Passing On
Encyclopedia
Passing On is a novel written by Penelope Lively
in 1989. It tells the sensitive and intimate story of how a brother and sister’s lives change after their imperious mother dies. The story is set in the South of England in the late eighties.
When the coffin is carried to the graveyard, Helen remarks that her mother is still, even after her death, making her presence felt. As her mother had had a row with the priest when choosing the grave years ago, he keeps casting Helen and her brother distrustful looks throughout the funeral.
From the very beginning of the book it is clear that Dorothy Glovers must have been a nasty woman. A woman who did not treat her children with love and affection, but ruled them and deprived them of life’s pleasures. Only Louise, her youngest daughter, had had the strength to escape from her dominant influence. When the ceremony of burying is held at the grave and the priest is giving his sermon, Helen thinks: „Eternal life is an appalling idea, especially in mother’s case.“
Slowly but steadily, Helen and Edward get used to their mother’s absence and they start to slightly change their lives. Helen feels much freer than before her mother's death and falls in love with Giles Carnaby, their lawyer. She becomes more confident and starts to perceive life differently. Nevertheless, Dorothy, Helen's and Edward's mother still, even after her death, makes her presence felt. At one point, Helen finds love-letters that a former boyfriend of hers had written to her in one of her mother's old cloaks. Her mother had never given these letters to her and therefore had caused the separation of Helen and her boyfriend. Helen is upset, but has to come to terms with it – she cannot confront her mother anymore.
Edwards is a biology teacher. His mother’s does not change much about his life - he remains as reclusive as he had been before his mother's death. He spends most of his leisure time in the wood that is part of the estate he and Helen live at. There he tends plants and watches birds. In the course of the book he turns out to be homosexual. Helen helps Howard through what seems to be a life crisis. By doing so she feels strong.
Helen and Edward live modestly. They only buy what they absolutely need; their lifestyle is rather old-fashioned. This is in complete contrast to the life their sister Luise and her husband Tom lead, who every once in a while drop in at Helen and Howard's place. Luise and Tom live an urban life in London, their problems are those typical of people that live in big cities: lack of time and psycho-somatic illnesses. Helen and Howard, by contrast, lead a calm, monotonous and rather rural life.
Throughout the book it seems as though Helen and Giles Carnaby, the lawyer, will end up in a happy relationship. This does not happen, as in one of the last chapters Gilbert tells Helen that he does not want to see her anymore.
Howard, Helen's brother, is a very reclusive man.
Dorothy, Helen and Howard's mother, dies right at the beginning of the book. All the same, her presence stays with her children. Never has she been able to show affection or love to her children, but instead she ruled them with a rod of iron. Their relationship is ambiguous; once Helen thinks, “I am her daughter and so in the nature of things came nearer to loving her than anyone else did.”
Luise, Helen and Howard's sister, lives a life very different life to that of her siblings. In Contrast to her brother and her sister, she had managed to flee from her mother's reign when she was a teenager. Although she is the youngest, she seems to be paramount to them.
Gilbert Carnaby, a lawyer who is in charge of managing Dorothy's legacy, becomes friends with Helen.
Penelope Lively
Penelope Lively CBE, FRSL is a prolific, popular and critically acclaimed author of fiction for both children and adults. She has been shortlisted three times for the Booker Prize, winning once for Moon Tiger in 1987.-Personal:...
in 1989. It tells the sensitive and intimate story of how a brother and sister’s lives change after their imperious mother dies. The story is set in the South of England in the late eighties.
Plot
The book starts with a funeral. The atmosphere is not, as one would assume, oppressive, but rather buoyant.When the coffin is carried to the graveyard, Helen remarks that her mother is still, even after her death, making her presence felt. As her mother had had a row with the priest when choosing the grave years ago, he keeps casting Helen and her brother distrustful looks throughout the funeral.
From the very beginning of the book it is clear that Dorothy Glovers must have been a nasty woman. A woman who did not treat her children with love and affection, but ruled them and deprived them of life’s pleasures. Only Louise, her youngest daughter, had had the strength to escape from her dominant influence. When the ceremony of burying is held at the grave and the priest is giving his sermon, Helen thinks: „Eternal life is an appalling idea, especially in mother’s case.“
Slowly but steadily, Helen and Edward get used to their mother’s absence and they start to slightly change their lives. Helen feels much freer than before her mother's death and falls in love with Giles Carnaby, their lawyer. She becomes more confident and starts to perceive life differently. Nevertheless, Dorothy, Helen's and Edward's mother still, even after her death, makes her presence felt. At one point, Helen finds love-letters that a former boyfriend of hers had written to her in one of her mother's old cloaks. Her mother had never given these letters to her and therefore had caused the separation of Helen and her boyfriend. Helen is upset, but has to come to terms with it – she cannot confront her mother anymore.
Edwards is a biology teacher. His mother’s does not change much about his life - he remains as reclusive as he had been before his mother's death. He spends most of his leisure time in the wood that is part of the estate he and Helen live at. There he tends plants and watches birds. In the course of the book he turns out to be homosexual. Helen helps Howard through what seems to be a life crisis. By doing so she feels strong.
Helen and Edward live modestly. They only buy what they absolutely need; their lifestyle is rather old-fashioned. This is in complete contrast to the life their sister Luise and her husband Tom lead, who every once in a while drop in at Helen and Howard's place. Luise and Tom live an urban life in London, their problems are those typical of people that live in big cities: lack of time and psycho-somatic illnesses. Helen and Howard, by contrast, lead a calm, monotonous and rather rural life.
Throughout the book it seems as though Helen and Giles Carnaby, the lawyer, will end up in a happy relationship. This does not happen, as in one of the last chapters Gilbert tells Helen that he does not want to see her anymore.
Characters
Helen is a modest woman who lives together with her younger brother, Howard. She works as a librarian, a job that she enjoys. After her mother's death she cannot quite forget her mother and still feels her presence, whenever she is about to make some important decision she is forced to think of what her mother would advice her to do.Howard, Helen's brother, is a very reclusive man.
Dorothy, Helen and Howard's mother, dies right at the beginning of the book. All the same, her presence stays with her children. Never has she been able to show affection or love to her children, but instead she ruled them with a rod of iron. Their relationship is ambiguous; once Helen thinks, “I am her daughter and so in the nature of things came nearer to loving her than anyone else did.”
Luise, Helen and Howard's sister, lives a life very different life to that of her siblings. In Contrast to her brother and her sister, she had managed to flee from her mother's reign when she was a teenager. Although she is the youngest, she seems to be paramount to them.
Gilbert Carnaby, a lawyer who is in charge of managing Dorothy's legacy, becomes friends with Helen.