This novel tells about a mother who can’t trust her son and starts to afraid him. The boy (Hartley) can’t tell the truth to her and he gets outbursts sometimes. In the novel mother finds out unpleasant things concerning about her son. There are happening several uncertain things that Hartley can to be a part. For example the mother suspects that her son is guilty of their cat’s (Trudy) death. The neighbour saw two boys in the field putting firecrackers in Trudy´s ears and one of these two boys ran towards to their house.

Hartley got a job and he lied to his mother about the wage. He said that he earned 80 dollars, but mother found later a stub from his pocket, where read that the wage was 28 dollar for real. He lied also when he was going to show but mother found out later that he went to the school dance or spent the evening riding around with somebody in a car.

The mother supposed that Hartley was gone on a field trip and he told to mother about the trip and what was happen on there. Next day mother found a note from school, where they asked permission for a field trip.

The mother was gone to seek groceries on the Hartley´s car, but she found shotgun, knife and bloody t-shirt there. Hartley saw that and told his mother that it was caused by his bloody nose and told to throw it away.

Hartley was often nights away from home and that’s why mother worried about him. He got nervous for mothers caring.

Mothers worry was sometimes understandable because his boy never told truth and he acted strangely. Hartley felt that his mother was too carrying. Mother´s claims were justifiable and convincing. If I was his mother I would also have been worried about him and his doings.
I can imagine that mother says claims to Hartley assertively voice what makes it seem sinister.

In the last section mother asks from sender of letter where he get know her identity, because she wanted that nobody will find out that. She wanted that her son think that she was dead. She is afraid him so much.

Mother is writing letter to man who was taken contact to her. In the beginning of letter reads “Dear Sir” that refers to a man. I think that person would be her son, because of the last section´s writings. While in the beginning of letter, writer seems to be for example Hartley´s father.

I think that the narrator of novel is reliable and she tells her real feelings.

Written by Elisa