Revision:Spies - Oppositions

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GERMANY/ENGLAND

• Germany: Stephen's homeland, where he was born.
• England: Stephen and his family moved here - Jewish refugees.
• He visits England to try and make sense of his fragmented memory, initially triggered by the smell of the privet bursh. Essentially the places/countries represent his journey from childhood to adulthood - England being the location of his childhood memories and Germany the place of his adulthood ones. Frayn associates PLACES with MEMORIES in this way. Dual narrative reflects this.
• Locations also reflect his conflicting perception of identity ~ England or Germany?

BRAVE/COWARDLY

• Keith is seen to be the braver character, the more dominant one and also the leader of the two friends.
• "he was the leader and I was led."
• "he's the one who was the hero of our projects, not me."

Stephen also has some brave moments within the novel:

• "All my bravery in the night now counts for nothing."
• Although it is seen to be over-ruled by Keith. Despite this, he does also have moments of cowardliness:
• "I can hear my teeth rattling together, like dice in a dice shaker."
• However, he is perceived as brave in the way that he faces his fear of germs:
• "The slime is full of germs - I'm getting germs all over my hands."

HERO/VILLAIN

• Both apply equally to Keith's Father, Ted. Stephen's perception of him at first is that he's a hero... "unshakeable correctness". He seems very important and heroic as he has a job in the Home Office and has a car, "The car was another perfection." which was rare and expensive at the time... especially to Stephen.
• However, he possesses villainous qualities... "terrifying smile" and the fact that he "whistled richly" intimidates Stephen. Also, the fact that he is so superior to his family as well as Stephen, rubs off on his son Keith and this makes him appear villainous once again.
• "Keith's eyelids come down a little; one of his father's looks again."
• "his father's tone and his father's phrase."

Also, the way in which he uses phrases like "old bean" become slightly haunting and it emphasises the fact that he won't address Keith in conversation.

I can't help but think about the similarities between Keith's father and Hitler. I may be taking this too far, but I think they definitely possess some qualities which are the same... e.g the car, the canes, the authority and superiority over others and also the torture. It's interesting that his behaviour rubs off on Keith because Hitler's behaviour and way of thinking rubbed off on many during the time. It is also interesting and somewhat ironic how Stephen and his family escaped Nazi Germany because of Hitler and yet when they arrive in England, Stephen is again faced with a Hitler-esque figure and torture. Just thought I'd throw this in here... What are your thoughts? --

Ted's heroic status or title is then dramatically reduced when at the end, we learn of Stephen's father's position and job. It is only in hindsight that we learn this, whereas before in comparison Ted had appeared more heroic as he had a job, car etc. Now Stephen's father is the hero whereas he was more of an embarrassment to Stephen. e.g. embarrassing phrases such as "schnick schnack"

RESPECTABLE/NOT RESPECTABLE

• In Stephen's eyes....
• Respectable = Keith's family
• Not Respectable = Stephen's family

All do to with social status - Britain's hierarchy.

"Keith's... has two yellow bands on a black background, mine two green bands. We're socially colour coded for ease of reference."

"Green and black are the colours of the wrong school."

Stephen = not as well dressed as Keith = clue to wealth of families.

"Stephen Wheatley, the one with the stick-out ears and the too-short grey flannel shirt hang out with the too-long grey flannel shorts."

RESPECTABLE

• His playroom's as well-ordered as the rest of the house."
• "The car was another perfection."
• "family's unshakeable correctness."
• "Keith's father... forever making perfection yet more perfect." = this is impossible... Stephen manages to portray him as God-like and makes him appear somewhat supernatural.
• "a polished oak hall stand."
• "delicate chiming of the clock"
• "gleam of silver" = all house details = emphasis of wealth.

Stephen's perception and high views he takes of the family influences the reader's ideas and opinions of them.

Page 24 - Sounds like he's speaking to royalty which emphasises his admiration of them. Takes it a step further to Keith himself. He feels honoured and privileged to have gone to his house.

• Thank you for having me. Thank you, thank you."

He has low self-esteem.

• "I was acutely aware, even then, of my incomprehensible good fortune in being Keith's friend."

However, respect for the family is lessened when we find out about the bullying.

• "I suddenly realise where he learnt to practise this particular form of torture with this particular instrument."
• "sharpening the bayonet."
• "I turn around to see his father watching us, from the doorway of the garage... Thermos."
• "His mother, in the heat of summer, has taken to wearing that cravat pinned high around her neck."
• "That didn't hurt. If you think that hurt, you don't know what hurting is." = physical and mental pain/torture. This point changed from seeing family as heroes to subjecting and inflicting of pain.

Stephen's perception of own family at start = awkward, lesser beings. At the end = loving and supporting ~ all the qualities you want in a family. Keith does not have this, therefore making Stephen's family more respectable in terms of moral values.

• "My father puts his arms around me. My mother strokes my hair."

MALE/FEMALE

• Men and women are separate entities.
• Typical roles/stereotypes are that men go to work/war and women stay at home "posting letters" etc. BUT roles are REVERSED as Keith's father is seen to stay at home and his mother, metaphorically speaking, goes out to war.
• Men = MR H = sinister - smile - moon. "selection of canes" = hardened appearance... suggestion of torture/discipline.
• Women = figures of society and security, MRS H = maternal instinct and has motherly qualities e.g write letters, "faded blue apron", "spoke softly and smilingly", "welcoming, friendly"
• She's more refined = writing lessons.

Role of men and women merges and overlaps. Contextually war sparked changes... men would go to war and so women would have to work.

BARBARA BERRILL - Stephen's interest in women is increased during the novel, starts to become sexually awakened. Women are used to measure his maturity, for at the beginning he says Barbara is "beneath our notice" and ends up kissing her... again this emphasises him growing as a boy and far from the baby which Keith makes him out to be... "crawl".

He describes both their manner and appearance.. attracted to both B and Mrs H.

Awkwardness between sexes but is lured in by both. Sexuality awakened.

• "her knickers on display beneath."

He appears embarrassed in the presence of both:

• "Your face has gone all squidgy."
• "Didn't you know about people having boyfriends and girlfriends?"

He's clearly vulnerable and exploited by Barbara. The roles are again reversed as men are usually the more superior and authoritative ones. Keith always seems to be the more subservient one in any relationship throughout.

BUT Mrs H becomes exploited and vulnerable - mask off.

• "her legs, neatly but shamefully crossed beneath her navy-blue summer skirt." ~ tries to resume her perfect aura but is still shameful.

However she still manages to invade and make Stephen uncomfortable.

• "nowhere left except the bit in between, and that part of a lady, as I've known for at least a year now, is her bosom, and as unthinkable about as a privet."

Her bosom on display gives us evidence of her maturity in comparison to Barbara's. The fact that the privet is brought up again, primarily exposed my Barabara, emphasises how Mrs H is more of a woman and how it is so much more embarrassing for Stephen.

Reference to the colour BLUE:

• "navy-blue summer skirt"..."faded, blue apron" - Mrs H.
• "The purse is made of bobbly blue leather, and closed with a shiny blue popper." - Barbara.

= BLUE could be symbolic of women... a colour in which Stephen associates with women. Sexuality awakening?

The fact that both women are older than Stephen heightens the sense of adventure, danger and also makes the romance more exciting... somewhat more desirable.

• "Mr mother is a Germany spy."

Automatically, the roles are once again reversed. She's now seen as different, not just because of her job but because she has a man's job. Makes her a somewhat feared character, which is ironic because of her warm persona. The contradictions are seen to confuse Stephen... especially when it comes to sexuality.

FRIENDS/ENEMIES

• Enemy is primarily the Germans, as Britain is at war with them.
• At first, Stephen is best friends with Keith but he soon becomes an enemy. One reason why is because of his bullying of Stephen = "bayonet".
• The friendship also becomes fragile whilst Stephen tries to juggle being friends/boyfriend girlfriend with Barbara and friends with Keith.
• Keith = "They're the eyes of a stranger" .... It's implied that this look is one of his Dad's looks.

INSIDER/OUTSIDER

• Social class.
• German Jew.
• Stephen and Keith = outsider on Mrs H's actions... only she knows the truth.
• Stephen and Keith on insiders on Privet hideaway, box, logbook, but outsiders invade e.g Geoff, Mrs H and Barbara.
• Stephen is an outsider to Keith's family and the torture, but is somewhat "let in" when Keith bullies him - NOT NICE because he finds out Keith's family/home life is horrible and undesirable.
• Barbara = outside of boys' friendship because she a girl and is older but she manages to work her way in through Stephen.

ADULT/CHILD

• Locations = childhood to adulthood as mentioned above.
• Adult trying to piece together fragmented memory from childhood.
• Children don't have the same understanding of the world as adults do e.g relationships etc. Children playing spies game with childlike ideas of mother being a spy, when she is in fact dealing with very adult matters.
• Stephen is seen to experience adult like feelings of love/lust in the duration of the novel.

Actions/personality of Keith's father start to appear in him:

• "his father's tone and his father's phrase."
• "Keith's eyelids come down a little; one of his father's looks again."

LOYALTY/TREACHERY

Stephen's loyalty lies with Keith... swearing session... "cut your throat and hope to die." = childhood rituals. The loyalty/seriousness of loyalty is reassured when Keith cuts Stephen's throat:

• "He's going to go on until he breaks the skin."

Affairs in story ~ Barbara's mum

• "Mummy's got a boyfriends... He's an air-raid warden."

Compares Mrs H's smile with Uncle Peters.

• Page 87 - "I think of her friendly, open smile. No one could smile like that and have any secrets from the world. I think of the trusting way that Uncle Peter smiles back at her from the silver frame on the mantle piece."

There is an INSTANT CONNECTION here, but we only pick up on it reading it through again. Clues = theme of spying. It's ironic because Stephen makes the connection, he just does not see the significance of it.

Stephen betrays Keith:

• "I've betrayed Keith. I've let a stranger into our special place."

PRIVATE/PUBLIC

Things are done in private = Mrs H and Peter, bullying, log book, box, "sharpening of the bayonet", Keith and Stephen's hideaway, "schnick schnack" is kept a private phrase for most of the time, Barbara, meetings with Mrs H, following Mrs H into tunnel.

WAR/PEACE

War is very much in the background of this novel, although is is the basis of the story. Indications of the war being present are the planes overhead, the train and railway track and the bombed house.

• "the trains on the real railway."
• "Even the sky has changed. Once the war was written across it in a tangle of heroic vapour trails."

Also, the fact that the wheels are off the car is another sign of war.

• "wheel nuts... locked away in a secret drawer."

BUT it is a thread which runs throughout the novel and is the basis for the idea of a German spy. It's why Stephen was in England in the first place, and why Stephen as an older man comes back and visits.

Very peaceful place = on suburbs and war was mainly in London and suchlike areas. Freedom to run around etc.

No evidence/worries of rationing:

• "The jug of lemon barley... it's our elevenses... two biscuits on a tray."

Comments

Originally posted by srslysweets on TSR Forums.