Frayn uses another motif in the passage which is the “dark green slime” Stephen tries to wipe of his hands. The slime is a motif for adultery because adultery is a nasty thing which links in with slime which is also foul and disgusting. Frayn presents growing up through the use of this motif as it hints at Stephens reluctance to grow up into the adult world as he is trying to get the slime, which is associated with adultery, off his hands. Other motifs in the novel are the recurring “x”, which Stephen wants to discover the meaning of, and the name of Barbara Berrill’s home, “Lamorna”. Both these motifs symbolise Stephens sexual awakening.
Frayn’s allusion to Stephens sexual awakening is an important part of his experience of growing up and is symbolised through Frayn’s use of the motifs “x” and “lamorna”. Barbara Berrill plays a significant part in both of these motifs as it is her house which is named “lamorna” and she helps Stephen discover the value of “x”. Stephen pays detailed attention to Mrs Hayward’s appearance as well as Barbara’s and her “big brown eyes” and the recurring motif of “lamorna” is always prompted by them. The “sweet disturbance” that “lamorna” disturbs inside of him represents his feelings aroused by Barbara and Mrs Hayward. However he cannot describe them because he lacks the maturity, experience and vocabulary so this motif is his word for them. Throughout the novel the meaning of “x” changes and somewhat charts Stephens growth and maturity. The first time the motif is used is when Stephen and Keith look in Mrs Hayward’s diary and they discover the x’s occurring once a month. Stephen believes the meaning of “x” is the secret meetings Mrs Hayward has with a mystery German. However the meaning of “x” is then used in the context of algebra when Stephens dad asks him “what is the value of x, if 7X²=63?”. The most significant value of x is from the kiss between Stephen and Barbara when he says “I’ve found a value for x” because it is Stephens first sexual experience.
Frayn records the theme of growing up through the use of sense impressions throughout the passage such as “I glimpse”, “I smell” and “I hear”. Frayn also portrays Stephens growth when older Stephen is remembering how he travelled through the tunnel and says “I feel the awkward twist of my body”. This could represent Stephens growing pains and his changing physique as he is going through the metaphorical tunnel of growing up. Frayn’s use of the word “awkward” also could link back to how he was embarrassed when he was with Barbara which illustrates how growing up can be an awkward time of life.
Other than the passage, Frayn continuously during the novel draws attention to the point that growing up is a terrifying experience. The tunnel motif is also used at various stages for example when Stephen goes through the tunnel by himself at night time. Frayn uses pathetic fallacy when Stephen decides “I should go through the darkness of the tunnel. On my own. And out into the moonlight beyond.” The natural moonlight immediately conjures up scary thoughts as darkness and the moon are associated with horror. Other examples of frightening encounters are with Mr Hayward who constantly intimidates Stephen to begin with by just being present. However as the plot develops Mr Hayward begins to interact with Stephen because he has to and one significant event is with Mr Hayward and the basket when he personally speaks to Stephen and asks him to “Bring the basket”. Frayn uses metaphors in this to emphasise just how frightening it is for a young boy an example of this is when they are both in the garage and Mr Hayward “bends over some small piece of metal held in the jaws of a great vice”. This implies that Stephen is the small piece of metal trapped in Mr Hayward’s jaws and Mr Hayward is terrorizing the basket out of Stephens hands. The breaking of the oath is also a very important scary experience for Stephen as it is the moment when Stephen actually gets physically hurt. Keith uses the bayonet to cut Stephens throat because he showed Barbara their things, Stephen remembers how he felt and how “All I can do is to remain frozen with fear as the pressure of the blade against my windpipe gradually increases.” From this evidence the reader can empathise with Stephen and understand how horrifying it must have been to be hurt by someone who was allegedly his best friend.
Frayn portrays growing up as a confusing time of life and shows Stephen as naïve and an unreliable narrator. During the novel there are many references to Stephens naivety such as the x’s in Mrs Hayward’s diary which “whatever it is, happens once a month”. Stephen believes they are secret meetings with the enemy however the reader may realise that the x’s could in fact be her time of the month instead. Frayn also uses rhetorical questions to demonstrate Stephens confusion for example when Mrs Hayward asks Stephen personally to stop spying on her but not to tell Keith he says “But how can we possibly proceed if I don’t tell him this one?”. This proves to the reader that Stephen is obviously confused as to where his loyalties lie, should he obey Mrs Hayward or should he tell Keith the truth?
In conclusion the extract and certain events in the novel show Stephens reluctance and hesitance to grow up. Frayn’s presentation of growing up through the various techniques and experiences discussed help the reader understand why Stephen may be feeling like this. The secrets Stephen learned and the ordeals he faced would have frightened anyone, perhaps even an adult, but being a child the feelings and emotions that came with them must have been magnified. There is a quote from the passage that I believe sums up the theme of growing up which is “a desolate no man’s land”. This is a metaphor of the piece of land in the war which belonged to no one and reminds the reader of the war setting but also shows Stephen’s state of growing up which is one that is neither a child nor a man but in-between.