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Annabel Crouch
Jean is the narrator of the seventh chapter, and Kip, Francis, and Connie’s mother. Jean appears to be a sour, mean, and self-centered individual for most of the story, though her own narrative reveals that much of this bitterness and anger stems from the pain of losing her husband and the stress of raising three children as a widow. In particular, Jean’s general contempt for Kip comes primarily from the fact that Kip reminds her too much of her dead husband, and even looking at him is painful for her. When Jean discovers that Connie is pregnant, she is angry at her for being so irresponsible and pushes her to have an abortion, though Connie wants to keep the baby even though its father, Jack, has died. However, Jean persists, convincing Connie by telling her that her status as a single mother will not only shame her, but their entire family. Jean takes her daughter to a dress shop that performs illegal abortions out back—and where she herself had an abortion when she was younger. Jean leaves Connie there to have the operation, while Jean reflects that everything she does she does out of love for her children, no matter how harsh it seems. However, when Jean starts to bring Connie home to rest and recover, Connie starts bleeding profusely. Jean leaves her daughter sitting on the street bleeding while she tries vainly to find help, and Connie dies. The whole town eventually discovers what happened, and Jean becomes a hated woman. She dies at home in her bed, unable to even leave the house due to her shame and guilt.
Jean Westaway Quotes in Nine Days
The Nine Days quotes below are all either spoken by Jean Westaway or refer to Jean Westaway. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 1: Kip Quotes
She sits beside me and slides an arm around my shoulders and she’s warm and she’s Connie and I’d like to sit there forever being held like when I was little but I know I’d blub so instead I say it’s nothing.
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Chapter 2: Stanzi Quotes
They cannot keep the anger in, the women: they drink too much, they shoplift, they sleep with their doubles partners, they scream at their children, the pay someone to take a knife to their eyes or breast or stomach. The turn the anger inward and develop a depression so deep they cannot get out of bed.
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Chapter 5: Francis Quotes
If I get out of this alive, I will shoulder the responsibility for this family. I will work hard at school. I will be the most serious, most studious, most hard-working boy and I’ll do whatever Ma says and I’ll never do another naughty thing, not ever, not if I live to be a hundred.
Chapter 6: Annabel Quotes
“I couldn’t go while Ma was alive.” Kip looks Jos square in the face when he says it. “After Connie died, after the inquest and having it in all the newspapers. Having our business picked over by strangers. Most of the women in Richmond would cross the street when they saw Ma coming. Got so she wouldn’t go out the front gate and then so she wouldn’t get out of bed. I couldn’t leave her.”
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Chapter 7: Jean Quotes
Kip has that set on his face that reminds me of his father, that wistful look. I’d never confess it to another living soul but some days I can’t bear the sight of that boy. It’s a judgment on me.
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A husband and three littlies. The best days of my life. The reason women are put on the earth. There’s still hope for [Connie], to have a husband and children the right way, keeping them and not giving them up.
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That first quickening, you never forget it. The first time you feel it, a cross between a squirming and a kicking, and you realize there’s another whole body enclosed within yours, and it’s made out of your very own flesh. While there’s a child of yours alive in the world, you never really die. They’re a part of your body living on without you.
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Chapter 9: Connie Quotes
The secret to happiness is to be grateful. I think about Ma [Jean], widowed with three children, and Nan who was a slave all her life, first in domestic service and then to Pop, then back to the ironing factory when she was widowed. I have a wonderful job. I have my mother and Francis, and I have Kip my darling Kip.
And here is the most wonderful thing of all. I have had one night with the man of my heart and, just this once, I have had something that I wanted.
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Jean Westaway Character Timeline in Nine Days
The timeline below shows where the character Jean Westaway appears in Nine Days. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1: Kip
...for the day, which seems a bad omen. Across the room he can see Ma, Jean, in the other bed, huddled under blankets and Kip’s old clothes. He shares a bed...
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...not, and kisses Kip on the head. When Kip makes a snide remark to Francis, Jean appears behind him and chews him out. Connie takes bacon out to cook Kip for...
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As Kip eats bread and Francis eats bacon, Jean bemoans the fact that Kip is not as perfect as his twin brother. In Jean’s...
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Trying to lighten the mood, Kip tells Jean that the Hustings will set him up in their antique shop soon—Francis dismissively calls it...
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...in hysterics in the kitchen, as she has been for a long time. Connie and Jean are there trying to calm her down, but Mrs. Keith has convinced herself that Kip...
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...hear Mrs. Keith stomping around as she packs her belongings. After she’s gone, Kip sees Jean and Connie in the kitchen. Jean is furious at Connie for being so rude to...
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Chapter 3: Jack
...can hear music accompanying her footsteps. He even sways to it himself. However, Connie stops. Mrs. Westaway has come out of the house and is scolding her. As Connie walks inside, Mrs....
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Chapter 5: Francis
...it were a normal day. His father would be leaving for work about this time. Jean tells him to sit down and eat some cake before they “drown” in it. Jean...
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...back to school and he’ll have to face the sympathy of his classmates and teachers. Jean tells Francis that Kip already left for school, and he races out the door to...
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...decided he’s not going back to school, he’s going to find a job, even though Jean will be furious. School seems meaningless when their father is dead. Kip leaves, abandoning his...
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Chapter 6: Annabel
...it. He talks about his work at the law office and mentions that his mother Jean would’ve liked Annabel, except that she’s dead now. Annabel recalls silently that Jean was despised...
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...“looks Jos square in the face” and tells her that he had to wait for Jean to die, especially because Jean was so reviled by their community after Connie’s death and...
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Chapter 7: Jean
Jean is stressed and already late for work. Kip and Francis are asking her too many...
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Jean finds Connie sitting against a tree in the backyard, hands on her stomach. She looks...
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...marriage isn’t possible either, but insists that she wants to keep the baby. Once again, Jean is furious with her husband for dying and leaving her with this mess. Connie mentions...
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Jean makes a long speech to Connie about the shame she’ll carry for the rest of...
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Inside, Francis is about to go to school. Jean asks Kip if he’s ever seen Connie go out with a boy, and Kip says...
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With the boys out of the way, Jean takes Connie and all the money she’s saved over the years and leads her to...
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...in the back of the store and charges a high price, all the money that Jean’s family has saved. Jean pays and helps Connie lay on the bench. Connie is again...
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While she waits, Jean goes home to do chores while the house is empty, and she realizes it’s the...
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Jean finds the dress shop emptied for the evening and the old woman and Connie waiting...
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...over in pain and slumps against the wall, sliding down to sit on the ground. Jean sees a dark stain spreading down Connie’s dress and thinks she must have sat in...
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...to leave a baby alone in a bath or they might drown, Connie never did. Jean would tell her to sit up straight and not fall into the water, then leave...
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Chapter 9: Connie
...is humid and still, and it feels as if it will rain. Connie peeks at Jean and sees her fast asleep, which is fortunate for both of them. She rises, sees...
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...for home through the rain. She needs to get back to her own bed, to Jean and her family. Jack stands close to her and asks her not to go. He...
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...her and he has “nothing to offer.” Connie says that it’s only the life that Jean planned, and she’ll make her own decisions. Jack only has one request.
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...though she doesn’t know what the future will be. She thinks about her brothers, about Jean stuck with no husband and three children, and about her own grandmother, practically enslaved to...
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