Since going over the main characters in class, i thought i would add a blog from Emily and I about Ada Lumb as we came across some very interesting symbols and links towards the war and other aspect's of the book. Enjoy.
Ada is the mother of Sarah, whom is currently going out with Billy. She is a very protective mother who cares about her daughter a lot and would do anything to protect her girl. Ada's function is mainly what she represents and the symbolics of her character.
‘By the mixture of bullying, wheedling, cajoling, questions, speculations, wild surmises, bitter silences, extracted the whole story of Sarah’s relationship with Billy Prior...’ – this quotation is at the beginning in which Aba has just been introduced into book, this statement is very strong and powerful which shows her personality and how she feels very strongly about things. Ada seems very strong about her thoughts and different things which she doesn get to have a say about, Ada pushes for what she thinks is right. This is shown later on.
‘The waitress came to remove their plates. ‘Anything else madam?’ Aba switches to her genteel voice. ‘Yes, we’d like to see the menu, please.’ She waited til the waitress had gone, and then lent forward to deliver the knock-out blow. ‘No man likes to think he’s sliding in on another man’s leavings.’- Page 194, again you can see the change in attitude and the way that Aba is able to change from yelling to being a kind lady once again. She is very persistent at trying to get Sarah to end her relationship with Billy, but makes sure that she won’t get blamed for that and stays out of the fire.
‘Aw, go on. It’s not often I get a chance to spoil you...’ After being awful to Sarah, she then goes back to being nice and acting like nothing has ever happened, she seems to have a spilt personality which she could be put in hospital for as it can become a problem it gets out of control.
‘She wiped a hole in the condensation on the window. Outside the people were moving shadows’, the pavements of Princess Street jumped and steamed with rain. ‘- This quote is about Sarah more than Aba, but it shows how she is trying to get throw to the glass but her mum is getting in the way which is the condensation which won’t go away every time she wipes it, showing the affect that the mum has on her daughter. Sarah is feeling this way because her mum is trying to control her relationship, as she doesnt approve of this and tries to turn Sarah away from Billy. This reflectes on Ada's past, she is trying to raise her daughters prefectly - as if she is trying to protect them for the mistakes she has made in her past. Trying to raise her girls to be something that she was never able to be. This is shown in the quote below.
‘Ada, ox-jawed, determined, ruthless, had struggled to bring up her two girls alone, and yet, when it came to teaching the girls, she’d tried to encourage all the opposite qualities.’ Ada is almost trying to hid something from her past, make up for her mistakes and making sure her girls dont turn out like Ada. This creates a spilt image for Ada, as she has a different side to her. Just like the Goverment; she is hiding the truth about herself, and trying to protect her girls, or the cilvens and not let them know what is/has gone/going on. This link is very important to the book as it shows one of the reasons why Ada is in the book - and how she links to these different aspects and the importances of the hiden link of what the goverment is doing and the affect of war on not just the soliders but the people around them, the people that sent there sons, grandsons and friends.
[Symobls]
- Role of women during the war, strong women, working hard without any help. Having to do everything for themseleves.
-Goverment, as stated in quote earlier.
-War, Ada is at her own war with her daughter. She is the general, pushy, foucefull, persistance. She is pushing her solider (Sarah) but makes sure that she doesnt show the fear inside her of failure or disapointing her soliders or family. Deep down she is scared of losing, scared of not winning, and letting her children/goverment down.
[Links]
-Link to Billy, pretending to be normal and fit into a world they dont fully understand or belong too. Hiden problems and secerts.
-Goverment, hiding their mistakes; covering up the past.
If you have any more points feel free to add !
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