Theme+-+Loyalty,+Yr+13

** Theme – Loyalty, Year 13 **
**//Blindsight : a novel / Maurice Gee //** The story of a good though damaged man and his less than virtuous sister. As their childhood closeness unravels, Alice moves into her career in science (she's a mycologist), while Gordon descents into vagrancy and silence. For more than thirty years they do not meet. Then a young man appears at Alice's door, claiming a relationship she never knew she had. As he becomes part of her carefully guarded world, she cautiously begins to reveal the past. But is she telling him everything? Jealousy, ambition and love shape the fates of Alice and Gordon in this story of loyalty and family ties.

**//The kite runner / Khaled Hosseini //** The Kite Runner is a novel about friendship, betrayal, and the price of loyalty. It is about the bonds between fathers and sons, and the power of fathers over sons - their love, their sacrifices, and their lies.

**//Saving Francesca / Melina Marchetta //** Francesca is at the beginning of her second term in Year Eleven at an all boy's school that has just started accepting girls. She still misses her old friends, and, to make things worse, her mother has had a breakdown and can barely move from her bed. But Francesca had not counted on the fierce loyalty of her new friends, or falling in love, or finding that it's within her power to bring her family back together.

**//The taniwha’s tear / David Hair //** When Matiu Douglas and his friends defeated Puarata, the tohunga makutu, they thought they'd won. But now his warlocks are fighting for supremacy in a violent struggle that is spreading across the magical land of Aotearoa and into our world. The outcome will be determined by the taniwha Mat has promised to save. Can loyalty and friendship prevail over centuries-old evil.

** Films: **

**//Beowulf// ** The theme of the epic Beowulf is loyalty. This is true because loyalty was one of the most important qualities a man could possess in Beowulf's time. Beowulf’s loyalty and honor saved Hrothgar’s country and his people. Beowulf stands apart from other men because of his extraordinary loyalty to his king. He rushes to help Hrothgar each time he needs him, conquering Grendel, his mother, and the dragon. Beowulf has no ulterior motives, he has no desire for the Danish throne; he simply wants to help Hrothgar and do what is right. The failure to live up to this ideal on the part of some characters makes clear the extraordinary faithfulness and loyalty of Beowulf. However, it’s not only Beowulf who is loyal: almost every character in Beowulf is loyal to someone, in their own way.

**//Kite runner// ** The Kite Runner is about friendship, betrayal, and the price of loyalty. It is about the bonds between fathers and sons, and the power of fathers over sons - their love, their sacrifices, and their lies.

**//King Lear// ** In the beginning of the play, the Earl of Kent is banished from thr kingdom by ﻿﻿﻿King Lear due to the fact that he is asking him to think twice about banishing his youngest and most favourite daughter, Cordelia. If Kent were to be seen in England, the penalty would be death. With all of this going on Kent has strong loyalty to the king and feels the need to make sure that he will be allright. For instance, Kent risks his life and disguises himself for the sole purpose of looking out for the king. Now, if the king recognizes him, he will be put to death for breaking the law. This shows great courage and devotion on his behalf.