The Cement Garden
Writer: Ian McEwan
Pages: 138
SUMMARY
In the beginning of the book the father of the four children dies. His death is followed by the death of the mother. In order to avoid being taken into care, the children hide their mother's death from the outside world by encasing her corpse in cement in their basement. Two of the children, a teenage boy and girl, enter into an incestuous relationship, while the younger son starts to experiment with being a girl.
The person who the story tells is Jack (15), who has two sisters, Julie (17) and Sue (13), and one brother, Tom (6). When they were younger, Jack describes how he and Julie would play a 'game' with their sister Sue. This game involves stripping Sue of her clothes and inspecting her intimate body parts as if they were scientists observing a new life form. Jack then mentions how he longs to do the same to his older sister but it was not allowed.
When Julie begins to date a man called Derek and invites him round to their house, Jack feels jealous and shows hostility towards him. Derek becomes more and more interested in what is hidden in their cellar but the children attempt to hide it from him. But at one day there is a smell in the house. Derek discovers that it comes out of the cellar, he helps to reclose the trunk their mother is hidden in. Jack eventually learns from Tom that Derek has told his brother that their mother is down in the cellar.
The story comes to a climax when Jack enters naked into Julie's bedroom. Only Tom is there and he begins to talk to him. Soon, Julie enters and perhaps surprisingly, does not say much or show surprise on his nakedness, only to joke that 'It is big'. They sit on the bed and whilst talking, they become more and more intimate with each other. Soon Julie is holding out her breast to Jack and encouraging him to go on. He encloses his lips around her nipple. Right at this point, Derek enters, remarks that he has seen it all and calls them 'sick'. When he is gone, they begin to have sex. A thudding noise can be heard and their sister informs them that Derek is in the cellar and has discovered the body of their mother. They begin to talk, remembering their mother, and after a while, they sleep, while police lights illuminate the room through the window.
TITLE
5. Explain the title;
The father of the children has always looked after the garden, but in the garden there are not much plants or grass. The most part of the garden is made of cement. And when the mother of the children dies, the children cover her with cement. So the cement comes often back in this story.
CHARACTERS
6. Describe the main characters;
- Jack; the main character of this book. He talks a lot with Sue and thinks about life. After the death of his mother he didn’t washes himself, looks plays no role in his life. He is in love with Julie, but he knows that it wouldn’t work because she is his sister. Jack is a very strange boy, he knows this himself, but he isn’t ashamed for it.
- Julie; takes the role of her mother. She shares the pocket money and does the shopping. Also she interferes with everyone. When Julie gets a boyfriend she start smoking and don’t interfere anymore. She hides her feelings for everyone, as reader you don’t know Julie very well.
- Sue; the little girl. She wants to be part of the relationship between Julie and Jack, sometimes she succeed. After the death of her mother she writes a lot in her diary. She is always on her room and very quiet. She agrees always with her sister Julie.
- Tom; a weird boy. He wants to be a girl, but plays often also a baby. He plays a lot with friends in the neighbourhood, he is the only one of the family who has friends. He is very sad that his mother died.
- The father; has only a little role in the book. You don’t get to know him very well. He does make sarcastic jokes especially about Tom.
- The mother; is really a mother. Is concerned about her kids, not about herself. When she gets sick she is very depressed and talks a lot with Julie about how it will goes when she dies.
7. Which character do you find attractive and for what reason?
I find Sue the most attractive, because she is the most normal person in this book. I also think she is very clever and she knows more than her brothers and sister know. Sue is the character which you want to know more about, that makes her special.
8. Which character do you particularly dislike and for what reason?
Jack, because he is so strange. He doesn’t help his sisters at all and thinks only about himself. The things he does and thinks are weird and I also find it strange that he is in love with his sister.
TIME
9. How long does the story take from start to finish?
A couple of months.
10. In what (historical) period does the story take place?
In the sixties.
11. Does the period in which the story is set, play an important role?
No, I don’t think that the period in which the story is set, play an important role.
SPACE
12. Where does the story take place?
On a industrial area in the house of the children. One scene in the book take place at the school of the children.
13. Does the location of the story play an important role?
Yes, because the house is very outlying, so not many people know about the existence of the house or the children. The children are able to do whatever they want.
FICTION OR REALITY
14. Is this a fictitious story or a realistic story which might actually have happened?
I think it is a realistic story, because this story might actually have happened.
FINAL CONCLUSION
15. What is your personal opinion of this novel?
I think this novel is very well written and psychological. The story is a bit strange, but that was also the reason for me why I want to continue with reading.
Writer: Ian McEwan
Pages: 138
SUMMARY
In the beginning of the book the father of the four children dies. His death is followed by the death of the mother. In order to avoid being taken into care, the children hide their mother's death from the outside world by encasing her corpse in cement in their basement. Two of the children, a teenage boy and girl, enter into an incestuous relationship, while the younger son starts to experiment with being a girl.
The person who the story tells is Jack (15), who has two sisters, Julie (17) and Sue (13), and one brother, Tom (6). When they were younger, Jack describes how he and Julie would play a 'game' with their sister Sue. This game involves stripping Sue of her clothes and inspecting her intimate body parts as if they were scientists observing a new life form. Jack then mentions how he longs to do the same to his older sister but it was not allowed.
The story comes to a climax when Jack enters naked into Julie's bedroom. Only Tom is there and he begins to talk to him. Soon, Julie enters and perhaps surprisingly, does not say much or show surprise on his nakedness, only to joke that 'It is big'. They sit on the bed and whilst talking, they become more and more intimate with each other. Soon Julie is holding out her breast to Jack and encouraging him to go on. He encloses his lips around her nipple. Right at this point, Derek enters, remarks that he has seen it all and calls them 'sick'. When he is gone, they begin to have sex. A thudding noise can be heard and their sister informs them that Derek is in the cellar and has discovered the body of their mother. They begin to talk, remembering their mother, and after a while, they sleep, while police lights illuminate the room through the window.
TITLE
5. Explain the title;
The father of the children has always looked after the garden, but in the garden there are not much plants or grass. The most part of the garden is made of cement. And when the mother of the children dies, the children cover her with cement. So the cement comes often back in this story.
CHARACTERS
6. Describe the main characters;
- Jack; the main character of this book. He talks a lot with Sue and thinks about life. After the death of his mother he didn’t washes himself, looks plays no role in his life. He is in love with Julie, but he knows that it wouldn’t work because she is his sister. Jack is a very strange boy, he knows this himself, but he isn’t ashamed for it.
- Julie; takes the role of her mother. She shares the pocket money and does the shopping. Also she interferes with everyone. When Julie gets a boyfriend she start smoking and don’t interfere anymore. She hides her feelings for everyone, as reader you don’t know Julie very well.
- Sue; the little girl. She wants to be part of the relationship between Julie and Jack, sometimes she succeed. After the death of her mother she writes a lot in her diary. She is always on her room and very quiet. She agrees always with her sister Julie.
- The father; has only a little role in the book. You don’t get to know him very well. He does make sarcastic jokes especially about Tom.
- The mother; is really a mother. Is concerned about her kids, not about herself. When she gets sick she is very depressed and talks a lot with Julie about how it will goes when she dies.
7. Which character do you find attractive and for what reason?
I find Sue the most attractive, because she is the most normal person in this book. I also think she is very clever and she knows more than her brothers and sister know. Sue is the character which you want to know more about, that makes her special.
8. Which character do you particularly dislike and for what reason?
Jack, because he is so strange. He doesn’t help his sisters at all and thinks only about himself. The things he does and thinks are weird and I also find it strange that he is in love with his sister.
TIME
9. How long does the story take from start to finish?
A couple of months.
10. In what (historical) period does the story take place?
In the sixties.
11. Does the period in which the story is set, play an important role?
No, I don’t think that the period in which the story is set, play an important role.
SPACE
12. Where does the story take place?
On a industrial area in the house of the children. One scene in the book take place at the school of the children.
13. Does the location of the story play an important role?
FICTION OR REALITY
14. Is this a fictitious story or a realistic story which might actually have happened?
I think it is a realistic story, because this story might actually have happened.
FINAL CONCLUSION
15. What is your personal opinion of this novel?
I think this novel is very well written and psychological. The story is a bit strange, but that was also the reason for me why I want to continue with reading.
REACTIES
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