The Cone Gatherers by Robin Jenkins

Biography Robin Jenkins was born in Cambuslang, Scotland in 1912. After attending Hamilton Academy Jenkins studied English at the University of Glasgow, graduating in 1936. He was an English teacher in Glasgow for a number of years, moving to the Borders at the start of WWII. A conscientious objector to the war, he worked for the Forestry Service in Argyll. He first started writing after the war, his first novel, So Gaily Sings the Lark, was published in 1951. He later moved abroad, working for the British Council in Afghanistan, Spain and Borneo. In 1968 he returned to Scotland, and became a full-time writer two years later. Jenkins has written around thirty novels, and in 2002 was awarded the Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun prize by the Saltire Society for his lifetime achievement as a writer. He was also awarded an OBE in 1999. Robin Jenkins died in 2005, aged 92.

Plot 1 Chapter 1 - Neil and Calum introduced (rabbit scene). Duror introduced (obsessive watching of the men). Chapter 2 - Duror’s character developed (home life - nagging Mrs Lochie and invalid wife Peggy). Hatches a plan to rid of forest of brothers with deer drive. Chapter 3 - Roderick introduced at cricket. Duror lies to Mrs Morton (housekeeper at big house) about hunchback Calum performing an obscene action in the forest. Mrs Morton gives Duror the chance to save himself from madness through an affair. Duror chooses not to. Chapter 4 - Lady Runcie-Campbell introduced. Duror suggests using the cone gatherers as extra beaters at the deer drive for Captain Forgan. Deer hunt established. Duror’s evil plan unfolds. Chapter 5 - Duror delivers message of deer hunt duties to brothers in tree. Duror afraid of heights. Creation of tension and suspense. Neil is defiant – “We’re free men”. Duror’s first thoughts of suicide.

Plot 2 Chapter 6 - Deer hunt. Erchie Graham introduced. Duror’s madness develops - hallucinations. Neil and Calum participate despite earlier defiance. Calum spots deer, shouts warning, deer is shot. Calum grabs it around neck in despair. Duror throws him off and holding deer lovingly, cuts its throat. Lady Runcie-Campbell blames Calum but cannot decide if the brothers should stay on or not - leaves decision up to Duror. Duror’s intentions more evil now - does not want them to go but wants to destroy them completely. Chapter 7 - Saturday visit to Lendrick. Neil is bitter and rebellious after the hunt - going to get drunk. Everyone shows them respect. Chapter 8 - Roderick and Lady Runcie-Campbell argue over not offering the brothers a lift home in their car. Duror goes to Doctor - Duror healthy physically suggests problem may be sexual frustration and needs psychiatrist. Doctor offers three solutions to Duror’s condition: affair with another woman, religious acceptance or endurance. He has decided against an affair earlier, he does not believe in God and his ability to endure is about to snap. Chapter 9 - Duror again thinks of suicide. Duror visits pub and sees brothers being treated well. English soldier tells joke about a monkey and sees Calum and apologies. Duror is foiled - Good defeats Evil. Chapter 10 - Lady Runcie-Campbell’s dilemma (Christian values and upper class values). Roderick’s “pilgrimage” to cone gatherers with cake - sees Duror and cannot go to their hut - “Struggle between good and evil never rests”.

Plot 3 Chapter 11 - Storm breaks and brothers shelter in Lady Runcie-Campbell’s beach hut. Ejected into middle of storm when Lady Runcie-Campbell, Sheila and Roderick arrive. Roderick objects to his mother’s treatment of them. Chapter 12 - Neil is angry - asks Tulloch to take them back to Ardmore. Chapter 13 - Lady Runcie-Campbell lectures Roderick on his upper class duty - he goes off to see the brothers and apologies for his mother. Chapter 14 - Tulloch meets Roderick - tells him not to bother the men. Duror brings the doll to Lady Runcie-Campbell. Realises he is ill -Tulloch worried. Chapter 15 - Roderick gets stuck up the tree gathering cones. Lady Runcie-Campbell feels it is the duty of the brothers to save him. Chapter 16 - Erchie goes for the brothers against his will. Neil refuses - “we are not her servants.” Erchie meets Duror - tells him about brothers. Duror stalks off enraged – snaps. Erchie returns and explains. Lady Runcie Campbell runs to find Calum murdered and Duror shoots himself. She kneels and weeps.

Setting Time: World War Two- references to a destroyer, rationing, siege of Stalingrad, soldiers on leave, enlisting, conscientious objectors, spam, land girls. Place- a wood, an enclosed space which can be claustrophobic. Owned by a wealthy land-owning family. What happens in the wood is a microcosm of violence in the wider world. The wood itself is neither good nor evil but it is what characters bring to it. Duror sees the forest as his place and the Cone Gatherers as having defiled it. Roderick sees it in terms of magic and heroism - what he aspires to Calum is at home with nature. Neil is hostile to it.

Key Scenes There are three key scenes in the novel: Chapter 6 The Deer Hunt Chapter 11 The Beach Hut / Storm Chapter 16 The Ending

Characters 1 Calum - spiritual, saint-like, pure and innocent. Epitomises goodness, looks up to his brother, loves nature, doesn`t understand violence and cruelty, speaks to all as equals. Physically deformed, but with an angelic face, mentally naive, childlike, good at carving. Neil - older brother to Calum: loves, resents and worries about Calum, believes in social justice, athiest, practical, keen sense of his rights.

Characters 2 Duror - obsessive, hates anything deformed, desperately unhappy - tried to enlist 3 times, sexual repressed, bitter about his life, cruel and manipulative, liar, brooding, descends into evil or madness. Peggy - now obese and bedridden. Speaks in a very simple way. Had been active and pretty. Miserable, whining and constantly harking back to her past. Mrs Lochie - hard, dour and considers looking after her daughter (Peggy) a Christian duty. Dislikes Duror and constantly points out his faults to him and tries to get him into trouble. Angry at God for the fate of her daughter and the effect on her.

Characters 3 Lady Runcie Campbell - wife of Sir Colin, estate owner. Has strong Christian beliefs which are in conflict with her position as Landowner and Lady of the Manor. Very beautiful. Thinks she is being fair but is quick to be persuaded by Duror. She is in charge of the estate in her husband`s absence but knows the situation will change back after the war. She asks others for their views and is prepared to change her mind. She is often caught between duty, the ideas of her husband and the ideas of her father. Is trying to be a good estate owner. Roderick- clumsy, physically awkward, has been removed from school for unspecified reasons. Tries hard to be like the brothers, wants to be physically agile. Has a very strong sense of fairness and justice and isn’t afraid of speaking out to his mother. Is very imaginative and sees the wood like some magical place for Knights. Sheila – spoilt, a contrast to her brother. Highlights the snobbery of her social class. Lacks compassion, mocking and hard to the brothers.

Themes War – shown in setting and most characters’ actions Social Issues / Class - tensions within all of society Good vs. Evil - symbolised by Calum and Duror Nature – the good and the bad of the natural world and human nature.

Symbolism Calum - symbol of goodness Duror – symbol of evil / madness Cones - rebirth, change, a new way Nature - things have a certain, unavoidable order Trees - silver firs - symbol of class division Trees – rotten tree - symbolic of Duror’s mental state Doll – innocence or a tool of manipulation