give the father and son a good and strong will to keep moving forward with their relationship, because of a barrier has to be shut down, you have to think and be smart to do it, that is what the gate are trying to do.

And most importantly the horse. The horse symbolizes a lack of love. And maybe it is looking for people, who could give the horse some attention, too let the horse feel usefull. But the father and the boy both, ignores the horse. The horse is very interested in human, and want them to recognise it and help it be cool and good. But again, the human is hardly to recognize the horse.

Especially the father, he do not notice the horse and is pointing it away when it comes closer. And that is the same way he treats his own son. The way he does that is that he does not really participate in making an effort to create and continue a relationship with his son. The son also ignores the horse but at the end of the story he start feels bad for it, he wants the best for the horse he wants to help it reach its goal. And he also wants the same with his father, he wants a relationship that can hold longer than it has been for now.