Analysis

The analysis of the short story “Hemi’s Gift” by TJ Corrigan shows that the story follows a linear and chronological plot structure. The story describes the narrator’s bus ride from Auckland to her home city of Whāngarei for her father’s funeral. 

The main characters of the story are the unnamed narrator and Hemi. The narrator initially tries to distance herself from Hemi but ultimately Hemi becomes a source of comfort for the grieving girl. 

The physical setting is a bus going through northern New Zealand as well as the outside area of a diner at the halfway point of the bus’s journey. The social setting explores the stereotypes Māori people face in New Zealand. 

The story is told from the point of view of a first-person narrator who is also the main character. She describes the events as she perceives them and reveals her inner monologue and flashbacks. 

The language is informal and contains cultural references, Māori words, and slang. The language expresses the unfiltered thoughts of the narrator and the casual dialogue of the characters. 

You can read a more detailed analysis in the following pages.