Spies

by

Michael Frayn

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Spies makes teaching easy.

Keith’s Mother / Mrs. “Bobs” Hayward Character Analysis

Keith’s calm and composed mother, who Keith proclaims is a German spy and is made the subject of the two boys’ spy operations. Stephen, whom she initially addresses only indirectly, describes her as suspicious because she often writes letters and runs errands for her sister, Auntie Dee, disappearing into the shops on the Avenue and reappearing in Auntie Dee’s house “all in such a smooth, unhurried way.” Later in the story, it is revealed that Keith’s mother actually is hiding a grave secret—she has secretly been taking care of Uncle Peter, who has deserted the British army and with whom the novel suggests Keith’s mother is having an affair. Eventually, this leads to Keith’s mother falling out with her sister. She has an abusive relationship with her husband, who uses violent methods to punish her and, later, even keeps a strict watch on her after he has most likely figured out her secret. Keith’s father calls her “Bobs” near the end of the story. It is likely that Stephen harbors a confused crush on Mrs. Hayward, as evident by the way the scent of privet reminds him of the sexual urgency he feels whenever he is sitting in the lookout with Keith’s mother alone. Overall she is a tragic figure, and by the end of the book her life has seemingly been ruined.

Keith’s Mother / Mrs. “Bobs” Hayward Quotes in Spies

The Spies quotes below are all either spoken by Keith’s Mother / Mrs. “Bobs” Hayward or refer to Keith’s Mother / Mrs. “Bobs” Hayward. 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:
Class Difference and Social Status Theme Icon
).
Chapter 2 Quotes

Gratitude not only to Keith's mother but to Keith himself, to all the others after him whose adjutant and audience I was, and to everyone else who wrote and performed the drama of life in which I had a small, often frightening, but always absorbing part: Thank you for having me. Thank you, thank you.

Related Characters: Stephen Wheatley (speaker), Keith Hayward, Keith’s Mother / Mrs. “Bobs” Hayward
Page Number: 31-32
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 3 Quotes

She just is his mother, in the same way that Mrs. Sheldon's Mrs. Sheldon, and Barbara Berrill's beneath our notice, and my family’s slightly disgraceful. Everyone knows that these things are so. They don't have to be

explained or justified.

Related Characters: Stephen Wheatley (speaker), Keith’s Mother / Mrs. “Bobs” Hayward, Barbara Berrill
Page Number: 40-41
Explanation and Analysis:

Yes, there’s a sinister unnoticeability about the whole performance, now that we know the truth behind it. There’s something clearly wrong about her, if you really look at her and listen to her as we now do.

Related Characters: Stephen Wheatley (speaker), Keith’s Mother / Mrs. “Bobs” Hayward
Page Number: 43
Explanation and Analysis:

I feel more strongly than ever the honor of my association with Keith. His family have taken on the heroic proportions of characters in a legend—noble father and traitorous mother playing out the never-ending conflict between good and evil, between light and dark.

Related Characters: Stephen Wheatley (speaker), Keith Hayward, Keith’s Father / Mr. Ted Hayward , Keith’s Mother / Mrs. “Bobs” Hayward
Page Number: 57
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 5 Quotes

It's like the War Effort and the perpetual sense of strain it induces, of guilt for not doing enough toward it. The War Effort hangs over us for the Duration, and both the Duration and the long examination board of childhood will last forever.

Related Characters: Stephen Wheatley (speaker), Keith’s Mother / Mrs. “Bobs” Hayward
Page Number: 105
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 6 Quotes

Even before this there were a lot of things piling up that I couldn’t tell Keith about. Barbara Berrill’s visit. Her stupid stories about his mother and his aunt. Now I’ve been burdened with another secret that I have to keep from him. But how can we possibly proceed if I don't tell him this one?

Related Characters: Stephen Wheatley (speaker), Keith Hayward, Keith’s Mother / Mrs. “Bobs” Hayward, Auntie Dee / Mrs. Tracey
Page Number: 126
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7 Quotes

So far as I can piece it together, as the heir to Stephen’s thoughts, he neither thought she was nor didn’t think she was. Without Keith there to tell him what to think he’d stopped thinking about it all. Most of the time you don't go around thinking that things are so or not so, any more than you go around understanding or not understanding them. You take them for granted.

Related Characters: Stephen Wheatley (speaker), Keith Hayward, Keith’s Mother / Mrs. “Bobs” Hayward
Page Number: 153
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9 Quotes

What exactly was this unthinkable something? Nothing exactly. What's unthinkable can’t in its nature be exactly anything. Its inexactitude is what makes it so overpowering.

Related Characters: Stephen Wheatley (speaker), Keith’s Mother / Mrs. “Bobs” Hayward
Page Number: 194
Explanation and Analysis:
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Keith’s Mother / Mrs. “Bobs” Hayward Quotes in Spies

The Spies quotes below are all either spoken by Keith’s Mother / Mrs. “Bobs” Hayward or refer to Keith’s Mother / Mrs. “Bobs” Hayward. 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:
Class Difference and Social Status Theme Icon
).
Chapter 2 Quotes

Gratitude not only to Keith's mother but to Keith himself, to all the others after him whose adjutant and audience I was, and to everyone else who wrote and performed the drama of life in which I had a small, often frightening, but always absorbing part: Thank you for having me. Thank you, thank you.

Related Characters: Stephen Wheatley (speaker), Keith Hayward, Keith’s Mother / Mrs. “Bobs” Hayward
Page Number: 31-32
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 3 Quotes

She just is his mother, in the same way that Mrs. Sheldon's Mrs. Sheldon, and Barbara Berrill's beneath our notice, and my family’s slightly disgraceful. Everyone knows that these things are so. They don't have to be

explained or justified.

Related Characters: Stephen Wheatley (speaker), Keith’s Mother / Mrs. “Bobs” Hayward, Barbara Berrill
Page Number: 40-41
Explanation and Analysis:

Yes, there’s a sinister unnoticeability about the whole performance, now that we know the truth behind it. There’s something clearly wrong about her, if you really look at her and listen to her as we now do.

Related Characters: Stephen Wheatley (speaker), Keith’s Mother / Mrs. “Bobs” Hayward
Page Number: 43
Explanation and Analysis:

I feel more strongly than ever the honor of my association with Keith. His family have taken on the heroic proportions of characters in a legend—noble father and traitorous mother playing out the never-ending conflict between good and evil, between light and dark.

Related Characters: Stephen Wheatley (speaker), Keith Hayward, Keith’s Father / Mr. Ted Hayward , Keith’s Mother / Mrs. “Bobs” Hayward
Page Number: 57
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 5 Quotes

It's like the War Effort and the perpetual sense of strain it induces, of guilt for not doing enough toward it. The War Effort hangs over us for the Duration, and both the Duration and the long examination board of childhood will last forever.

Related Characters: Stephen Wheatley (speaker), Keith’s Mother / Mrs. “Bobs” Hayward
Page Number: 105
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 6 Quotes

Even before this there were a lot of things piling up that I couldn’t tell Keith about. Barbara Berrill’s visit. Her stupid stories about his mother and his aunt. Now I’ve been burdened with another secret that I have to keep from him. But how can we possibly proceed if I don't tell him this one?

Related Characters: Stephen Wheatley (speaker), Keith Hayward, Keith’s Mother / Mrs. “Bobs” Hayward, Auntie Dee / Mrs. Tracey
Page Number: 126
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7 Quotes

So far as I can piece it together, as the heir to Stephen’s thoughts, he neither thought she was nor didn’t think she was. Without Keith there to tell him what to think he’d stopped thinking about it all. Most of the time you don't go around thinking that things are so or not so, any more than you go around understanding or not understanding them. You take them for granted.

Related Characters: Stephen Wheatley (speaker), Keith Hayward, Keith’s Mother / Mrs. “Bobs” Hayward
Page Number: 153
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9 Quotes

What exactly was this unthinkable something? Nothing exactly. What's unthinkable can’t in its nature be exactly anything. Its inexactitude is what makes it so overpowering.

Related Characters: Stephen Wheatley (speaker), Keith’s Mother / Mrs. “Bobs” Hayward
Page Number: 194
Explanation and Analysis: