TRUST IS THE MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL

by Shreyans Sethi-8C Yellow Skellig is a very meaningful book written by David Almond that narrates the story of a boy named Michael who is going through problems within his family, amongst his friends and in his mind, and he has to solve these issues both internally and externally. Almond uses the protagonists issues to illustrate the theme that people should have friends or family they can trust because they will be the ones that will help them in times of need. The author develops the theme by demonstrating how the main character, Michael, tries to deal with the problem himself, gets some support from his family and finally his friends help him to get through. Firstly, the main character attempts to deal with the problems himself but it is obvious that he cannot focus on all the issues at once. At the start of the book, the protagonist is shown to have many worries and is quite frustrated by them all; Then I went back into the wilderness we called a garden and she went back to the stupid baby (5).This passage shows that Michael is not happy that his sister is sick, that his family is shifting into a new house and that nobody seems to pay attention to him anymore. Do you not think weve got more to worry about stupid you being crushed is a stupid garage? his mother states (4). As a young boy facing a lot of stress, it can be devastating to learn that he is not the priority anymore and this can lead to withdrawal. Therefore, when he finds a mysterious creature in his garage, he tries to deal with it himself to avoid facing more rejection from his family. Later, his mind cannot focus on all the problems at once; "I thought of the baby in my lap, of Skellig slung between Mina and me. I thought of his wings and of the baby's fluttering heart (99)." His thoughts keep going between the baby, whom he loves dearly, and Skellig, a man whom only he can help. Unfortunately, there is only a limited amount he can do for both and he feels that if there was someone else to help him, he would be able to do more. Also, for a young boy this can be an awful lot to process and it is clear that it is necessary for him to have someone he can trust.If Michael had confided in his parents or friends or even his teachers, they might have been able to offer some assistance that could have helped him sort through his issues. It is his time of need and as the themes states, he need somebody who can help him. Following this, Michael parents assist him in his issues in any way that they can even though they are not aware of all that goes on in his life. An example of this is one day when Michael is eating breakfast with his dad and then he started trembling for no reason. He put his hand around me. What about working with me today? he asked (45). This shows that the father is willing to be there for Michael, to support him. The father is not fully aware of the cause of Michaels trembling but he immediately takes action and it is understood by Michaels reaction I nodded that the dad knew his son well enough to know that his advice would work (45). These two passages show that because Michael trusted and agreed to his fathers advice, he received help that assisted him to overcome his small problem. This support is also represented at a larger scale when at the beginning of the book Michael is quite frustrated with his baby sisters illness and his family moving to a house that in his house, is horrible, Then I went back into the wilderness we called a garden and she went back to the stupid baby (5). These are just Michaels thoughts and yet, his parents can obviously sense these feelings

because a while later his mother consoles him by saying Itll be great again when everythings sorted out (6). This consolation, although brief, shows Michael that he has people that love him and will help him when he needs them. This relates back to the theme because Michaels mother is only able to help him because he trusts her and listens to her. If he thought that she was trying to keep him from becoming a burden, his worries would only have increased and his problem would not have solved. In the end, Michaels new friend Mina also helps him when he needs it. Although Michael has just met Mina, it is clear by the way he describes her Shes extraordinary that he has become good friends with her and likes to spend time with her (81). Also, it is clearly seen that it is a strong relationship because even though they have a big fight, they solve it quite quickly; Dont be angry. Be my friend (114). After all this, it is not surprising that he chooses to confide about Skellig to Mina, someone he can both trust and rely on to help. Obviously this is a good choice because Mina immediately spots that Skelligs sickness is due to Calcification,' she said. The process by which the bone hardens, becomes inflexible." It is seen how much their help benefits Skellig because by the end of the book, his is thanking them for 27 and 53, he said, Thank you for giving me my life again (168), In conclusion, David Almonds theme that people should have friends or family they can trust because they will be the ones that will help them in times of need is successful because the trust between Mina and Michael is what helps them save Skelligs and indirectly, the babys lives. In conclusion, Michael tries to solve the problem himself, lies to his parents and finally, only his trusted friends help him out of his dilemma. Michaels journey clearly expresses the theme that one needs people they can trust because only they can help them in times of need. This theme also works in real life and is quite universal. An example of this is when you are sick. When this happens, you either take a home remedy or you go to the doctor. In both of these situations, you are trusting someone and therefore taking their help. In the home remedy scenario, you trust that your parents must have knowledge of what ails you and you will not mind taking their help. When you go to a doctor, you trust that they will recommend the suitable medicine because of previous experience or because they have proof that they are learned in this situation. However, if a stranger recommends a solution, it is likely that you will not listen to them because you, as of yet, have not established a sense of trust with them. We judge people to see if we trust them all the time but it is only when matters get serious that we become aware of what we are doing. This concept of medicine is also shown in the book. When Skellig tells Michael that he tries to help the baby, Michael only thanks him for he trusts Skellig and is not afraid of the consequences of his actions. Perhaps this is why people say that trust is the most important thing in a relationship!