In David Malouf's novel Fly Away Peter, several key ideas are introduced by pairing them with the natural environments surrounding the central character Jim. Malouf presents ideas about the horror of war and the destructive nature of humanity, demonstrating how such aggression affects the natural environment. In doing so, Malouf creates a series of binaries or opposites, contrasting characters and the world around them. The most extreme example of these binaries is innocence versus experience, which is a predominant characteristic in the characters who interact with Jim throughout the novel. This contrast becomes evident in the natural environments (grassy, ​​mountainous environment, muddy moat) and in the way the characters interact: the mutual respect of the sanctuary compared to the defacement of European battlefields. Furthermore, the symbolic use of birds in the novel creates a strong contrast, with Malouf moving from colorful, harmonious birds to dark images of crows overhead. In the book's three settings (“the sanctuary”, the “quiet area of ​​the front” and the trenches) Malouf presents his key ideas through changes in the natural environment. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Malouf initially describes a peaceful and beautiful natural environment: “the sanctuary.” This is a place where Jim is happy and safe, like a second home, and through powerful imagery, Malouf constructs an image of paradise. This paradise is free from any harm or suffering, a clear reference to the biblical Garden of Eden. It is quickly made clear that the sanctuary is a beautiful place, "the land in that area gradually rises towards distant mountains, immensely blue", clearly using the imagery to captivate the audience in Malouf's construction of a perfect place - representing innocence by Ashley and Jim. Within the paradise there is peace, with “each section supporting its own birdlife; territorial boundaries…which the birds were free to cross, but did not do so”. This is combined with the description of beautiful birds and has the effect of building the basis of a powerful contrast, in that case identical to that of a tragedy. It is during Jim's time working near the shrine that he learns of the outbreak of war, which Malouf uses to show the innocence of the young men queuing to enlist, which contrasts with the knowledge of Miss Harcourt's experience , initially described as "angry" at the idea of ​​Jim leaving for war, but then tries to appear indifferent, even to the point of reassuring him that she will be "in charge", demonstrating the immense care she has for Jim . In terms of key ideas, however, it serves to show that nature is beautiful without the terrors of war that tear it apart and how it manages to maintain this beauty and peace without being afflicted by human nature, which then tarnishes European cities with war. ; transforming beauty into muddy and horrible battlefields - a progressive change presented by Malouf. The following section shows Jim's life spiraling out of control as he feels the world "tilt" him towards the "Hellmouth" and takes place while the company of troops spend some time in the "quiet section of the front", which serves to introduce many aspects of both the plot and key ideas through the introduction of the experience; a transition point between environments and sections of Jim's life, where for the first time Jim is forced to "repress his black rage." This section is an introduction to the obvious and stark contrast that will be presented in the third section of the novel, in which it is quickly established that he is surrounded by "local people whose farms were where he was.