Running as Motif

Throughout the novel, the author uses repeated images of the main character Harri running in order to symbolize the innate human desire for freedom. In the novel’s opening section, “March,” Harri’s keen descriptions of his new home and neighborhood dictate the parameters of the narrative world. The way in which he therefore describes his favorite aspects of his new life provide insight not only into his character, but into the author’s more complex subtextual explorations. In one scene, Harri describes the feeling of watching the rain and trying to chase the raindrops. “The best bit,” he says, “is running in the rain . . . it nearly feels like you’re flying . . . Try to go in a straight line. Then you just run as fast as you can. At first you’re scared of crashing into something but don’t let it put you...