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Chapter 6
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Past the Shallows, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Brotherhood, Loyalty, and Hardship
Addiction and Abuse
Tragedy and Blame
Father Figures and Responsibility
The Duality of Nature
Summary
Analysis
After Miles finishes his day of work on the fishing boat, Joe is waiting to pick him up. Miles gets into Joe’s van and the two brothers take off to go surfing. During the car ride, Miles looks out the window at the grim rural landscape with its familiar worn-down shacks and rusty farm and fishing equipment. The brothers arrive at the beach and Miles gleefully runs ahead to rush into the water and surf, with Joe cheering him on from shore.
For Miles, Joe’s presence is an escape from the drudgery of working on the boat, which shows how crucial brotherhood is for his overall sense of well-being. Beyond the impact of the fishing industry on Miles as an individual, it also takes a toll on the community. The economic depression of the small fishing town reflects the high risk of enduring nature’s unpredictability in order to earn a living. Although the ocean is the source of livelihood for Bruny Island’s fisherman, the unreliability of the abalone harvest also creates collective financial instability for the community.
Themes
After their surf session, the brothers go fishing and Joe tells Miles that the boat he has been building is almost finished. Joe, who has lived with Granddad since he was thirteen, is being forced to leave the house that Granddad left to him because Aunty Jean contested the will. Miles is upset because the boat will “take Joe away” and comments that Aunty Jean is a “fucking bitch.” Joe agrees but assures Miles that Aunty Jean will set aside money for him and Harry.
This passage further develops the conflict that exists among members of the Curren family. In addition to blaming Dad for Uncle Nick’s death, Aunty Jean also takes out her grief over the loss of Granddad on Joe. Jean’s decision to take back her father’s house threatens to uproot the Curren brothers’ sense of stability. As Joe is Miles’s only source of relief from his unwanted responsibilities, the notion of his older brother moving away is distressing.
Themes
Knowing that it is time for Joe to leave Bruny Island, Miles decides not to confide in his brother about his and Harry’s troubled home life or the bad conditions of working on the fishing boat. Instead, he offers to help Joe pack because he wants to stay at Granddad’s house over the weekend.
The narration implies that Miles and Harry are mistreated by Dad at home, a revelation that suggests Joe may be a stand-in father figure for his two younger brothers. This moment also introduces the idea that Dad’s behavior may be more sinister than has previously been revealed, a change that will later be linked to his substance abuse.
Themes
