The Go-Between Revision Cards

CHARACTERS - LEO COLSTON

Only child in moderaltely well-off family
Educated at home until death of father
Imaginative child who's fascinated by signs of zodiac
Doesn't make friends easily
V. conformist
Success of 'curse' raises his self-esteem
Half believes he has magical powers
Nearly 13
Just beginning to be conscious of himself as person
Searching for some-one to act as role model
Admires Trimmingham
Ignorant of facts of life
Identifies Marian with sign of Virgo in his diary
Sensitive
Shares anguish of Marian & Ted
Sympathises with Marian's predicament

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CHARACTERS - MARION MAUDSLEY

Beautiful young woman from upper-middle class family
Not free to follow her own feelings
Torn between her new love for Ted Burgess and Lord Trimmingham
Determined
Genuinely loves Ted
Doesn't want to see Ted hurt
Critical of Ted's suicide
Has cruel streak in her character
Snubs Trimmingham on more than 1 occassion
Turns quite viciously on Leo when he stops taking messages
Does have good side too
Basically kind
Can be manipulative
Seems fond of Leo
Not prepared to accept responsibility
Suffers as result of her actions

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CHARACTERS - TED BURGESS

Working farmer
Allows himself to be dominated by Marian
Marian calls his beh. in shooting himself weak
Caught up in situation which can only lead to disaster
Embarrassed at being centre of attention
His physical strengths impressive
Contrasts with Marian in he has more concern over Leo
Tries to offer Leo something in return
Also writes him genuine letter of apology
Doesn't patronise Leo
Has his dignity
It's tribute to his personality he's character Leo feels most of at end of affair

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CHARACTERS - HUGH, 9th VISCOUNT TRIMMINGHAM

Member of aristocracy
Tactfully saves Leo from embarrasment over title
Genuinely kind to Leo
Sensitive to feelings of Leo
He too employs Leo as messenger
Contributes to Leo's feeling special by calling him Mercury
He seems to be genuinely in love with Marian
Doesn't seem to have any mercenary motive in marrying her
'Nothing is ever a lady's fault'
Dignified strength's shown in way he brings up Marian and Ted's son
He impresses Leo with his admirable character
behaves with impeciable courtesy
No suggestion he wants to get Ted out way
Encourages Ted to enlist out of patriotism
Already demonstrated his own bravery
Seems to be good landlord

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CHARACTERS - MARCUS MAUDSLEY

Fellow school pupil of Leo
Mealses outbreak has bought them together
He's year young than Leo
Favourite word of criticim's 'boring'
He's fascinated by adult world
It's he who tells his mother where Ted & Marian meet
Snob who criticises Leo's knowledge of etiquette
More quick-witted than Leo
He can be spiteful
His role in novel's in part to act as informant to Leo
His self-assurance also highlights Leo's sense of inferiority
His illness in part leads to Leo becoming go-between
He's tragically killed in WW1

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CHARACTERS - MRS MAUDSLEY

Presented initially as v. strong character
Has v. piercing eyes which seem to reflect her strong will
Strain of successfully bringing about Marian's engagement to Trimmingham begins to show
People aren't at ease in her company
When she's ill house takes on more relaxed atmosphere
Not v. sensitive to feelings of others
Makes Leo cry over not having any summer clothes
Marcus is her favourite
She's rather sarcastic to older son
Partly to blame for Leo's breakdown

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CHARACTERS - MR MAUDSLEY

Silent, reserved man
Seems at 1st to be dominated by wife
Takes temp. readings begin to fascinate Leo
Cricket match shows hidden strength of his character
He has some shrewd suspicions of Ted Burgess
Represents new upper-middle class who have made their own money
Arising in importance compared to inherited status of aristocracy

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CHARACTERS - DENYS MAUDSLEY

Marcus' older brother
No mentions made of his employment
His character's displayed in his enthusiastic innings
He's in awe of his mother
Little to say to Leo
Typical member of snobbish upper-middle class
Lack of intelligence provides contrst to Trimmingham
Tragically killed in WW1

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CHARACTERS - MRS COLSTON

Leo's mother
Her reluctance to spend money on summer clothes means he can't cope with heatwave
Close but Leo still finds it hard to confide in her
Catastrophe might have been averted if she had responded differently to Leo's 2 contradictory letter's home
She has v. strong sense of what's right & wrong

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THEMES - GROWING UP

Most important theme in novel
Leo's shown as just beginning to tire of childish amusements
He's flattered when Ted tells him he's brave
Hate's it when older people treat hum as child
He likes being centre of attention
Desire to behave responsibility leads him into saying goodbye to Ted
It was his wish to sound grown up mafe him offer to take 1st letter
Still child in many ways
Misunderstands lot of adult lang.
He & Marcus use schoolboy slang
When he has his new green suit, he becomes Robin Hood
Like child he likes to feel special

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THEMES - SELF AWARENESS

Linked to theme of growing up
Leo's beginning to feel concious of himself
Tea party shows him aware for 1st time how he must look to other people
He feels awkward on swimming expedition
He's initially horrified at idea of singing at concert
It's partly his growing sense of himself as person which makes him feel responsible for events he finds himself involved in
He's v. hurt when he thinks they have all been mocking his naivety
Marcus on other hands already aware of significance of appearance
He points out to Leo differently in their social status means Trimmingham can get away with wearing bow-tie

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THEME - BETRAYAL OF INNOCENCE

L. P. Hartley himself used this phrase to describe way Leo was treated by Marian & Ted
Increasingly relied upon Leo
Both used emotional blackmail
Ted realised it was Marian who made Leo cry
Ted also treated Leo almost as equal
Leo doesn't feel exploited by Ted
Marian's responsibility's perhaps greater
Quickly realises Leo's potential as messenger
She shows no awareness he might be finding his role as messenger strain
She encourages his obvious devotion to her
She knows how naive he is
Marian burdens him with her misery
Lashes out at him
It's her recklessness leads to trauma

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THEMES - MEMORY & IMPORTANCE OF PAST

Shown by words L. P. Hartley uses to open story
Past has had profound effect on this elderly man
We know some of outcomes before we learn of events
This ideas reinforced by his meeting with young Edward
There's added impact of events of 20th century
Leo's memory for long time blanked out past
As he relives past he's able to get events into better perspective
Marian's grandson too refuses to talk to her about past
End of novel suggests Leo will be able to help him to understand situation
There's kind of irony in Marian used Nanny Robson's poor memory as excuse for forgetting visits

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CONTEXT & SETTING

Main part of novel takes place in late-Victorian England
Victorious long rain in of over 60 years saw many changes in education
British empire covered v.large area of world
Exports bought great wealth to country
There were no signs prosperity could ever declince
Year 1900 marked new century
Branham Hall's tryocal of large country house of perios
Hall sees itself as serperate from neighbouring villages
It's run by large number of servants
Leo's not expected to fold his clothes himself
House's always full of visitors

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Get Revising

The Go-Between Revision Cards

CHARACTERS - LEO COLSTON

CHARACTERS - MARION MAUDSLEY

CHARACTERS - TED BURGESS

CHARACTERS - HUGH, 9th VISCOUNT TRIMMINGHAM

CHARACTERS - MARCUS MAUDSLEY

CHARACTERS - MRS MAUDSLEY

CHARACTERS - MR MAUDSLEY

CHARACTERS - DENYS MAUDSLEY

CHARACTERS - MRS COLSTON

THEMES - GROWING UP

THEMES - SELF AWARENESS

THEME - BETRAYAL OF INNOCENCE

THEMES - MEMORY & IMPORTANCE OF PAST

CONTEXT & SETTING

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