‘I understand now that it will involve frightening difficulties and wrenching conflicts of loyalty. I have a profound intimation of the solemnity and sadness of things.’
The narrator uses war connotations, such as ‘wrenching conflicts of loyalty’, in order to put emphasis on the gravity of their situation. This is a microcosm, in which Keith and Stephen’s world is perceived as being a war or conflict of some sort and acts as an embodiment of the Second World War, in which it is a sinister world of lies and espionage, as in the Second World War, many people changed sides. Furthermore, ‘frightening difficulties’ can be seen as an allusion to the Second World War, as the many forces were to face a whole variety of hindering difficulties. In addition to this, ‘wrenching conflicts of loyalty’ is a cataphoric reference as Stephen finds himself in a troublesome predicament at one point or another: saving Keith from a caning or withholding information to protect Mrs. Hayward. Furthermore, sibilance is used in ‘solemnity and sadness’, in order to emphasise the sombreness of their new adventure, with Stephen unaware of what is really going on. This is, in effect, a metanarrative, which puts emphasis on the various effects of espionage, as Keith and Stephen’s spywork acts as a minor representation of espionage as a whole in society.
Therefore, Stephen’s gullibility is presented in order to foretell his ultimate exposure to the actual realities.
The narrator presents Keith’s family as chaotic so as to put emphasis on his misinterpretations regarding the Haywards.
‘His family have taken on the heroic proportions of characters in a legend – noble father and traitorous mother playing out the never-ending conflict between good and evil, between light and dark.’
Dramatic irony is used, as we know that Mrs. Hayward is not a traitor at all, yet at the same time is having an affair with Aunt Dee’s husband, Uncle Peter. This emphasises the sexual awakening and maturing of Stephen, as he has not been exposed to such things thus far. Furthermore, oxymorons are used, ‘good and evil, between light and dark’, which is ironic, as Ted is a sadistic, abusive husband and father whilst Mrs. Hayward is a victimised wife, someone who has engaged in an affair with her sister’s husband due to the abusiveness of her own spouse. Stephen is not aware of these happenings until later on, and so it accentuates their respective facades, as Ted is a former war hero yet at the same time is a manic husband who abuses his wife and canes his son regularly, whilst Mrs. Hayward is a reserved wife and mother who is pleasant and described as being ‘very attractive’. Moreover, ‘His family have taken on the heroic proportions of characters in a legend’ is both ironic and a hyperbole. It is ironic as Ted Hayward is a sadistic man who abuses his family, and because we later discover that Mrs. Hayward has entered an illicit affair with her sister’s husband. It is also a hyperbole as it seems highly unlikely that commonplace people could attain the somewhat abnormal traits of characters from folklore.
Therefore, Keith’s family is depicted as being immersed in secrecy and as being vague in order to conceal their intentions.
Stephen is presented as inarticulate so as to emphasise his insecurities.
‘I find it very difficult now to reconstruct what I’m feeling – it’s so large and complex. Perhaps the largeness of the feelings is the most noticeable thing about them.’
A paradox is used so as to put emphasis on the genuinely sad tinge of the writing, as Stephen’s low self-esteem is pathetic and it reveals that Stephen might not be a remotely interesting person, which accentuates how insecure Stephen is. Furthermore, largeness is italicised in order to put emphasis on Stephen’s numerous emotions. Moreover, one can infer that Keith is a foil used to oppose Stephen’s strong values and so this accentuates his vulnerabilities. Due to Keith, he finds it hard to express himself.
Therefore, Stephen is presented as being unable to express himself in order to emphasise Keith’s hold over him.
