Title: The Loop
Year of Publication: 1998
Author: Nicholas Evans
Publisher: Delacorte
Place of Publication: USA
Text Type: Novel
Summary: The Loop by Nicholas Evans is about the bitter debate over the reintroduction of the wolves into the American west. When a pack of wolves move back into the Montana ranching country, they ignite a conflict that comes between family and friends. At the centre of the conflict is a rancher Buck Calder and wolf biologist Helen Ross. They are both opponents in the same battle; Buck determined to protect his herds from the predators and Helen equally determined to protect the wolves. Helen with the help of a newly found love, Luke Calder, is able to move passed her problem of her old life and put in all her efforts to save the wolves. Buck having enough of the wolves killing his livestock decided to go out and kill them himself.
Map of Yellowstone National Park
Luke with the Rope in the Solarium
LukeIn a finally struggle Luke and Helen managed to save some wolf pups from the clutches of the angry ranchers.
How does the writer encourage the reader to respond to a character or idea in the text? Nicholas Sparks encourages the reader to first view Luke Calder as being weak and childish. He does this by first describing Luke as being more like his mother than his strong father, Buck Calder. 'She had a kind of melancholy beauty that was echoed in the face of her son.' (pg15)This weak nature continued to be expressed and reinforced when the reader found out that Luke stuttered. Sparks initially wrote Luke's character to be weak so that other characters could be described and expressed. Luke's father, Buck Calder is described as being 'tall and powerfully built' with strong views but in relation to Luke he is disappointed that he doesn't have...