this all foreshadows the fatal outcome of the novel. “murder” will be the killing of Calum as he believes that getting rid of him will put himself out his suffering but once he is dead Duror is filled with “infinite desolation” and commits suicide. “infinite” means forever so Duror felt a forever loneliness filled Duror and he could not endure anymore. At the start of the novel, Duror in his sneaky actions leaves an injured rabbit as bait to lure Calum out and help the injured animal. When Calum goes to help the crippled rabbit he said: It was a good tree by the sea loch, with many cones and much sunshine, it was homely too, with rests among the topmost branches as comfortable as chairs”

Later in the novel, Duror imagines the evil growing inside him and his wish to shoot the cone men is like a tree: Calum throughout the novel is portrayed as a gentle and innocent character who cannot understand why anyone would want to cause harm. Yet, Duror and to an extent Lady Runcie Campbell do cause harm and for no better reason than he is physically deformed in their eyes. Jenkins uses the persecution of Calum as a direct comment on mankind's brutal nature and an insight to World War 2 where the entire world was involved in killing each other. Durors persecution of Calum is in direct parallel with Adolf Hitler's persecution of the Jews and the disabled as Duror “profoundly agreed” with Adolf Hitler sending millions of “idiots and cripples to the gas chamber”.I’m so glad I no longer have to be in that classroom reading out paragraph after paragraph of this horrible horrible book but I will never be free of the cursed knowledge that I read it multiple times. I hope with the dissolution of the SQA it will finally be taken off the curriculum. Lady Runcie-Campbell is a classic example of moral exceptionalism- “I can’t be bad if I’m a Christian??” she says as she stands in her stately mansion while everyone around her suffers the actual effects of the war. Boring, self-centered, unlikeable. The Cone Gatherers (also The Cone-Gatherers) is a novel by the Scottish writer Robin Jenkins, first published in 1955. Calum does not understand the violence and pain being caused all around him, Calum is somewhat innocent to the fact but clearly affectionate and caring that he doesn't want the deer to die. He is naïve but has a peaceful nature, If everyone shared the views of Calum and his morals the world would be a better place, this shows Calums character to be gentle, caring and innocent.

both LRC and Duror are in contrast with Calum, as they see him as deformed and beneath them, Calum is loving and caring and views everyone as the same, so much that he helps the animals that he is at one with all the time. Calum views animals as equally important to himself and he is a gentle caring character. Another incident in the novel is the deer drive scene. Jenkins lets the reader observe just how innocent Calum really is. Calum is at one with nature and animals and when the deer is hurt: The woods, representing the Garden of Eden. While the outside world is filled with the death and destruction of the ongoing war, the woods are filled with life and colour.The obsession Duror has for the brothers grows stronger, leading to the climax, when Lady Runcie-Campbell discovers Calum hanging dead from a tree, having been shot by Duror, who subsequently shoots himself. Jenkins uses the symbolism of trees to portray the sides to good and Evil. Jenkins uses the world of nature to represent human nature. In nature animals kill each other and so to do humans. But this is something Calum cannot understand, he views it as one of life's “terrifying mysteries”. Jenkins therefore uses trees to show the healing power of love and good, but also the horrid evil that is growing in Duror. If the book reads like a play, then a lot of the action takes place off-stage. Two pivotal moments in the book happen out of the reader’s sight, Duror’s encounter with Lady Runcie-Campbell when she visits his wife, and the final confrontation between Duror and the two brothers. These scenes become all the more powerful because we are left to build them ourselves in our imagination. The character of Duror’s wife is case in point - she only actually appears once to the reader, yet she seems to haunt the book throughout, a dark, uneasy presence. During the heated moment when Duror is in his deluded state of mind and about to slaughter the deer Calum cares so much for the animal that he tries to save it. This shows Calums complete love for everything around him and his caring side that he wishes no pain or suffering upon anyone, or anything. He puts his own life at risk to save the deer. This also links onto the War as to Calum:

No one character in this book is well written, developed past their 2 dimensional archetype prisons, nor likeable in the slightest. The only character I had any sympathy for was Neil, he had to put up with the most shit, and maybe Peggy, who’s crime is being fat and chronically ill. Duror is self aware and understands that he is becoming evil. He understand that he is plotting to get rid of Calum and he is going to use Lady Runcie Campbell in his scheme. By telling her lies about Calum. Yet he cannot understand why his feelings continue to darken. It is a troubling symbolism as trees are fed from natural sources like water and the sun. Yet Durors madness is fuelled by a deep rooted angry hatred of Calum. Just as Durors evil is growing and getting bigger so to is this evil tree spreading its way through Durors mind growing and goring making his madness unbearable. Jenkins uses Calums death as a catalyst for change in the life of Lady Runcie Campbell. When she sees Calum dangling from the tree: “she wept pity, and purified hope, and joy, welled up in her heart”.This is due to the fact that she has suddenly came to terms that she has been failing her own Christian value and that to an extent she is a part to blame in the death of Calum. She immediately goes to on her knees “near the blood and split cones” and this is showing her at the same level as Calum, the hierarchy and the social ladder doesn't matter. Calums death is made similar to the crucifixion of Jesus. Jesus died for the sins of humanity. Will Calums death bring salvation to LRC. This again links to the World War two – will the deaths of the millions at war bring salvation and change our minds and attitudes. Jenkins true hope is that people will become like Calum to be innocent and gentle and not harm other living creatures. An added bonus. Quite near the end the phrase 'pillows and prayers' is used. I've had a good search around and I can't find any other reference to this phrase besides the title of the Cherry Red Records compilation of the same name from 1982, that famously sold for "no more than 99p" and featured songs by Tracy Thorn, Felt, The Nightingales, Ben Watt and Eyeless in Gaza, amongst others. Even if it's not true, I'm determined to now believe that the title of this album, that holds such a special place for many of us of my generation, is a reference to The Cone Gatherers (originally published in 1955). Calum, embodying innocence and purity. Calum is symbolised as Jesus throughout the novel and this eventually leads to his depiction as Jesus being crucified when he is murdered by Duror at the end of the novel. [2]The cone-gatherers of the title are two labourers on a Scottish estate during the Second World War, who spend their days gathering pine-cones from the treetops so that the forest can be replanted after being cut down for lumber to help the war effort. A job so unexpected and remote from modern-day life that it sometimes felt like reading about men in a sci-fi novel performing some incomprehensible and repetitive task on an alien world. Not only is LRC physically getting down in the dirt to care for Calum but it also resembles the change in social class, throughout the full novel LRC has made sure the cone men now where they stand in the hierarchy, but now Calum has died she is realising she hasn't been true to her Christian values and is down at the same level with Calum in the puddle of blood with the social ladder being forgot in her head. LRC to an extent is partly to blame for the death of Calum. Murder is the main conclusion of the novel as Duror kills Calum, although here we are shown that Social class and the hierarchy is so important to LRC that she would care if the cone men were to die outside, LRC is not following her Christian beliefs here and views the cone gatherers as such less that she would be more than happy to see them out in the dangerous storm, death isn't important here its here keeping her status above the two men. It’s easy to see why The Cone Gatherers is used as a set text for Higher English classes (in Scotland at least - I don’t know if this is the case elsewhere) - it’s a short but dense novel, heavy with symbolism, at times almost threatening to collapse under the weight of its symbolic and thematic density. It’s by no means a difficult read, just very intense….and pretty bleak, it must be said.

Jenkins uses the beach hut scene in the novel to create a strong impression of Calums character. Calum and Neil enter the beach hut without permission to shelter from the dangerous storm outside. Calum finds Sheila's doll outside and describes it as: The novel is often used in Scottish secondary schools, where it is taught as part of the Higher English curriculum. rape” is the violent sexual assault he will commit on a doll that he will bring to Lady Runcie Campbell to blame Calum for destroying the doll. This doll references to Calum “It was a small wooden doll naked, with a comical red cheeked face: one leg was missing” the doll has a beautiful face but a deformed body just like Calum, with Duror assaulting the foll its like he is assaulting Calum. He is trying to destroy Calum by creating lies about violent sexual actions when Duror is in fact the one doing thee crimes. In a way Duror is projecting his feelings onto Calum. When Duror arrives home he knows he cannot endure it anymore.The trees here are portrayed as a home to the two men. living in such a way is entirely natural and suggests that their way of life is good and they are at one with nature, through the use of pathetic fallacy. The tree here is similar to the first book of the bible, where there is a tree of knowledge Good v Evil. Therefore, we know trees can represent both good and evil in Jenkins novel and the forests represent the idyllic setting of the Garden of Eden. Yet even in this perfect place, mankind rebelled against god and had to be banished. Callum. I don’t know if I’ve seen such a ridiculous portrayal of disability in a text I’m meant to take seriously since reading this book. He’s physically disabled, therefore must be mentally disabled, therefore must be and innocent creature of god who can do no wrong and has zero personality past his disabilities? Yikers if I’m honest. he could not touch or even look at it” the tree in front of his house has been a symbol of his endurance and after the appointment he cannot even look at it suggesting that the evilness in Duror has finally weakened to his maximum and now he will have to do something about it. Calum symbolising the crucifixion of Jesus - sacrificed himself to erase all human sins. Links to Calum's sacrifice as the break in divide of social class and war