Peace like a River Essay

Peace Like a River Essay

"We all have a Little Bit Inside of us"

Goodness: The state or quality of being good. Leif Enger chose to express this word in several ways through out the novel Peace Like a River. Leif Enger had a distinctive way, of symbolizing goodness. It could put anyone's mind to use. Goodness is not to be taken for granted, or even lightly for that matter.

Goodness is associated with kindness and a large portion of this can also be referred to as "hospitality." It came from the Lands, and quite often was received by the Lands. The first time goodness was recognized as hospitality, was when the Lands would open the arms and doors to anyone who needed somewhere to stay or even just a bowl or three or soup. "Where's your next stop, Mr. Lurvy? Do you have a long way to go" That was a question asked by Mr. Land when Mr. Lurvy then got himself invited in the Lands home. Davy's Lawyer, Mr. DeCuellar and his wife, Mrs. DeCuellar secondly provided goodness through the form of hospitality, to the Land family. "....Once she had you inside she became the woman you wish had lived next door all the days of your childhood. She was short round and bright." The DeCuellar's had insisted on the Land's joining them for a delicious home made breakfast the day of Davy's trial. The third example of goodness being portrayed through hospitality is when August and Birdie invited the Lands to stay in their home after Davy had visited them. This is perhaps the strongest form of hospitality or even goodness shown through the book. They gave the Lands reassurance. They re-lit that candle of hope that had blown out so long ago, and most importantly they finally knew Davy was all right.

There are many forms of goodness, although they are all wonderful acts to receive, undoubtedly the best of them all is the unconscious goodness. Two of these unconscious acts happened close to the same time. The first one being, when Swede could not kill Valdez. She wasn't aware of it at the time but Valdez actually represented Davy and the act he had gone through with. She a variety of different ending to "kill him off" but she just couldn't go through with it. "It doesn't matter if it sounds good, I can't write it so he's really dead." That was vocalized by Swede while she was trying to kill Valdez but she couldn't because it symbolized Davy getting caught and that was the last thing that Swede wanted. "You want us to do anything Dad?" -Rueben "Preserve" That was said around the time when Mr. Land started selling his things for money, the Lands were extremely tight on money, and unconsciously Swede persuaded Rueben to use his money he made and spend it on