Spies Key Quotes

Quote
Everything is as it was; and
everything has changed
Were socially colour-coded
for ease of reference.
he was the leader and I was
the led.
the glory of Uncle Peter

Steven, Keith, social

hierarchy
Stephen, Keith

S understands his lower social status

in the Close. Colours are symbolic.

Uncle Peter, heroism

the same recklessly open

smile as Auntie Dee

Auntie Dee, Uncle Peter,

heroism

mild-natured furry animal

Mr Wheatley

like an ogre in his cave

Mr Hayward

how adults behave among

themselves is a mystery
about which I havent yet
learnt to have any curiosity.
making perfection ever
more perfect
with a kind of calm
amusement at the world and
no excessive movement of
her lips / rested, calm and
composed
old bean

Adult world, child world,

Steven

Archetypal hero worshipped &

idolised by the Close
Dee & Peter contrast to Mr & Mrs
Hayward they are messier, more
relaxed, meld together as a couple
where Haywards seem two separate
entities; reckless heroism
Contrast with Mr H; gentle; Steven
believes he is both harmless and
weak
Fairytale monster typical thing for
a child to be afraid of; garage is his
lair
Steven is too young to understand
adults, and doesnt even feel the
need to do so

Mrs Hayward, faade,

Mrs H has a faade of serenity and

composure with does not reveal
anything of the secret shes
concealing

Mr Hayward, Keith, power

Its not as simple as Id

originally thought

Childhood Adulthood,
Steven, spying

Things start as a game, and

then they turn into a test,
which I fail.

Steven, heroism

You start playing some

gameand the scream goes
on and on, and its coming
out of you.
But what did Stephen make
of them all? What did he
actually understand?

Uncle Peter, heroism, war

Keith copies this language from his

father. Sadistic use of seemingly
polite language to dominate.
As Steven becomes entangled with
adult lives, his world becomes far
more complex
Stevens struggle to be the hero he
thinks he should be he constantly
feels as if his masculinity and
courage is being tested. Often feels
like a failure.
Echoes Stevens previous quote ^.
Reality of warfare. Steven discovers
the

I understand more or less

nothing.
Please, he says, in a
strange, small, urgent voice.
And I give in. Against this
shameless and terrible word
I cant hold out.
adults are not after all
members of some
completely different species

Topic

Analysis
paradox, opposition

K & S have dominant and submissive

relationship

Haywards

Memory, perception, Steven,

childhood, dual narrative

Perception, Steven,
childhood
Mr Hayward, Steven

Adult world, childhood

adulthood

Stefan doesnt seem to understand

Stevens thoughts. He often seems
to doubt his memory. Questions
introspective. Steven has the pieces
of the puzzle but he is unable to
form the complete picture.
Stevens lack of understanding as a
child
Shows Stephens empathy for
others. Mr Hayward is either
honestly upset, or hes using
Stevens empathy to get what he
wants.
Stevens realisation of adulthood.
Use of species elements of
childhood (fears, secrets) cross into
adulthood.

from myself.
An odd thought comes into
my head: that Ive found a
value for x.
How can the sunlit world
have become so suddenly
dark.
All that perfection she
arrived with has become
blurred
Im leaving behind the old
tunnels and terrors of
childhood and stepping
into a new world of even
darker tunnels and more
elusive terrors
You understand that
sometimes people find
themselves isolated. They
feel that theyre outcasts,
that everyones against
them.
she sat cross-legged in the
dust in front of Stephen like
a beggar
I see all kinds of things I
never saw before, wherever
I look, now that the
lamornas in the air.
The games over because
the normal has reached out
to absorb the abnormal.
One single heroic deed, to
lay at Keiths feet in the
morning.
hes obviously as good as
his parents are at concealing
his true nature from
everyone around him.
big mocking smile / small
conspiratorial smile
he moved invisibly among
us all, like a ghost
fading ghost
He was beginning to
understand that he was a
German who was entirely
English
Everyone except you really
hates him
I feel the germs entering
my body / I was too busy
thinking about the germs.

Steven, Barbara Berrill,

feminine world, childhood
adulthood
Childhood adulthood, loss
of innocence

X = symbol of secrecy and intrigue,

symbol of the adult world (Steven
begins to decode it when he starts
to come into contact with romance)
Loss of innocence and
understanding

Mrs Hayward, faade, adult

world

Image of Mrs H is not real

blurred like a painting or
photograph.

Childhood adulthood,
Steven

Mrs Hayward, secrets, war,

Steven, bullying, childs
world, adult world

Events of story are a microcosm of

whats happening in WWII

Mrs Hayward, Adult world

Mrs Haywards fall from grace; very

child like image adults arent
always as grown up as Steven
thought

Steven, Childhood
Adulthood, Barbara Berrill

Steven, Keith, heroism

Stevens struggle to be a hero and

to please Keith; laying it at his feet
like an offering (as if Keith were a
God)

Keith, Haywards, faade,

Barbara Berrill

Mocking smile is an invasion of the

boys space and

Uncle Peter, heroism, death

Uncle Peter is a ghost of the hero he

used to be; he is already dead to
many members of the Close; his
absent presence is based more an
idealised idea of him than reality

Uncle Peter, death

Perception, Uncle Peter,
identity
Barbara Berrill, Keith,
Steven
Steven, germs, childs world

Steven often seems to believe two

opposing things at once

Steven is often preoccupied with

germs, even in the face of much
more serious problems, e.g.
bayonet. Germs/slime = guilt,
shame.