Sunday, December 10, 2006

Memory Keeper's Daughter: David & Norah

In the beginning of the novel, David instructed his nurse, Caroline, to take his Downs Syndrome-afflicted daughter to an institution without telling his wife, Norah. When Norah awoke, she was told that one of her twins -- a healthy boy named Paul -- had survived, but that their daughter, Phoebe, was dead. This lie sets the entire plot in motion.

Did David give Norah any credit to be able to cope? Was he protecting her?

5 Comments:

Blogger Red Seven said...

I think that David convinced himself that he was protecting Norah, but I think he was protecting himself.

7:37 AM  
Blogger ScottK said...

I agree I thinnk that Norah could have handled it fine after a period of adjustment. David was pretty much trying to protect himself from having to go through what he did with his sister.

11:02 AM  
Blogger JL said...

Ditto folks!

3:25 PM  
Blogger Gumby said...

I think he completely underestimated his wife's capacity to cope, and I think prefered to think of her as a delicate flower to be protected. it's amazing that several times in the book everyone refers to him as someone who wanted to fix the world, but he was so willing to give away his own daughter.

7:37 PM  
Blogger Spider said...

Yup... he projected his own weaknesses and fears onto her.

10:22 AM  

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