Shame as Narrative Strategy - KOPS - Universität Konstanz

‘Don’t annoy the lady. It’s a long journey, we mustn’t annoy each other on the
way.’ (pp. 55sq.) 33
The same impossibility that describes James’ thumb seems to surround his entire
appearance. The objectifying characterisation of James as ‘reason for their delay,’ his
body ‘remaining patient, not entirely still’ while being ‘arranged like a basket of
flowers, a limb display’ is opposed by his anxious facial expression and the tenderness
of the gentle waving of his hands. The strong contrast between the almost antiseptic
handling of James by his caretakers and their total ignorance of his emotional self and
his actual thoughts and feelings is the central theme of this episode. James’s mother
Irene and ‘Auntie’ May constantly apologise for James’s sheer existence and any of his
actions. They openly show their contempt, and their opinion of him probably contains
a large amount of introjected prejudices and negative expectations towards disabled
people. When James eats, for instance, they call him ‘disgusting’ in front of Margaret
(p. 68). She generally does not react to their comments (or at least the text does not
provide any concrete reactions), which makes the sense of uneasiness and embarrassment
of the situation even more perceptible. Irene and May’s deprecating comments are
mostly left hanging; only James comments in one of his characteristic notes that he is
“FEDUP” with them (p. 69).
Because of their own shame about James’s illness and its physical evidence,
they are extremely patronising and eager to control him, if not suppress him: 34
‘Don’t annoy the lady.’ (p. 56)
‘He’s saying sorry, aren’t you James?’ (ibid.)
‘Answer the lady, don’t be rude.’ (ibid.)
‘James Watt, you will never, ever be given one of those things again. That was a treat.
And now you’ve spoiled it.’ (p. 68)
‘Don’t annoy Miss Hamilton, now. I’m sure she’s had enough of you.’ (p. 156)
James is being talked about in the third person, and Margaret is also told to “just ignore
him if he gives you any nonsense. He wants attention” (p. 57). In his presence,
May informs their new acquaintance that James’s mother, Irene,
was disappointed. Wanted a girl, you see. And the other thing, of course. The man
just upped and left her. His father. Just upped and left. She says things she doesn’t
mean, sometimes. Doesn’t she, James. (p. 69)
33
Original quotations here and following from A. L. Kennedy, Looking for the
Possible Dance. London 1993.
34
Cf. Marks 2007, p. 26, on disability of a family member as a source of group
shame, which presumably applies to those two characters.
39