Chapters 6/7/8 Flashcards
What symbolism does moon have in literature?
ch.6
- Mystery and The Gothic.
- In ch.6, associated with mystery of Stephen going out in middle of the night.
How is the environment described by Frayn as being affected by the moon?
ch.6
- “silver grey.”
- Motif of silver, links to Uncle Peter - foreshaowing revelation that man Mrs Hayward is hiding = Uncle Peter.
How is the moon described by Frayn?
ch.6
- “pouring softly down….., soothing out all the muddle of the garden.”
- Moon here contradicts gothic association –> seems to be relaxing/ purifying.
How is synesthesia used in chapter 6?
- “The texture of the darkness.”
- “I can hear the size of him.”
What does Geoff say to Stephen when he returns from sneaking out in the middle of the night? What wider theme is this part of?
ch.6
- “Jesus wept.”
- Linked to wider theme of betrayal, Judas handing Jesus over to The Roman Army.
- This idea of betrayal is seen later in ch.6 when Mrs Hayward says “Oh Stephen” after him thudding on top of trap door.
How does Frayn describe the people of The Lanes in chapter 6?
ch.6
- Repetition of word “dirty.”
- Metaphor of him and Keith being “white settlers” in the children’s area.
How does Frayn capture the tension when the “grown man” is behind Stephen?
ch.6
- Short sentences
- Could emmulate fast breathing/ heart-beats.
How does Keith bully Stephen?
ch.6
- Says Stephen is “like a little baby” for not turning around to see the man.
- Calls him “old bean” (like Mr Hayward) - disciplinarian.
How is the land leading to Uncle Peter described by Frayn?
ch.6
- “desolate sea.”
- “low cliffs on a far shore.”
- Uncle Peter’s isolation.
How is the area where Uncle Peter is, The Barns, described by Frayn?
ch.6
- Elder tree: “humiliating position at the very bottom of hierarchy of trees.” suggestion that position of person under is humilating?
- Elder tree: symbol of wisdom/ guiding figure just how Uncle Peter guides children in Close.
- “uselessness of elder’s wood”: suggesting Stephen’s feeling of not getting closer to truth.
- “from the silver-framed heroes” to The Barns. Foreshadowing that man under = Uncle Peter.
How does Mr Hayward speak to Mrs Hayward at end of chapter 6?
ch.6
- “old girl.”
- Demeans his wife, perhaps a hint of her having an affair.
How is the cowardice of Stephen (ie. following everything that Keith says and not questioning it) transformed in this chapter?
ch.6
- Transformed into him being powerful/ dominant –> throwing stones to scare the “tramp.”
- Novel about hierarchy/ power –> control that shifts throughout narrative.
Give an example of how Stephen separated himself from his child-self, ie. speaks in the 3rd person.
ch.7
- “how much did Stephen understand at this point?”
- Rhetorical question, unreliability of memory.
- Separating himself from his child self.
What is Older Stephen speaking about at beginning of chapter 7?
ch.7
- Geraniums.
- Not adding anything to the previous narrative in ch.6 after Mrs Hayward finds out that Stephen threw stones above the “tramp.”
- Continuation of motif of plants.
- Geraniums only blossoming in summer/ then die. Idea of temporary nature of memory throughout.
Significance of the word play, give an example from chapter 7.
ch.7
- Making connections between words rather than actual events, embodiment of how memory pieces random fragments together prior to a full story.
- “Germ-laden Germans.”
How is Mr Hayward described in chapter 7?
- “huge shadow.” His size/ physical masculinity.
- Repetition of present verb: “whistling, whistling.”
How is Mr Hayward described when he beats Keith after he finds that his flask is missing - thinking Keith had stolen it?
- “little smile comes to his lips.”
- Instinct to feel thrilled by inflicting pain on his child.
Repeated image in Mr Hayward’s garage from beginning of novel found in chapter 7.
- “sudden shower of sparks.”
How can the flask, that Mrs Hayward takes for Uncle Peter, be seen as a symbol of betrayal?
ch.7
- Mrs Hayward betrays Keith by letting him take the blame for taking the flask.
Significance of the development of description of Mr Hayward from beginning of novel to chapter 7.
ch.7
- Has initial facade of perfection- eventually exposed as violent.
- Stephen’s views of Mr Hayward (of him being a perfect father) changes throughout novel as he comes of age.
- Mr Hayward plays an important role in Stephen’s maturation.
What repeated image does Frayn use to describe Barbara Berill?
ch.8
- “blue popper.”
Significance of the children speaking about the “sexual deviant.”
ch.8
- Shows their naivety, heard it from somehwere/ are just repeating it.
- Same with the idea of “The Juice” at Trewinnick. Child innocence.
How does Stephen describe the feeling of Barbara Berril on top of him?
ch.8
- “I can feel the bobbliness of leather and shinnines of the popper.”
- “shiny”/ “bobbly” repeated throughout.
- Synesthesia.
- Barbara Berill a huge catalyst in his coming of age.
How does Stephen describe the feeling of smoking with Barbara?
ch.8
- “no longer bound by rules/ restrictions of childhood.”
- Cigarette: symbol of coming of age/ adventure.
- Bulingsroman.
What sort of pronouns does Frayn use when Stephen is recalling his time with Barbara in the hedge? What image does he use to describe them when smoking a cigarette?
ch.8
- “we”: their unity, rather than Keith and his description always being separated ie. “leader” vs “led.”
- “recieve the sacrament”: religious imagery.
Signifiance of name “Chollerton” for The Hayward’s home, how is their home described in chapter 8?
ch.8
- Chollerton: serious village in Northumberland.
- Described to have “standard roses”, conformity to social propriety.
Signifiance of name “Lamorna” for The Berril’s home, how is their home described in chapter 8?
- Lamorna: village on a wild coast in Cornwall, loved by artists.
- Place in Cornwall associated w/ nature just how Stephen’s attraction to Barbara is natural.
- Berril “sisters” are described to be running wild as their father = absent.
- “dog roses” (wild ones) contrasting Hayward’s “standard roses.”
Signifiance of **“Lamorna.” **
ch.8
- Represents Stephen becoming aware of opposite sex.
- Sensual tone from italicised speech w/ elipses - drags out. (pg. 171.)
War imagery in ch.8
- “I see heroic vapour trails scribbled across an earlier summer sky.”
- “Scribbled”: written in his memory.
- Repeated image from ch.2 (idea of Uncle Peter being heroic/ fantastical- still has faith in the idea that soldiers all have out of this world experiences.)
How is it clear that children in The Close are fed the narrative that all germans are evil?
ch.8
- Stephen retorts that “a shot-down German is still a German.”
- Lack of sympathy, irony - considering he is German.
What does Stephen conclude Mrs Hayward is doing with The German tramp?
ch.8
- “takes him to her bosom.”
- Infantile sensual language, still hasn’t developed.
- Immaturity, not understanding what that means - picking up things from adults throughout novel.
