Modern literary critic Jan Cronin noted in regards to the novel that ‘the past increasingly leaks into the present’ and readers cannot help but concur where Frame weaves Grace’s childhood into the fabric of the present. This is not just with literal transitions into her memories, but also through Frame’s technique of making resonating parallels between characters of Grace’s past with characters of her present which she does superbly in this instance. As characterized here, the young and naïve Sarah who cannot distinguish between reality and narrative fiction, with Anne having to explain that “animals had been in the library book to be shared with other children, and now Sarah had a new book with different animals and people” , directly reflects Graces inability to do so also as a child (“Grace is a Jackdaw”, p69) and more sadly as an adult (with her constant delusion that she is a migratory bird). Readers who notice this parallel between Grace and Sarah acknowledge how Frame is ardent to show that like Grace’s mental illness, her past is also inescapable no matter what situation she is in.
In shaping the situation of the Winchley Market venture, Frame additionally shows how Grace’s divided sense of place are persistent also, by using salient mood and imagery which contrasts with other parts of the novel. The atmosphere of the Market is described as “warm with bodies, steam, sweat, smells” with “rows of stalls…flashy jewellery and knick-knacks where a young man and woman were standing, staring at chocolate box picture.” – thus crafting an environment of pleasantness and warmth. Readers should note how when Grace is with the Thirkettles and thinking of England she is always “warm”, however when reminiscing in solitude of New Zealand she is cold (“immediately the chilling air surged near her” pg.83). Grace’s feelings of warmth in England may well be symbolic of her relative happiness in the country, compared to the cold New Zealand which holds many painful memories of her childhood and of how she was “a certified lunatic…advised to sell hats for [her] salvation.” Readers may then appreciate this situation at the market in how it shows these feelings of happiness and warmth in the protagonist of whom are aware has been through much adversity in their past.
Though her mental illness, childhood and divided sense of place permeate this Winchley market venture, Grace’s personal growth as an individual is evident also, where Grace remarks “Wonderful, Grace agreed, with a brazen air of – I like flashy things, you know, I appreciate this market!”. The tone of voice here is vividly joyous and exciting, and is a vast development from the pre-weekend Grace who seemed incapable of projecting any lively emotion. To further emphasize Grace’s growth, Frame uses the stunning figurative “Grace felt as complete and shimmering as a mermaid” – where the beautifully elegant metaphor indicates her improvement from a woman who once had a very negative view of herself. As readers have most likely waited 15 chapters for Grace to feel “complete”, it would come as no surprise if this was the special highlight in the novel. Because of the arrestingly beautiful language and tone Frame employs here, it is with certainty that this moment was a special highlight for Grace’s (and therefore Frame’s) life also.
In her critical review, Joy Cronin also wrote ‘Phillip (the journalist) and Anne frequently meld into Grace’s parents, George and Lottie’, and the Winchley venture is perhaps the best example of this in ‘Summer’. Grace’s perception of Phillip and Anne in this situation is clearly clouded with applied resonations with her own parents, where in contrast to her “shimmering as a mermaid”, Grace “felt sorry for Anne. She guessed that Anne may might not have another chance during the week to buy the sheeting that children, house and home (and Ulysess) would be taking all her time” which purposely mirrors the greatly domestic role of Lottie who also made sacrifices for her family and Grace’s strong guilt she felt for her hardworking mother. Grace’s symbolism of Anne as her mother is matched with her dramatic perspective of her exchanges with Phillip, where she creates a tension between the two with conveyed tones of “mild disapproval”, and “ashamed” emotions but more effectively her incessant repetition of domesticity including “a domestic dream”, “domestic matters” and “Anne’s eyes were clouded with what could only be described as domestic concern”. Her identification of Phillip and Anne as her parents reflects her almost Freudian desire for new parents who would lovingly say to each other “-All right love” as the Thirkettles did.