THE PLOT SUMMARY OF THE NOVEL, PATH OF LUCAS: THE JOURNEY HE ENDURED
BY SUSANNE BELLEFEUILLE
Path of Lucas falls under the genre of Literature, faction and dwells on family life
and love. The author explores when life was sweet and full of promise. It follows
Lucas as he and his love Isabelle, start their lives together. There are many
challenges along their path, yet he soldiers on and overcomes many hardships. His
love for his beautiful wife and family gives him the strength he needs to rise above
sorrow and loss. His courage and unwavering commitment to his wife along with his
unwillingness to succumb to his own pain allows him to be the strength that she
needs to help her overcome her severe depression and the triggers that took her to
a far away place.
The author employs the use of flashback to tell most of the story as narrated by
Lucas Clarkson and continued by Lucy. It explores in depth, family life, bond,
responsibility and love which Lucas displays throughout the novel. The author tries
to emphasize the close knitted relationship in families as displayed by John and
Elizabeth Clarkson and Authur and Stella. Though these two families are socially
apart but we see the beauty of the love that emits from these two homes.
Then, we meet the Burgeois family which gives us a privy into a different set of
family where love is expressed among the siblings but not from their parents, that is,
the family of Isabelle, Lucas’ love interest and wife.
The novel weaves the love story of Isabelle and Lucas; exploring their innocence and
genuine love for each other, the challenges, struggles, pains and their eventual love
even hereafter. It is a novel filled with some tragedies as we witnessed the death of
Richard, Steve, Isabelle, Lucas and a host of others.
Lucas’ devotion to his parents and immediate family is quite inspirational as it
discloses that no family bond can be made without sacrifice and self denial. His
marriage and pursuit of his dream of becoming an A Class Mechanic takes him to
Oxbridge but he has to return to the farm after a passionate plea from his father
who revealed his failing health and financial bankruptcy due to his support to Mary’s
family. Mary’s husband, Joe is a drunk and an irresponsible father which made his
family to become a heavy burden for John Clarkson to the point he had to sell one of
his acquired farm land to offset their mortgage.
Lucas eventually returns to Alexandria as a good son to John despite the toll on his
family. He begins to live his old life and that is when some of the tragedies started.
He is still struggling to come to terms with his first son, Richard being diagnosed with
cancer when his father died. As the family continues to live through the pains of
losing John, Richard’s health deteriorates which leads to his death. Lucas grieves for
the loss of his son but has to stay strong for the rest of the family.
Again, he has to struggle with bringing his wife, Isabelle out of depression who
almost became obese due to her grief and then, Elizabeth dies. While Isabelle
discovers the pains of Lucas and attempts to support him after she has started
getting back to life , her health condition is disclosed and she suddenly dies to heart
attack without even saying goodbye to Lucas which devastated him.
All these Lucas tells Lucy while in coma which miraculously brings her back to life. It
is at this point that the author takes over the narration disclosing that Lucas has
been battling with heart problem and on the day that the family comes to celebrate
Lucy at the hospital, Lucas dies of heart attack like his wife, Isabelle.
The Path of Lucas is filled with tragedies as there is so many loss of lives but the
charming love story of Lucas and Isabelle lightened it and makes a good read.
Susanne tries to point out family love, bond, sacrifice and self denial which are
lacking in so many families in this generation.
THEMES
1. Family life and love
-Lucas and Lucy’s relationship
-the entire Clarkson’s family
-Authur and Stella’s family
-the Bourgeois family
-Lucas and Isabelle’s family
2. Friendship and Loyalty
-Lucas and Steve’s
-France and Isabelle
-Isabelle and Julia
-Lucas and Isabelle
3. Sacrifice and self denial
-Lucas’ sacrifice
-Isabelle’s
-Isabelle and France
4. Parental Responsibility
-John towards his family especially, Mary’s
-Lucas to his family
-Joe to his family, etc.
NARRATIVE TECHNIQUES IN THE NOVEL
1. Use of Language
-Simple language for easy read
-Use of short sentences
-Fusion of French and the English language
-Descriptive language
2. Point of View
-3rd person point of view
-Omniscient POV
3. The Use of Symbol
-Monarch butterfly
-Rose breasted grosbeaks
4. The Use of Flashback
-highlights mediarex plot
-discloses pains and joys of the narrator
-gives insight for better understanding.
