🚶🏼♀️➡️Maureen Flashcards
Mau
‘her fuzzy red hairstyle looks like a flaming halo.’ (Ch. 6)
This simile compares Maureen to an angel, and implies to the reader that Maureen will be a saviour-type character to Leon. From the first chapter we see her, she is connected with passion (the ‘flam[el’ of the halo might represent her fierce love) and healing.
V’ll keep saying it until you believe me, Leon. You will be all right and that, mister, is a promise.’ (Chapter 11)
Maureen’s reassuring tone here shows how much she empathises with Leon and wants to support him. However, she promises him things which she cannot know are true, and perhaps Leon senses the dishonesty in this.
‘Er, no, Carol. No, you cannot. […] He hasn’t got much else, has he? He’s not at home with you where he should be and he hasn’t got his brother, which he’s finding bloody hard if you don’t mind me saying. (Chapter 14)
Maureen’s frustration with Carol is evident here as she snaps when Carol wants to take the picture of Jake for herself. Although Maureen tries to keep her negative thoughts about Carol to herself, when seeing Carol’s self-centred nature first hand, it comes out.
*She smells different, she looks different and she sounds different, but when she snuggles him and rubs his back she is the same.’ (Ch.
19)
Leon recognises here the frailty of Maureen- she is ill and in hospital, and no longer able to look after him. The anaphora of ‘she’ and a sense emphasises the contrast between Maureen before and after the illness. However, the unconditional nature of their love is revealed with the power of her hugging him.
*deep in his brain, he can hear something screaming and wailing, the new realisation that Maureen is just like everyone else. […] He smiles. Just like Maureen has a soft voice and Sylvia has three or four different voices, Leon can have a pretend voice as well.’ (Ch. 35)
Here, Leon thinks that Maureen plans to abandon him to go with Sylvia to the seaside. This is the catalyst for him running away- the person he felt like he could depend on most in the world has seemingly betrayed him. The motif of the pretend voice emerges agin, but this time, it’s Leon who has learnt to lie and cover up his emotions. This is a key turning point in the Bildungsroman
Have you had a wee? You’ll need a sandwich before bed. Bet you’re starving aren’t you? You’re back. That’s enough for now
Chapter 40
When Maureen is finally over her anger at Leon sneaking off, she reverts back to her old ways: checking Leon has had a wee and feeding him. We realise her anger was founded in upset and worry, and are relieved their relationship is beginning to get back to how it was
‘This isn’t the whole of your life, love. This is a bit of your life! (Ch. 41)
After seeing Carol, Maureen recognises that Leon is in a bad place in his life, but tries to be pragmatic (realistic) and acknowledge that sometimes we all go through bad periods in our life, and this is one of Leon’s. This reminds us of Sylvia’s statement in Chapter 25, that ‘we all have adventures. Some are good, some are not so good! De Waal’s story seems to be didactic (teaching us a lesson): we will all go through bad times, but they won’t last. The ending is both optimistic and realistic
