Looking for the perfect combination of quotes and techniques to make your essay on Past the Shallows shine? I’ve got exactly 50 for you.
Since completing my HSC in 2019, I went from an average rank in English Advanced to a career as a literary critic and a postgraduate researcher in literary studies, all because I learnt how to understand my texts.
I have worked with over 150 HSC English students since 2021, helping them compile quotes and retain their understanding of their assigned texts.
In this article, I’ll walk you through:
- The best quotes and techniques for each theme in Past the Shallows.
- Band 6 example sentences to help you ACTUALLY understand what’s happening with each quote and technique.
- How our AI English Tutor, Artie can help you analyse more quotes and perfect your essay.
Without further ado — let’s get right into it!
How many Past the Shallows quotes should I have in my essay?
1. Loyalty and Brotherhood
2. Familial Tragedy
3. Trauma, Memory and Grief
4. Responsibility
5. Nature’s Wrath and Nature’s Nurture
6. Quotes about the Ocean
7. Past the Shallows quotes about Time
How many Past the Shallows quotes should I have in my essay?
If you want to get top marks on your Past the Shallows essay, you’ll want to know what the sweet spot is for how many quotes and techniques you need in each body paragraph.
First things first, the WORST thing you can do when incorporating quotes is taking 2 or 3 full-length ones and having them take up 100 words of your paragraph. Tempting, I know, but not what markers are looking for.
Instead, aim for short, hard-hitting quotes that capture just enough of what you need from the text and then analyse it in your own words!
Each of your body paragraphs should have between 5-8 quotes and 5-8 techniques each. More than that, and you’re not leaving enough room for analysis.
Loyalty and Brotherhood
| Quote | Techniques | Example |
|---|---|---|
| “Don’t you get stuck here with your dad,” he said. “Don’t you let him… You’re too young to be out there working, Miles. It’s not right.” (Chapter 11) | Dialogue, truncated sentence, imperatives | Parrett’s use of imperatives in the dialogue between Brian and Miles communicates a sense of urgency and emphasises Brian’s concern for Miles’ well-being. |
| “Harry leaned his head back against the chair and thought that if Miles got lost, if Miles never came home, Harry’s insides would go wrong and they might never come right again. If Miles got lost.” (Chapter 31) | Truncated sentence, metaphor, dichotomy | The metaphor of Harry’s insides “going wrong” conveys Harry's deep fear at the possibility of losing Miles, while the truncated sentences build tension and emphasise Harry’s turmoil. |
| “…he looked so young and small, like no time had ever passed by since he was the baby in the room and Joe had told Miles to be nice to him and help Mum out.” (Chapter 35) | Descriptive language | Parrett’s use of descriptive language creates an image of vulnerability as readers are invited to link Miles’ past experience of seeing Miles as a baby to the emotions of the present. |
| “But Harry had a way about him. A way that made you promise to take care of him.” (Chapter 35) | Repetition | The repetition of “a way [about him]” draws attention to Harry's qualities and highlights Miles’ desire to protect Harry. |
| “…just one blue flame too small to feel. But he willed it on, felt the first flicker of warmth as it grew. Then it raged, turned into a ball of fire, orange and red and hungry. It devoured his stomach, moved up to his lungs, his back. Moved into his heart. He shared it with Harry through his skin.” (Chapter 37) | Symbolism, motif, colour symbolism, visceral language | The combination of symbolism and visceral language illustrates Harry and Miles' intense emotional and physical connection, highlighting their pain and their shared resilience. |
| “He leaned his head down against his brother’s shoulder. And he let himself cry.” (Chapter 41) | Truncated sentence, emotive language | The emotive language communicates the release of difficult emotions, with the truncated sentence structure linking this moment of vulnerability to the connection between brothers. |
| “He wondered what Miles would choose to eat first. Whatever it was, he’d choose the same.” (Chapter 4) | Repetition | The use of repetition highlights the closeness and dependence between the brothers, as Harry communicates that his “choices” are influenced by Miles’. |
Did you know that our AI English Tutor, Artie can help you build stronger quote analysis? Here’s how I used the “Analyse Quotes” tool to flesh out my analysis.
Step 1: I selected the quote I wanted to analyse and wrote down some preliminary analysis, trying to include at least one technique into my response, remembering to also describe the effect of the technique.
Step 2: I selected the “Analyse Quotes” feature on Artie and clicked “I need feedback. Help me polish my quote analysis.” I entered the name of my text, the author’s name and the appropriate year level and module.
Step 3: I entered the example sentence in the table above as my topic sentence and copied my analysis into the box labelled: “Enter your Point / Quote Analysis”. From here, Artie generated feedback that identified what I had done well and what changes I could make.
Familial Tragedy
| Quote | Techniques | Analysis |
|---|---|---|
| “What am I meant to do? What am I meant to do?” And he heard her voice rise up, familiar tears. “I grew up in that House, Miles. Don’t I deserve something?” (Chapter 13) | Technique: Repetition, rule of threes, rhetorical question | Repetition and the rule of threes in “What am I meant to do?” emphasises Aunty Jean’s desperation, while the rhetorical question highlights her emotional plea for recognition. |
| “Then they heard Dad yelling from inside. Yelling at them, at everyone. Yelling at no one. And Miles could hear the words. They came through the brown walls, through the air, and cracked open the night: “I never wanted you.” (Chapter 24) | Anaphora, metaphor | The use of anaphora in the lines: “Yelling at them, at everyone. Yelling at no one” reflects the chaos of the Curren household, while the metaphor of words “crack[ing] open the night” conveys the impact of Dad’s anger. |
| “He just kept staring at Harry. And his hand moved away from Harry’s hair, moved down to the string around his neck and he cupped it in his palm – a white pointer’s tooth.” (Chapter 36) | Symbolism, the juxtaposition between the seemingly tender gesture and the fear Harry feels | Harry’s shark tooth necklace symbolises the implied family secret of Harry’s relation to Uncle Nick; further, the juxtaposition assists in building tension in the interaction between Harry and Dad. |
| “He had been drifting for a lifetime and his mind had lost its way. It was dissolving and he had forgotten about Harry, forgotten about all the things that came before.” (Chapter 39) | Motif of water, symbolism of the sea | The motif of water and the symbolic significance of the sea reflects Miles’ sense of disorientation and loss of self. |
| “This is for you,” he said, and he put the tooth in his hands. “For luck.” Miles looked up at George, his eyes full of tears. “You found him,” he said. “Harry.” (Chapter 42) | Symbolism, situational irony | George’s gesture of returning the tooth necklace to Miles symbolises his connection to Harry and the desire to honour his memory. |
| “You remember, don’t you?“…Dad pulled Miles in close, so close that his face was all Miles could see. And it made him sick the way Dad’s face was. The way he looked like he was crying. Like someone had done something terrible to him.” (Chapter 29) | Irony, rhetorical question | Irony is evident in the subversion of expectations, as Miles’ embrace of his father elicits negative emotions not often associated with the bond between father and son. |
| “He let the tooth go. He stared down at Harry. “She was leaving, because of him. Because of you” (Chapter 29) | Implication that Harry is Uncle Nick’s biological son, truncated sentence, anaphora | The truncated sentence and anaphora in “Because of him. Because of you” reflect Dad’s fragmented, accusatory thoughts as he implies that Harry’s biological father is Uncle Nick. |
| “Because the bank owned the boat now. Because the bank owned everything.” (Chapter 2) | Alliteration | Alliteration in “bank owned the boat... bank owned everything” emphasises a sense of loss and powerlessness for the Curren family. |
Trauma, Memory and Grief
| Quotes | Techniques | Analysis |
|---|---|---|
| “Harry picked up an abalone shell, the edges loose and dusty in his hands. And every cell in his body stopped. Felt it. This place. Felt the people who had been here before, breathing and standing live where he stood. People who were dead now. Long gone.” (Chapter 1) | Truncated sentence, tactile imagery | Parrett’s truncated sentences emphasise Harry’s stillness and awe, while the tactile imagery in “edges loose and dusty” creates a vivid sensory representation of the shell, symbolising Harry’s connection to place. |
| “He used to feel sorry for the abs when he was young. The way they pulsed and moved in the tubs, sensing the bright light and heat. But he couldn’t think about them like that now. He was only careful not to cut or bruise them, because once abs started to bleed, they kept on bleeding until all the liquid inside was gone. They just dried up and died.” (Chapter 5) | Descriptive language, symbolism, foreshadowing | The descriptive language vividly portrays the abalone’s vulnerability and fragility, symbolising the nature of human life and foreshadowing the Curren boys’ encounters with mortality. |
| “But Harry stayed where he was. He stayed among the piles of Granddad’s things left on the lawn—all the things that were no longer needed, no longer useful—and he wished that Joe would stay.” (Chapter 14) | Emotive language, visual imagery | The compounding impact of the emotive language and the visual imagery highlights Harry’s longing for stability and connection amidst the remnants of Granddad’s life and in the wake of Joe’s departure from the island. |
| “Maybe that’s why Joe and Miles liked it so much. And he knew that Granddad would have taken him. It was just that he was too little, too small to go, when Granddad had been alive. And if Granddad hadn’t died then he definitely would have taken Harry fishing, too. And it would have been good, like this was.” (Chapter 17) | Anaphora, symbolism of the sea | The use of anaphora emphasises Harry’s yearning, while the sea symbolises a loss of freedom and connection to Granddad. |
| “A shark’s tooth, cold and sharp – a perfect blade everything that a shark was rotted and disappeared, everything but its jaw and its teeth. That was all a shark could ever leave behind” | Symbolism, foreshadowing, allegory for Dad’s behaviour | The shark tooth symbolises danger and, if interpreted allegorically, foreshadows Dad’s enduring but harmful impact. |
| “And the man turned in his seat. He reached over and stroked Harry’s cheek. He looked at Miles. It was Uncle Nick” (Chapter 15) | Dramatic irony | Dramatic irony arises as the audience recognises that the attention Uncle Nick gives to Harry may foreshadow the revelation that Dad suspects Uncle Nick is Harry’s biological father. |
| “It was fully formed, more than half a yard long, maybe only days away from being born. It would have survived if Jeff had just let it go, let it slide off the back of the boat” (Chapter 9) | Arbitrary cruelty, descriptive language | Parrett’s use of descriptive language characterises the cruelty of Dad’s coworker, Jeff, who displays a callous disregard for life by killing a shark and its unborn pup. |
| “And they never found him./Not one bit./ Not his boots./ Not his bones.” (Chapter 2) | Truncated sentences, paragraphs, tricolon | The use of truncated sentences and a tricolon influence Miles’ anxious tone and convey the tragedy and mystery of Uncle Nick’s death. |
| “Harry tried to listen to the talking so that he didn’t have to think about the road. It was a long drive and the worst bit was still to come… that was where his ears usually popped and where he usually got carsick” (Chapter 3) | Sensory language | The sensory language vividly captures Harry’s anxiety through an emphasis on his physical discomfort. |
| “Harry noticed that Miles was holding his hands strangely. They were red and swollen. They looked bad.” (Chapter 4) | Anaphora | The anaphora present in “They were… They looked…” draws attention to Miles’ hands and highlights Harry’s concern for him. |
Here’s another example of how we can use Artie to expand our analysis. I wanted to go into more depth about how “tactile imagery” was used in the quote: “Harry picked up an abalone shell, the edges loose and dusty in his hands.” So, following the same process with the “Analyse Quotes” feature, I got some feedback on how I could expand the example sentence from the table. Here’s the analysis I got from Artie:
“In a moment of stillness, emphasised by Parrett’s use of truncated sentences, Harry picks up an abalone shell, its ‘edges loose and dusty’ evoking the tactile imagery of fragility and decay. The shell symbolises Harry’s strained connection to the natural world, highlighting the theme of connection to place. This connection contrasts sharply with Harry’s fear of water and fraught relationship with his father, highlighting a momentary reprieve in his search for stability. By linking Harry’s connection to the shell to broader human experiences, such as the search for identity and belonging, Parrett invites readers to reflect on the relationship between place, history, and self-discovery.”
Responsibility
| Quote | Techniques | Analysis |
|---|---|---|
| “First day of school holidays. First day he must man the boat alone while the men go down. Old enough now, he must take his place. Just like his brother before him, he must fill the gap Uncle Nick left.” (Chapter 2) | Anaphora | The anaphora in “First day… First day… Just like his brother…” emphasises Miles’ burden of responsibility as he is pressured to follow the family's expectations. |
| “He listened to Joe talk about all the places they would go, the tropical islands and clear warm water, the big bright lights of new cities. The free open space of ocean.” (Chapter 41) | Visual imagery | The visual imagery of “tropical islands” and “bright lights” in Miles’ dreams evokes the allure of freedom and adventure. |
| “And he knew that Joe was going to take him with him, now.” (Chapter 41) | Definitive language | The definitive language present in the line: “Joe was going to take him with him” communicates Miles’ belief in the promise of escap |
Nature’s Wrath and Nature’s Nurture
| Quote | Techniques | Analysis |
|---|---|---|
| “Miles let the rip that ran with the bluff carry him. He enjoyed the ride, felt his hands slipping through the cool water, body floating free. And there was this feeling in him like when it had all just been for fun, the water.” (Chapter 42) | Symbolism of the sea | The sea symbolises freedom and nostalgia as the water reconnects Miles with childhood joy. |
| “It had made it this far, battling its siblings, killing and feeding off them. Waiting. It would have been born strong, ready to hunt, ready to fight.” (Chapter 9) | Allegory | The allegory of the shark’s survival mirrors the harshness of life and reflects the need to be strong to endure. |
| “Everything was clean and golden and crisp, the sky almost violet with the winter light and he wished that he wasn’t afraid.” (Chapter 1) | Fricatives, imagery | The fricatives in “clean and golden and crisp” create a delicate, fleeting tone, while the imagery captures the beauty of the night sky. |
| “They were always in groups, cormorants. Huddled together in groups on the cliffs and rocks, long necks reaching up to the sun. Sometimes they stayed like that all day. Together. Waiting and watching. Resting.” (Chapter 1) | Truncated sentences, symbolism for the brothers | The truncated sentences paired with the symbolism of the cormorants reflect Harry and Miles’ connection, shared struggles and resilience. |
| “Miles knew exactly how dark it was that night, the sky blacked out by cloud so thick that nothing came through – no stars or moon or anything.” (Chapter 2) | Symbolism, foreshadowing | Symbolism in the thick clouds and darkness foreshadows despair and unseen dangers that the Curren brothers will encounter in the novel. |
| “Miles watched the surface change colour – come to life. And even though they were still out deep, away from land, there was places where the water rose like it was climbing a hill, places where the water was angry.” (Chapter 2) | Imagery, the symbolism of the sea | The imagery of the “angry” water conveys the sea’s unpredictability, while its symbolism highlights Miles' struggles. |
| “The cliffs behind were like giant guardians standing tall.” (Chapter 2) | Imagery | The cliffs as “giant guardians” evoke imagery that symbolises protection and strength. |
| “Below in the murky darkness, in the swirling kelp, all you had to guide you was one hand touching the rock wall while your legs kicked you down blind. And that’s where they were, the abalone.” (Chapter 2) | Symbolism | The symbolism in the dark, murky water represents the dangers and uncertainty Miles must navigate. |
Quotes about the Ocean
| Quote | Techniques | Analysis |
|---|---|---|
| “There were things that no one would teach you—things about the water. You just knew them or you didn’t and no one could tell you how to read it. How to feel it. Miles knew the water. He could feel it. And he knew not to trust it.” (Chapter 2) | Truncated sentence, symbolism of the sea | The symbolism of the sea in Miles’ truncated reflection emphasises his instinctive and precarious relationship with the ocean. |
| “But ultimately it wasn’t up to you. This ocean could hold you down for as long as it liked, and Miles knew it.” (Chapter 37) | Allegory for dad’s behaviour | The ocean is an allegory for Dad’s violent actions, reflecting the overpowering and inescapable dominance of both Steve Curren and the sea. |
| “Water that was always there. Always everywhere. The sound and the smell of the cold waves… he knew the way he felt about the ocean would never leave him now. It would be there always, right inside of him.” (Chapter 1) | Repetition, sensory language, symbolism of the sea | Sensory language paired with the repetition of “always” evokes the ocean’s omnipresence while also serving as a symbol of Harry’s complex emotional history with the water. |
| “There was only this vastness, the swing of a giant pendulum—water receding then flooding back. And he was part of it. Part of the deep water, part of the waves. Part of the rocks and reefs along the shore.” (Chapter 39) | Anaphora, symbolism of the sea | The anaphora, emphasising that Miles is “part of” nature, paired with the sea’s symbolic significance, connects Miles to nature’s vastness and highlights the concept of unity with the environment. |
| “It made the dark water sparkle, turned the white spray golden—made the ocean a giant mirror reflecting the sky. Even the leaves on the crack wattle shone in the light. It made everything come to life.” (Chapter 43) | Imagery | The imagery evident in the description of the golden spray and shining leaves brings the scene vividly to life while reflecting the themes of hope and fleeting beauty. |
| “Miles knew the water. He could feel it. And he knew not to trust it.” (Chapter 2) | Tricolon, truncated sentences | The tricolon and truncated sentences build tension, emphasising Miles’ caution and understanding of the dangers of the ocean. |
| “The paddle was easy. The waves were easy. The ocean was at peace. (Chapter 6) | Tricolon | The tricolon portrays a rare moment of calm and balance, contracting Parrett’s frequent allusions to the power and violence of the sea. |
Past the Shallows quotes about Time
| Quote | Techniques | Analysis |
|---|---|---|
| “Harry understood it, right down in his guts, that time ran on forever and that one day he would die.” (Chapter 1) | Foreshadowing | Foreshadowing is evident in Harry’s realisation of mortality, hinting at Harry’s tragic death later in the novel. |
| “And if you didn’t know better, you’d think that no one lived here anymore. That all these places were abandoned. But people were in there somewhere, hidden and burrowed in. They were there.” (Chapter 7) | Allegory, foreshadowing | The imagery of abandoned places and hidden lives serves as an allegory for the emotional isolation experienced by Joe and Miles, foreshadowing the struggles they will face throughout the novel. |
| “He lived for this, for these moments when everything stops except your heart beating and time bends and ripples—moves past your eyes frame by frame and you feel beyond time and before time and no one can touch you.” (Chapter 22) | Water motif, run-on sentence | The water motif complicates Parrett’s use of a run-on sentence, conveying a transcendent, timeless state and linking the ocean to a spiritual experience. |
| “Out past the shallows, past the sandy-bottomed bays, comes the dark water – black and cold and roaring. Rolling out the invisible paths. The ancient paths to Bruny, or down south along the silent cliffs, the paths out deep to the bird islands that stand tall between nothing but water and sky. Wherever rock comes out of deep water, wherever reef rises up, there is abalone. Black-lipped soft bodies protected by shell. Treasure.” (Preface) | Anaphora, foreshadowing, imagery, descriptive language | Parrett’s use of imagery and descriptive language vividly depicts the ocean, while the emphasis on the water foreshadows its symbolic significance in the novel, representing both literal journeys and thematic exploration of danger. |
| “Out past the shallows, past the sandy-bottomed bays, comes the dark water – black and cold and roaring. Rolling out an invisible path, a new line for them to follow. To somewhere warm. To somewhere new.” (Chapter 42) | Cyclical structure, alludes back to the preface | The implemented cyclical structure revisits the preface, linking the novel’s conclusion to its beginning, symbolising continuity and renewal. |
| “Harry understood it, right down in his guts, that time ran on forever and that one day he would die.” (Chapter 1) | Foreshadowing | Foreshadowing is evident in Harry’s realisation of mortality, hinting at Harry’s tragic death later in the novel. |
| “Joe made a sound but he wasn’t really listening. He was somewhere else, maybe still out there in the water with Miles.” (Chapter 1) | Symbolism of the sea | The water symbolises the emotional weight of Joe and Miles’ shared experiences, for Joe’s inability to listen suggests he is mentally adrift, reflecting the isolating and consuming nature of the ocean. |
On the hunt for quotes from other texts aside from Past the Shallows?
Check out our list of quotes for the following texts:
- The Book Thief
- The Truman Show
- Othello
- Romeo and Juliet
- Rear Window
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
- Burial Rites
- To Kill a Mockingbird
- Macbeth
- Things Fall Apart
- Jasper Jones
- The Tempest
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Holden Walker is a Senior English Coach at Art of Smart Education, with 7+ years of tutoring experience. He is currently a PhD candidate in English Literature at the University of Wollongong and was named Art of Smart’s 1-on-1 Coach of the Year in 2024. Having taught over 150 students tutored since 2021, Holden brings a wealth of expertise and dedication to his work.
Tiffany Fong is currently completing a double degree in Media and Communications with Law at Macquarie University. She currently contributes to the university zine, Grapeshot where she enjoys writing feature articles, commentary on current affairs or whatever weird interest that has taken over her mind during that month. During her spare time, Tiffany enjoys reading, writing, taking care of her plants or cuddling with her two dogs.
