Spies - Michael Frayn
Plot Summary
Most of the action is remembered by the narrator after fifty years. He is recalling events that took place in The Close, a suburban cul de sac somewhere in England during the Second World War.
This novel has quite a complex plot based on the narrator's search for the truth behind the mysterious happenings in his typical, middle class world during his childhood and early adolescence.
Stephen Wheatly, the hero, is friends with his rather snobbish neighbour Keith Hayward. Both boys tend to have rather active imaginations and are quick to build an adventurous scenario out of any innocuous circumstance. This characteristic is heightened by the general fear in England during the war when everyone suspected that Germen spies were trying to infiltrate them with a view to invasion.
Against this background the boys try to do their bit for their country by keeping an eye on the goings on in their estate. The reality that they stumble on is far more mysterious that anything they could imagine.
The narrative speeds up when a constable calls to the Closes to investigate a midnight prowler. The boys immediately jump to the conclusion that the prowler is a German spy.
The plot thickens when both boys notice that Keith's mother seems to write and post letters every day. This gives rise in the boys minds to the suspicion that she too might be a German spy in cahoots with the prowler and in direct communication with Berlin! They begin to spy on her and start to peek into her diary where they discover what they interpret to be mysterious X that occurs once every month.
As readers we begin to smile at their innocence.
The next phase of the mystery happens when they see her regularly bring a package to Aunty Dee's (her sister) house. Now Aunty Dee's husband is away at war and they wonder is she using the black market to get around rationing.
They construct a hideout to better spy on her but she becomes suspicious and asks Stephen to understand her need for privacy. This only heightens the mystery and even more so with the introduction of Barbara Berrill a girl who has much more information regarding the goings on on the estate. She maintains that half of the women are cheating on their husbands and suggests that that is the reason for all the secrecy.
On an outing to the cottages (poor part of town) Keith and Stephen come across a vagabond sheltering in a hole under corrugated iron. They do not see him but only hear his sickly cough. Now this must be the German spy, they think!
Soon matters come to a crisis when Keith's mother (Mrs Hayward) asks Stephen to bring a box to the vagabond. He refuses. Later however he does visit him and the obviously dying man asks him to bring back a token (a piece of cloth) to Mrs Hayward and saying he will leave "forever" and never trouble her again.
Later that night Stephen tries to go to this mysterious man again but on his way he sees soldiers carrying the man's badly mutilated corpse. He does not understand how or why the man has died but as he returns to bed he realises that the game of spying on the neighbours is finally over.
In the 9 page epilogue the older Stephen tells us who the mysterious vagabond was and how his presence creates such scandal and subterfuge. He ties up all the loose ends of the mystery and to utter these matters here would ruin the book for anyone yet to enjoy it.
Hey, I'm looking for the same thing for AS English Lit and Lang!
Here's a site that I found:
Summary_of_'spies'_by_Michael_frayn
It's a summary of the whole book. Hope this helps!
Here you go ;) hope it helps!
The psychological novel Spies (2002) was written by English author Michael Frayn. The main characters in the novel are called Stephen Wheatley and Keith Hayward.
The correct usage is "spies".
Technically, the plural is espionages, but you're more likely (and it's better writing) to say "he was convicted of several acts of espionage" rather than "he was convicted of several espionages".
Yes the word spies is a plural noun. It is also the present tense verb of spy.
summary*
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he uses them to show the journey into adolescence on Stephen's behalf, with Barbara and Mrs Hayward aligning.
Michael Frayn was born on September 8, 1933.
Michael Frayn was born on September 8, 1933.
Michael Frayn is 78 years old (birthdate: September 8, 1933).
Michael Frayn
Michael Frayn has written: 'Balmoral' -- subject(s): Protected DAISY 'The sneeze' 'Balmoral' 'My father's fortune' -- subject(s): Family, Fathers and sons, Biography, English Authors 'Skios' -- subject(s): Fiction, Congresses and conventions, Businesswomen, Female friendship 'The two of us' 'Spies' -- subject(s): Fiction, World War, 1939-1945, Underground movements, Male friendship 'NOISES OFF'
Michael Spies was born on 1965-07-09.
Michael Frayn wrote the play "Noises Off." The play is a comedic farce about a theater production gone awry, with the action taking place both onstage and backstage. "Noises Off" has been well-received for its clever humor and intricate staging.
Rebecca Frayn was born in 1962, in England, UK.