Furthermore, the mystery surrounding the two characters connects them with the reoccurring theme throughout the novel of fairy stories. Many events and characters can be connected to common make-believe stories. One example is Perry:
That when our father denied us, peregrine gathered up the orphan girls, pressed us so close, we brushed against his waistcoat.’
Here, carter has changed from present tense to describing herself in the third person: it is as if she is describing someone else or telling a fairy story. Also the fact that she has referred to the ‘orphan girls’ is related to the idea of abandoned princesses. There is also the question of whether or not Kitty actually existed or whether Grandma made her up- Carter has left this question unanswered to add further to the mystery surrounding the twins’ lives. Indeed, the reader cannot even be sure that Dora is telling the truth. In some ways, here tales are so detailed that the reader feels she must be giving an accurate account of her life eg: when describing Hollywood, she uses long sentences, containing many adjectives, suggesting that she is truthful:
‘Gnarled, fissured tree-trunks; sprays of enormous leaves- oak, ash, thorn, like parasols.’
On the other hand, these adjectives could show that she doesn’t have a clear recollection of events and is simply making aspects up to sound more interesting than they were. Dora regularly says ‘I can’t quite remember….’ (eg: ‘Gorgeous George’s name) which shows her tales, although they may have elements of truth may not be entirely accurate. The mysterious characters of Kitty and Grandma add to the uncertainty the reader has over Dora’s life.
Despite this similar connection that the two characters have to the magical theme of the novel, they are presented very differently. One way in which Kitty has been presented is a character which the reader is supposed to pity:
‘She was called Kitty, like a little stray cat. Fatherless, motherless.’
The short phase ‘fatherless, motherless’ emphasises her role as an abandoned character who the reader is supposed to sympathise with and the fact that she died a young, tragic death further suggests this.
Her role as a pitiful, vulnerable character makes the reader feel sorry for the twins and their highlights the pain Dora feels about her illegitimate role in society. Carter has used Kitty to increase sympathy for the girls as Dora very rarely speaks directly about unhappy emotions. In fact, the only clue she gives about her painful past is when she states, while thinking about her mother: ‘I can’t bear to think of it any further. It hurts too much.’
On the other hand, Kitty could also be viewed as a strong feisty woman, not dissimilar to the twins. Dora tells the reader of how she imagined her conception to be, presenting her mother as the stronger, more confident parent:
‘She started pulling off her chemise. ‘Now I’ve got you where I want you!’’
Carter has presented her in this way to further show that the members of the Chance family, although not entirely related, are tough and self-assured. Carter has left it up to the reader to decide how they view Kitty: a weak or strong character. Just like Dora, the reader simply doesn’t know what Kitty was like. We are in the same position as Dora in terms of knowing Kitty’s personality so we can sympathise with her feelings: it creates a more personal relationship between Dora and the reader. This is significant because the whole novel is from Dora’s perspective so it’s important that the reader can sympathises with her feelings.
Carter has used Kitty to highlight the girl’s optimistic characters: it would not be unreasonable for them to dwell on the fact that their mother had died and their father rejected them but they don’t this:
‘There was a little sigh behind us and she was gone. That was that.’
They accept their mother’s death which shows their tough reaction to adversity. Carter has also used Grandma’s death to further show their strong characters. When describing Grandma’s death, Dora doesn’t dwell on the matter but sums up her feelings in one sentence:
‘And that was how we lost Grandma.’
To further emphasise their bright outlook on life, Carter has used the phrase ‘What a joy it is to dance and sing!’ regularly throughout the novel- in fact the novel finished with the line, showing that Carter has intended the reader to remember this aspect of the twins’ personalities.
Kitty, unlike most characters in the novel is not referred to in a disrespectful, comical way by Dora. Grandma, on the other hand, has often been used by Carter for humorous reasons: her character is described in a way which makes the reader laugh. Her personality is full of contrasts- she was a naturalist but wore heavy make-up; she was ‘built like an armoured but let off a ‘fine cloud’ of powder if you patted her. Her house seems to represent her exuberant personality: ‘the whole place never looked plausible. It looked like the stage set of a theatrical boarding house.’ By comparing Grandma to the theatre, Carter is highlighting her eccentric personality as well as the bond she shares with the twins: they all have a passion for the stage.
Although, she has been presented in a humorous way, Carter has obviously intended the reader to respect Grandma. She has described the smells of Grandma, explaining how she smelt of ‘crushed mint’ and ‘boiled cabbage.’ This same device is used by Carter to describe most of the things Dora loves. Eg: when describing Dora’s passion for the theatre, Carter uses the same method: ‘we were mute with ecstasy…mingled odours of talc and toilet soap arose.’
By appealing to the senses when referring to Grandma, Cater is showing the reader that she is someone who Dora deeply cares about.
Despite this, Carter has presented many characters so that the reader disapproves of them, eg: Melchior, for rejecting the girls and Tristram for leaving Tiffany. Grandma, however, has been used as a contrast to these characters as she never seems to harm anyone else. She has been presented as the ideal mother-figure for the twins as she is always involved in the things the girls love while they are growing up. Eg: she takes them to dance classes and to the theatre for the first time: two events which obviously make a big impact on their lives. Carter’s use of language emphasises their love for the things Grandma introduces them to eg: when going to dance lessons the tram occupied 'by right of bulk and majesty’ middle of the road and they were dressed like ‘princesses’ when they went to the theatre.
Grandma’s catchphrase of ‘hope for the best, expect the worst’ has been adopted by the optimistic twins: ‘what a joy it is to dance and sing!’ This shows that they have been heavily influenced by Grandma’s teachings and are true ‘Chances’. This highlights the fact that Melchior has failed as a father: the girls do not see themselves as Hazards and seem to view the two families as opposite: ‘We didn’t know then how that Hazards would always upstage us. Tragedy, eternally more class than comedy’
Overall, Kitty’s main role seems to be to highlight the fact that the twins have had painful experiences but prefer to have a more optimistic outlook during times of adversity. Grandma on the other hand seems to be a character who the twins truly admire and is often used by Carter to create humorous events in the novel. Both characters are respected by Dora and therefore show the reader that although Dora has been rejected by her father, she appreciates the family that she’s got. They also add the magical nature of the novel and make the reader question whether everything is what is appears in Dora’s life.