Beka Lamb

The four pillars of life include staying connected, motion, nutrition and reduction of stress. In the novel, Beka Lamb, by Zee Edgell, these pillars are examined. A novel about the upbringing and changes a young girl goes through. She makes some mistakes throughout her life but she soon realizes that she needs to alter her ways. With the help of a close friend, considered to be like a sister, she is able to look at life differently. Their friendship helps them to transform.

Beka is a young teenager, going through a tough time in her life. Her parents had enrolled her in a Catholic school in order to give her a best education. They want her to strive to be the best that she can. While at school, Beka became lazy and ended up failing her first year at the school. Aside from being a poor student, Beka is also a liar. Rather than telling her parents the truth, she lies and as a result, takes a beating from her father. Her best friend, Toycie, tries to guide Beka onto the right path.

Toycie is a few years older than her friend. She is now in fourth form at the Catholic school. As a child, she was abandoned by her parents and left to be cared for by her Aunt Eila. Characterized by her Aunt as a Queen, Toycie is almost the complete opposite of Beka. She is beautiful and studious. The quality that links them together is their ability to find themselves in bad situations.

Their friendship had developed at a young age and has grown into a sisterhood. As a job, Toycie took care of Beka and her brothers. From there, the two shared many secrets. Being each others’ confidant, they spent a lot of time together. They would go on walks and share their thoughts or ambitions with one another. They also had a system of checks and balances. When Beka was in trouble at school, Toycie offered to help her with her studies. She also urged Beka to be truthful with her parents. In return, Beka tried to persuade Toycie to find help when she became pregnant. Beka was also there for her when her boyfriend refused to accept the baby as his own.

In Toycie’s hardest times, Beka was always around, trying to help. Because of their strong friendship, Beka wanted to be her shoulder to lean on. In the first few months of her pregnancy, Toycie became very nauseous. While at school, she was vomiting everywhere and Beka would run to her rescue. She would clean up after her and try and check up on her as much as she could. The day that Toycie was expelled from school, Beka was waiting right outside the principle’s office and nurtured her when she fell ill again. Soon, Toycie became withdrawn and lost touch with reality. Being such a close friend, Beka had still tried to comfort her but she would not accept the helping hand. Although Toycie became too much to handle and distanced herself, Beka was still loyal and tried to reconnect with her. Until Toycie’s dying day, Beka still tried to regain the friendship she treasured with Toycie.

Bonds are also formed amongst the characters because they are constantly talking to each other. The Lamb family is always talking. There is a great bond between Beka and her Grandma Ivy. They share a room together in the attic and are very close. When Toycie first tells Beka about her pregnancy, her first response was to go to Granny Ivy. She knows that Miss Ivy is able to hold a secret and give advice. Also, throughout the book, Beka is found spending a significant amount of time on the verandah with her grandmother. There they talk about the politics of the country. Miss Ivy also pushes Beka to attend political meetings about the People’s Independent Party, which she is an active member of. Being that they have a strong relationship, Miss Ivy also helps Beka with her household tasks and school work. It is evident that they hold a better relationship than the one that Beka and her mother, Miss Lilla, possess.

Besides the connection between one and others, there is also a connection within themselves. In the novel, Beka is not connected to her innerself. She does not see her potential in being an intelligent, independent person. By not doing well in school, she is denying herself of personal growth. Also, by lying, Beka is forming a distance between her and her parents. To be able to become one with yourself, one has to realize the flaws that they possess. After Toycie’s accident, Beka realizes that she wants better for herself. She begins to concentrate more on her studies.