The themes in Susanne Bellefeuille’s Path of Lucas: The Journey He Endured include love, devotion, and determination. In this blog post, we are going to discuss these themes in Path of Lucas.
Theme of Love
Love is one of the dominant themes in Path of Lucas. The novel is a story of love demonstrated by Lucas Clarkson and other characters. Lucas’s love for Isabelle is shown in his readiness to wait for her to fulfil her duty of taking care of her siblings before getting married. He shows tolerance, which is a product of love, by staying with Isabelle even when she cannot communicate in English.
Lucas’s love for his loved ones is evident all through the novel, in fact, the reader is given the impression that it is Lucas love that gets the family going. He gives up his dream of becoming a certified Grade A mechanic, just to help his father in his farm and to avoid the farm being sold. His love for his wife and children is greatly expressed in the following lines: “ . . . she looks up at Lucas feeding the baby. She feels joy and love for the wonderful father and loving husband” (Chapter 20).
He demonstrated a rare kind of love by leaving Uxbridge to help the father in his farm and we see how important this is when his father says “Son, thank you so much for moving back with your mother and me.” John says this with teary eyes. In response, Lucas says “Dad, we are family after all, and I am here to help you get through your difficult times” (Chapter 20).
When Isabelle falls into depression, Lucas once again shows his love for his wife by not giving up on her, even against the advice of the doctors. He stays by her side and nurtures her back to health, albeit, through many challenges.
Theme of Devotion
The theme of devotion is one of the noticeable themes in Path of Lucas. Lucas shows a great deal of devotion towards his parents, wife and children by certain choices he takes. He extends this attitude of devotion towards his work and this is shown in his promotion at work after only a few months. He also stays with his daughter, Lucy, in the hospital, placing her health above his personal comfort.
The theme of devotion is also evident in other characters. John, Lucas’s father, drives Isabelle, Lucas’s wife, to the hospital even in his weak state because Elizabeth does not have a driver’s license. This act shows that importance is placed on every member of the family, their position and age, notwithstanding.
It is this same devotion that keeps the family going even during difficult times. Lucas stays with Isabelle during her period of depression and we are told “Lucas does not want to hear what the doctor is saying. He knows there has been no progress, but he is not one to give in. Lucas has always been persistent and placed his family first” (Chapter 28).
He tells Dr Jones “I believe in my heart that this will work. I know it is like finding a needle in a hay stack, but this is my last chance to have my wife back” (Chapter 28). Such is his level of devotion to his family. It is clear in the following lines: “. . . he pats Lucas on the shoulder with admiration for Lucas’s devotion and underlying love” (Chapter 29).
Theme of Determination
The theme of determination runs across Path of Lucas and is shown by different characters. Lucas is determined to build a happy family and at the same time, continue to give his unflinching support to his parents. He tells his father “Thanks, Dad! I feel like I’m fighting for all of our lives and will do anything for her” (Chapter 29). Lucas knows he is not physically strong for what he wants to do, but he is determined to take the risk of going the length to inform Lucy’s brothers of her recovery. He endures series of jolts to his heart, determined to make the call and get back to Lucy’s side. He does not care about the possible consequence which comes shortly as shown in the following lines: “Lucas is almost to Lucy’s room when another jolt hits his chest, and this one brings him down to his knee . . . He knows this is serious and that there is something very wrong as he falls flat to the floor.” He dies from this final jolt and he is reunited with his wife, Isabelle.
In the early part of the novel, Lucas is determined to go on a date with Isabelle despite the fact that she cannot communicate in English: “For the rest of the week, Lucas is preoccupied thinking about his date with Isabelle. Lucas tries to learn a few French words; he practices his French daily while he works, and then he rehearses in the evening with his mom” (Chapter 5).
Further Reading:
- Chapter by Chapter Summary of Susanne Bellefeuille’s Path of Lucas
- Characters in Susanne Bellefeuille’s Path of Lucas
- Memorable Quotes from Susanne Bellefeuille’s Path of Lucas
- Chapter by Chapter Summary of Pede Hollist’s So the Path Does Not Die
WHATSAPP: Click HERE to join the new Literature PADI WhatsApp channel to receive latest updates on your phone and for further literary discussions!
