Brushes and paints
Lloyd has set his journey to explore the small Irish island for the first time. As he gets into the boat, the author writes, "His brushes and paints were in a mahogany chest wrapped in thick, white plastic. He carried the chest to the edge of the pier." Accordingly, to represent Lloyd's ambitions and career, the author strategically positions this sight imagery. In the imagery, the reader sees Lloyd's artistry instruments that he will use on the island. The primary motivation of Lloyd when he reaches the island is to paint every cliff in sight to symbolize his love for the local culture.
The Atlantic Ocean
One of the biggest expectations of Lloyd, when he decides to travel to the Irish island, is to experience the ocean and take films for his future reference. However, as the author puts it using imagery, the journey was chaotic. The author writes, "Waves knocked the boat left, then right, shoving him from one side to the other, bouncing him, rolling him, and jerking his neck, his back." The imagery is significant because it shows Lloyd's determination to achieve his ambition once he arrives on the island. When the waves persist, the boatman tells Lloyd they can go back, but he insists that despite the strong waves, they must continue the journey until they get to their destination. Therefore, Lloyd's determination to do his painting on the small island is stronger and cannot be matched with the strength of the wave.
The old island men
The boatman and Lloyd arrive at the island and get an opportunity to interact with the island's old men. The author says, “The boatman talked to the old island men, toothless mouths in suit jackets crusted by dirt and sea salt, faces deeply furrowed, etched by wind and sea salt." The perfect image of the old man whose profession is fishing is important because it represents James' ambition to run away from the burden of cultural expectations. The only economic activity for the island men is fishing, but James wants to get away from the island and do something else. When James first interacts with Lloyd, he falls in love with his paintings and completely changes his mindset. James does not want to be like the old men with furrowed faces, but he hopes to be a professional doing a clean job. Lloyd motivates James, allowing him to learn and explore his talents to have a better future.
