their battle. Throughout the novel Nathanial overcomes his cynicism and begins seeing signs of The Dark everywhere, most centrally in the past; in studying the history of Cheshunt he uncovers many parallels between his situation and past events. Throughout the story he also gradually learns that each of his fellow members have deep personal demons, and his role in The Chain and the Binding of the Dark becomes clear in the final chapters, where the grand showdown between The Dark and The Light takes place. Major themes Good versus evil The most obvious theme of the novel, as cited by readers and critics, is that of good versus evil. The issue is dealt with by examining the concept of evil as a malevolent force existing outside of human action from the view point of a character largely defined by logic and rationality. Such an approach creates an air of realism in what is essentially a fantastical plot. The questioning nature of the protagonist (Nathanial), coupled with the story's revelations about the pasts of the town and of the other central characters, also help steer the novel clear of simplistic notions and raise more philosophical questions about the nature of humankind. Depiction of evil It is concluded by the novel's end that the town of Cheshunt was not only a place that harboured "evil" as a force, but had been "scarred" by evil as a choice and consequence of mankind, perpetuating a sort of vicious circle. This theory extends the fundamental theme of Good Vs Evil beyond both the concept of Good and Evil as two separate, mutually exclusive forces of life and the more humanistic concept of both good and evil as components of human nature by incorporating these two ideas into one. It is perhaps this device that contributed to the books popularity amongst children, as it depicts the world with both childlike simplicity and mature, analytical complexity. It is suggested within this book that evil, like history, has a habit of repeating itself. This is shown through the evil that once grew in Cheshunt many years ago, when the town's old caretaker died (a significant plot point). The presence of Lallie, who seems to be some kind of spiritual being rather than a physical person, hints that it is recognized by some kind of greater consciousness that evil will repeat itself and something terrible will happen again. Existentialism