Consider the ways Frayn presents Keiths mother Essays

Consider the ways Frayn presents Keiths mother Essays Consider the ways Frayn presents Keiths mother Paper Consider the ways Frayn presents Keiths mother Paper Essay Topic: Mother To Mother Frayn presents Keiths mother, Mrs Hayward in many different ways by his use of imagery, metaphors and irony. From being a perfect, composed lady who is always in control of her emotions, through a series of culmination, Mrs Hayward gradually develops emotionally and her false facade is unveiled as the vulnerable, passionate woman who searches love and dreams emerge from within her. At the beginning of the story, Frayn uses the third person to portray Keiths mother. She is portrayed as being overly controlled, passive and calm-She spoke softly and smilingly, with a kind of calm amusement at the world. This gives the reader the impression that she is at ease with others and seems trouble free and relaxed at all times. This perfect image projected links to the perfection of the Haywards house as the house is a metaphor for Keiths mother; perfect on the outside yet insecure and vulnerable on the inside. Here, Frayn has created a faà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ade that masks Mrs Haywards true nature. Also, Frayn presents Keiths mother being uncomfortable when dealing with Stephen, as she cannot communicate directly with him- she didnt speak to him personally. This suggests a lack of communication between Stephen and Mrs Hayward as she found it difficult to communicate with others. Instead of communicating orally, Mrs Hayward is shown to favour communication with letters-she posted letters, it sometimes seemed to Stephen, several time a day. This clearly indicates that she feared intimacy therefore did not commute directly face to face. When Mrs Hayward discovers Keith and Stephen sneaking in her room, Frayn presents her as being inquisitive and suspicious-Oh dear-more funny looks, something mysterious going on? This highlights the fact that she recognizes that the boys are up to mischief and therefore her suspicions are aroused. A distinctive change of character in Mrs Hayward is evident when she is presented by losing her cool, collected complacency after confronting Keith and Stephen-What in heavens name are you playing at, my precious? The use of the term my precious has equal menacing and threatening connotations as the phrase Old bean which is used by Mr Hayward when he signals to Keith that he is in deep trouble. Mrs Hayward speaks to Keith with an edge in her voice as shes really angry with him for once. This suggests that she has never lost her control and let her emotions run free before. Additionally, Frayn has presented Mrs Hayward as being very tense and angry not just with Keith but also with herself for carelessly revealing her secret. There is a change in the tone of voice used by Frayn to highlight Mrs Haywards loss of composure and the gentle demeanour as she threatens and scolds Keith by saying-If you behave like a child, then Daddys going to treat you like a child. This firmly shows the serious and sinister side of Mrs Hayward as she hints that Keiths father will punish Keith if he did not obey her. Frayn presents Stephen who also notices the difference in Mrs Haywards behaviour when he states that-Shes changed in some subtle way. Shes become a person with secrets after all. This indicates that Stephen is starting to grow up and see the harsh complexity of the reality of life. It also implies that everyone has something to hide and that no one can be perfect, innocent and pure not even Mrs Hayward. Furthermore, Mrs Hayward is presented as being manipulative and cruel when she warns Stephen by saying softly-I would hate to stop you playing together. This subtle threat is a form of bullying and the vindictive and intentional way that it is delivered strengthens the fact that Mrs Hayward is very willing to manipulate Stephen in order to maintain her dream of being together with Uncle Peter. Frayn shows another example of cruel manipulation by Mrs Hayward when she visits Stephen by bringing a plate that is decorated with roses with two chocolate biscuits on it. As this novel is set in the World War 2 which was a time of rationing, chocolate biscuits would have been considered to be a luxury and a rare, special treat, consequently, the chocolate biscuits would seem to represent a strong gesture of care and love. On the one hand, Mrs Hayward is portrayed as being very generous and caring towards Stephen whereas, on the other hand, this may ultimately be a clever ploy to make Stephen feel guilty and ashamed of himself for spying on her. As a result, Mrs Hayward here is presented as being cunning and manipulative. As well as this, Frayn depicts Mrs Hayward as being spy like. When she finds Stephen following her, Mrs Hayward deliberately leads Stephen to the bins, spies on Stephen and springs a surprise on him by saying You seem to be looking for somebody Not me, was it, by any chance? This rhetorical question is used for effect as it clearly hints that Stephen was spying on Mrs Hayward. The use of irony is employed by Frayn when Mrs Hayward lies to Mr Hayward by saying that she went to Paradise. This is ironic because in reality, she went to the derelict Barns and went through the dirty tunnel therefore it must have been a terrible ordeal for her to go from such an ordered and civilised world into a world of wildness and filth. However, it also suggests that metaphorically she was in paradise as she was so happy being together with Uncle Peter. Frayn unmistakably portrays Mrs Hayward guilt when her pale dress is streaked with green slime and her white sandals squelch muddily at every step. These are visible clues of the crime that she has committed. The use of sibilance by Frayn is significant as it emphasises her guilt and shame. Slime is a motif employed by Frayn, which is a physical representation of her secret and her journey through the tunnels. It is something distasteful, immoral and unpleasant and this is reflected in the language used by Frayn when Mrs Hayward is frantically brushing at her hair and wiping her hands against each other. This suggests that she is trying to wipe away her guilt as she endeavours to free herself from this terrible secret that will ultimately destroy her. In conclusion, through the use of sophisticated language and the numerous literary techniques employed in this novel, Frayn has constructed a vivid portrayal of Mrs Hayward. We are presented with a calm and composed woman at the start and this is dramatically and beautifully contrasted with the emotionally distraught and serious side to her character that is revealed later on in the novel.