The Narrator’s Mother Character Analysis in The Ocean at the End of the Lane

The narrator and his younger sister’s mother is a rather vague character in the book—given the narrator’s lack of interest in adults as a whole, he describes his mother only in broad strokes. Like her husband, the narrator’s father, the narrator’s mother seems to have cared deeply for her children before the family fell on hard times—but given the family’s economic situation, she’s become disaffected and distant. She gets a job in an optometrist’s office not long after the novel begins, which takes her away from the house and necessitates Ursula Monkton’s employment as the family’s housekeeper. The narrator’s mother is also involved in charity work in the evenings. She loves Ursula and seems to have no idea that Ursula and the narrator’s father are sexually involved, though as an adult, the narrator’s sister shares with the narrator that Ursula left because of the affair.

The Narrator’s Mother Quotes in The Ocean at the End of the Lane

The The Ocean at the End of the Lane quotes below are all either spoken by The Narrator’s Mother or refer to The Narrator’s Mother. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

).

I missed Fluffy. I knew you could not simply replace something alive, but I dared not grumble to my parents about it. They would have been baffled at my upset: after all, if my kitten had been killed, it had also been replaced. The damage had been made up.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Ursula Monkton / Skarthatch of the Keep, The Narrator’s Father, The Opal Miner, The Narrator’s Mother, Fluffy, Monster

Related Symbols: Cats

Page Number and Citation: 16

Explanation and Analysis:

I wanted to tell someone about the shilling, but I did not know who to tell. I knew enough about adults to know that if I did tell them what had happened, I would not be believed. Adults rarely seemed to believe me when I told the truth anyway. Why would they believe me about something so unlikely?

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Old Mrs. Hempstock, Mrs. Ginnie Hempstock, The Narrator’s Father, The Narrator’s Mother

Page Number and Citation: 37

Explanation and Analysis:

“Your parents can no longer afford this place,” said Ursula Monkton. “And they can’t afford to keep it up. Soon enough they’ll see that the way to solve their financial problems is to sell this house and its gardens to property developers. Then all of this”—and this was the tangle of brambles, the unkempt world behind the lawn—“will become a dozen identical houses and gardens. And if you are lucky, you’ll get to live in one.”

Related Characters: Ursula Monkton / Skarthatch of the Keep (speaker), The Narrator, The Narrator’s Father, The Narrator’s Mother

Page Number and Citation: 76

Explanation and Analysis:

The Narrator’s Mother Quotes in The Ocean at the End of the Lane

The The Ocean at the End of the Lane quotes below are all either spoken by The Narrator’s Mother or refer to The Narrator’s Mother. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

).

I missed Fluffy. I knew you could not simply replace something alive, but I dared not grumble to my parents about it. They would have been baffled at my upset: after all, if my kitten had been killed, it had also been replaced. The damage had been made up.

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Ursula Monkton / Skarthatch of the Keep, The Narrator’s Father, The Opal Miner, The Narrator’s Mother, Fluffy, Monster

Related Symbols: Cats

Page Number and Citation: 16

Explanation and Analysis:

I wanted to tell someone about the shilling, but I did not know who to tell. I knew enough about adults to know that if I did tell them what had happened, I would not be believed. Adults rarely seemed to believe me when I told the truth anyway. Why would they believe me about something so unlikely?

Related Characters: The Narrator (speaker), Old Mrs. Hempstock, Mrs. Ginnie Hempstock, The Narrator’s Father, The Narrator’s Mother

Page Number and Citation: 37

Explanation and Analysis:

“Your parents can no longer afford this place,” said Ursula Monkton. “And they can’t afford to keep it up. Soon enough they’ll see that the way to solve their financial problems is to sell this house and its gardens to property developers. Then all of this”—and this was the tangle of brambles, the unkempt world behind the lawn—“will become a dozen identical houses and gardens. And if you are lucky, you’ll get to live in one.”

Related Characters: Ursula Monkton / Skarthatch of the Keep (speaker), The Narrator, The Narrator’s Father, The Narrator’s Mother

Page Number and Citation: 76

Explanation and Analysis: