« And what would happen to Ben now?  » to the end (p. 131 / the end Vintage Edition – p.157 / the end Harper Edition) This is the closing passage of the novel.  Ben is about to leave home for good and Harriet and David are about to get themselves a new house leaving Ben behind. The...

..."Leering and jeering and shouting encouragement."   This passage is situated at the end of the novel.  Ben is now a young teenager and Harriet and David are pictured together for the first time for quite a while.  They are in the kitchen at first and there is tension between them. - Describe the...

  Passage 8 p94 “And where was Ben?” to p96 “The pressure of those inhuman eyes of his had entered her sleep and woken her.”   In this passage, Harriet sees Ben outside his home for the first time after taking him home from the institution and it changes her point of view on her son.  ...

...seen anything like it,' said the young man.”   This passage takes place several  weeks after Ben has been taken to an institution in the north of England. The whole family have enjoyed the relief of not having him around and so has Harriet but she feels haunted by guilt and decides to go and...

...lap...” to p74 “At once. Tomorrow.”   This passage is situated in the second half of the novel. Ben is now three years old. He expresses himself with simple straight forward sentences to say what he needs but there is no satisfying communication with the other family members. Furthermore,...

...know, this little terrier is really cute and it's difficult to imagine strangling it... but not for Ben ! pages 62, 63 and 64 "Towards the end of the holidays..." to " 'Everything has gone a long way beyond. Period.' Said Dorothy." Facts : This passage begins at the end of the summer of...

...mealtimes and when the children were downstairs with the adults.  Family times, in short." Facts : Ben isn't 6 months old yet. The scene takes place towards the end of the summer just as the school term is beginning. Harriet has gone to take the older children to school. Dorothy (the grand-mother)...

...parts : - the scene in the kitchen - the scene at the doctor's 1. in the kitchen : We witness Ben's feeding in this scene and all the adults present watch him gulp down bottle after bottle of milk, much more than what he should be taking. 2. at the doctor's Harriet takes Ben to Dr. Brett's...